[2025 Xin County Attraction] Travel Guide for Xiangshan Lake (Updated Aug)

Everyone, are you worried about high budgets when traveling with your family? Today, I'll share four hidden gem destinations that are perfect for families and won't break the bank, allowing everyone to have a fun and worry-free experience. 1. Weihai, Shandong Highlights - Natural Scenery: In April, Weihai offers gentle sea breezes and perfect sunshine. Chengshantou Scenic Area is an excellent spot for ocean views. Standing on the cliff edge watching the sunset turn the sea golden creates an indescribable feeling of awe—and importantly, it's free! There's also Mount Kunyu, a famous Taoist mountain known as the "Fairy Mountain on the Sea." The fresh mountain air feels like a natural oxygen bar, perfect for a family forest bath. - Urban Leisure: Stroll through Weihai's streets and alleys to experience the city's relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. You can take your family to a café by the sea, sit down to enjoy the ocean view, and cherish quality family time. Cost Breakdown Weihai offers affordable accommodation with many high-value guesthouses to choose from. For dining, you can buy ingredients at seafood markets and have them cooked, saving a significant amount of money. Entrance fees are minimal, with most attractions being free, and even paid attractions are very reasonably priced. 2. Songyang, Zhejiang Highlights - Ancient Village Charm: Songyang is like a living time machine, hiding numerous ancient villages. The old streets of Gushi Town feature bluestone pavements polished by time, with Ming and Qing dynasty buildings telling centuries of history. Here, time seems to slow down. Bring your family to century-old shops for tea and stories, experiencing the charm of slow living. - Rural Scenery: Yangjiatan Village is known as the "Golden Potala Palace," with golden rice fields complementing the scattered houses, creating a picturesque scene. The Chenjiapian Pioneer Bookstore is also distinctive, perched on a cliff, making it a great photo spot. Cost Breakdown For dining, local delicacies like Salt-Stewed Chicken and Qingming Rice Balls cost around 30 yuan per person for a filling meal. Accommodation costs are also low, with clean and comfortable guesthouses priced at about 100-150 yuan per person. Many must-visit attractions are free, and the few that charge admission are reasonably priced, making overall expenses easily manageable. 3. Jingxi, Guangxi Highlights - Rural Scenery: Jingxi is known as "Little Guilin." The rural landscape of Goquan is like a poem or painting. Sitting in a small boat, enjoying the surrounding beauty feels like being in a water town in southern China. The waterfall in Tongling Grand Canyon is magnificent, and walking through the canyon lets you experience nature's masterful craftsmanship. - Folk Experience: In Jiuzhou Ancient Town, you can bring your family to make embroidered balls and experience local folk culture. Cost Breakdown Jingxi has relatively low prices. For accommodation, guesthouses in fishing villages and Zhuang ethnic villages offer good value, with meals included at reasonable prices—around 180 yuan per person for a great experience. For transportation, if you rent a car from Nanning, you can reach Jingxi in 3 hours, and car rental costs are not high. 4. Xinxian County, Henan Highlights - Red Culture: Xinxian is a small city with red revolutionary history at the junction of Hubei, Henan, and Anhui provinces, with many red tourism sites like Dingli Bay Ancient Village. Here, families can learn about that magnificent historical period and experience the influence of revolutionary culture. - Natural Beauty: Xiangshan Lake Metasequoia Forest is beautiful, especially in certain seasons when the forest becomes like a green ocean, breathtakingly gorgeous. Cost Breakdown Most attractions like Dingli Bay Ancient Village and Xiangshan Lake Metasequoia Forest are free, greatly reducing travel costs. For food, local specialties like Stewed Meat in Clay Pot and Earthen Pot Bread cost around 80 yuan for a family of four for a meal with four dishes. The overall cost of living here is low, making it very suitable for families on a budget. Everyone, these four destinations are not only beautiful and suitable for family trips but also budget-friendly. Take advantage of this holiday to experience them with your family! Budget travel Family travel Travel guide

**Lakes and mountains, full of spring** In the southeast of Xinyang New County, Xiangshan Lake is like a piece of jasper inlaid in the hinterland of Dabie Mountain, and is known as the "Western Son of Southern Henan". In spring, the lake is as clear as a mirror, reflecting the green mountains all around, the lakeside is full of wild flowers, and the air is filled with the fragrance of grass and trees. 🌊 Viewed from the air, the lake is shaped like a giant dragon about to fly in the air. The dragon's head, body and tail are lifelike, which is amazing for the miraculous workmanship of nature. This is not only a national water conservancy scenic area, but also an excellent place for spring outing, rafting and flower viewing. ## **Spring Day Highlights✨** **1. Boating on the lake, listening to southern Henan folk songs** In the spring, Xiangshan Lake is sparkling. Riding a small boat with the breeze, you meet the boating mountain girl humming the melodious folk songs of southern Henan, as if time has slowed down. Dozens of small islands are dotted in the lake, some of which appear and disappear as the water level rises and falls, becoming a natural habitat for turtles. **2. Explore the Strange Stones of Incense Burner Mountain** Incense Burner Mountain is the soul of Xiangshan Lake. There are rugged rocks on the mountain, such as "Guanyin Stone", "Ling Cat Stone" and "Tathagata Buddha Palm". In spring, new greenery blooms in the mountains, dotted with wild flowers. Hiking among them is like walking into a natural painting. **3. Visit the thousand-year-old Puji Temple** The temple is surrounded by pines and bamboos. In front of the temple, an ancient maple tree said to have been planted by Hua Tuo is strong and tall. In spring, the sound of Sanskrit sounds, intertwined with the chirping of birds and the sound of wind in the mountains, creating a distant Zen feeling. **4. Ride and Picnic Around the Lake** The lakefront features walking and riding paths, and the spring temperature is perfect for families or friends to ride together. The open meadows along the lake are the perfect spot for a picnic, where you can enjoy the food while taking in the scenery of the lake and mountains. ## **Practical Information i️** - **Tickets**: RMB 20/person (online booking discount) - **Opening Hours**: 8:00-18:00 - **Specialty Food**: New County Chestnut Stewed Chicken, Luoshan Colon Soup, Xinyang Stew, Lakeside Farmhouse for authentic flavors. ## **Accommodation Recommendations🏨** **1. Xiangshan Lake Resort** Located at the entrance to the scenic area, you can see the lake view from the window, offering specialty farmhouse dishes for family outings. **2. Lakeside Cottage Bed and Breakfast** Living close to the water, the style is simple and elegant. At night, you can listen to the sound of the lake water tapping the shore, and in the morning, you can see the wonderland of thin mist covering the lake. **3. Puji Temple Zen Inn** Adjacent to the ancient temple, the quiet environment is suitable for visitors seeking tranquility, early morning can participate in the temple morning lessons to experience the Zen life. ## **Transportation Guide 🚗** - **Driving**: Navigate to "Xiangshan Lake Scenic Area in Xinyang New County", about 3.5 hours drive in the direction of Zhengzhou and about 2.5 hours in the direction of Wuhan. - **Public Transportation**: Take a bus from Xinyang Bus Station to Xin County, then transfer to bus No. 5 or taxi (about 10 minutes) directly to the scenic spot.

| A Golden Romance Limited to Spring. 🌻Spring is the season of rapeseed flowers. In Xinyang, the rapeseed fields across various counties and districts resemble nature's spilled palette, spreading freely and sketching out the unique vibrancy and vitality of spring. Popular flower-viewing spots shared by netizens provide an excellent guide for exploring Xinyang's rapeseed flower beauty. Let's follow this guide and embark on a flower-seeking journey! 🌻Pingqiao District: Xinji Village, A Dreamy Golden Rural Landscape Xinji Village boasts 1,900 acres of rapeseed flowers, reaching full bloom from mid-March to early April, creating undulating waves of gold. Wooden walkways and viewing platforms are built among the flower fields, allowing visitors to stroll through or enjoy panoramic views, experiencing the feeling of "walking in a painting." 🌻Shihe District: Camp No. 7, A Romantic Fairy Tale Under the Sunset Camp No. 7 is a multi-functional eco-tourism destination built around Nanwan Lake's natural resources. Featuring "lakeside camping + pastoral scenery" as its core attraction, it combines nature sightseeing, parent-child education, and cultural experiences, becoming a new "internet-famous spot" in southern Henan. 🌻Yangshan New District: East of Xinyang Customs, Perfect Timing for Rapeseed Flowers From mid-March to early April, vast rapeseed fields create a unique landscape of "flowers among mountains and water reflecting flower shadows." Especially during sunrise and sunset, the golden waves of flowers intertwined with lake reflections become a paradise for photographers. 🌻Xin County: Qiuwan Village at Xiangshan Lake, A Spring Poem Hidden in Mountains and Waters In late March, the lakeside slopes covered in rapeseed flowers, combined with Xiangshan Lake's blue waters and verdant mountains, create an ink painting-like scene. Visitors can stroll along the lakeside boardwalk or climb Xianglu Mountain for panoramic views. 🌻Luoshan County: Golden Flower Sea by Guishan Lake Guishan Lake Scenic Area leverages its natural resources to create a "One Garden, Ten Views, Four Corridors" landscape system, including an eco-botanical garden, water town, ancient Huai culture, and other attractions, integrating leisure tourism, farming experiences, and red tourism. 🌻Guangshan County: National Agricultural Park, Endless Spring Beauty Guangshan County National Agricultural Park (Xianju National Agricultural Park) centers around thousands of acres of rapeseed flowers, combining eco-agricultural sightseeing, farming experiences, and red tourism education. Creating the brand "View Rapeseed Fields in Guangshan Plains," it's becoming a model for agricultural tourism integration in southern Henan. 🌻Other Recommendations: Gufan Village in Shuangcunpu Town of Shangcheng County, near Qiyi Bridge in Shahepuzhen of Gushi County, east of Xinghuang Bridge in Huangchuan County, Yangzhai Village in Caohuanglin Township of Xi County, near Huaihe Dam in Huaibin County...