Exploring the Hidden Realms of Huangyang River and Shima Mountain (Part 2)
March 31st, 6 PM, finally returned to the hotel from the cold dam, had dinner, it was late at night, and I secretly thought, 'If I could capture the starry sky tonight, that would be perfect.'
In a blink, the night fell, but unexpectedly, the weather had changed from clear skies to a thick blanket of clouds. Alas! The microclimate in the mountains is unpredictable, so we had to rest early tomorrow, we still have to hike to Huangyang River and Shima Mountain. Sleep!
April 1st, 6:30 AM, woke up, it was still cloudy with occasional light rain, 7:30 AM, a 'Huangchen' (Han Chen) meal set (noodles with vegetables and tofu), 8:00 AM, departure on time, destination: Huangyang River and Shima Mountain!
Half an hour later, we arrived at a fork in the mountain path; the tourist center staff told us that from here on, our cars could not go in, and we would have to hike. Today's exploration officially began.
During this period of cloudy and rainy weather, the mountain path was a bit muddy, and I finally understood why our cars couldn't enter the mountain. This river is Huangyang River, although it's spring, the mountain temperature is low, many trees haven't grown leaves yet, but the tourist center staff said that these trees will turn red in autumn, I'm really looking forward to autumn!
The clear river water was still icy and piercing cold!
At this dilapidated small bridge, we walked only halfway! This bridge plus the tall, water cypress trees along the riverbank has a great atmosphere, especially beautiful in autumn when the cypress trees turn red!
After crossing the bridge, we took a short rest and continued on our way!
Across the river, a small building is vaguely visible, the guide said, it used to be a mine, now it's a natural resting place for cattle and sheep.
After passing this abandoned building, we reached Shima Mountain, and our companions were admiring the beautiful scenery when one of our friends, who was flying a drone, exclaimed: 'Isn't this mountain just a natural human face?' We looked in the direction he pointed, and it was really similar, more like a side profile of a 'Buddhist head'! The creativity of nature!
After marveling at this, it was already more than 11 AM, we had to return. See you again at Shima Mountain next autumn! 12:30 PM, back to the gate, under the guidance of the staff, we visited the elegant 'Liping Holiday Hotel', the hotel was clean, spacious, upscale, and grand – I didn't expect such a good hotel to be hidden deep in the mountains!
1:30 PM, had a simple lunch in town, 2:30 PM, departure for Han Chen, our two-day Liping exploration tour ended perfectly!
See you again when the mountains are red with maple leaves!
Author: Lao Jia
