South Mountain Ranch in Shaoyang, Hunan, nicknamed ‘Southern Hulunbulin’ – How to Play?”,
In April, the weather was pleasant. My family and I took a self-drive trip to Shaoyang City, Hunan, to the South Mountain Ranch.
Starting from Loudi, we drove over 300 kilometers via the Two Guang Highway, the Hu Kun Highway, and the Dong Cheng Highway, taking about 4 hours. My wife got motion sickness and vomited twice during the drive. After getting out of the car, she vomited terribly and had no strength left. We rested for a while and then started hiking.
The South Mountain Ranch scenic area is located in the southern section of the Snow Peak Mountains, stretching over 80 kilometers. It is known as 'The Eighty-Mile South Mountain'. It has both the vast and majestic beauty of the Northern grasslands and the quaint and wonderful beauty of the Jiangnan mountains. With 230,000 acres of concentrated, continuous grasslands, it is known as 'Southern Hulunbulin'. If you only walk, it's too short to finish. Fortunately, every scenic spot in South Mountain Ranch is connected by a road, which greatly facilitates self-driving tours. For people like my wife who suffer from motion sickness, this is the best choice.
However, I don't like this way. I think this way is too monotonous and hurried. We quickly see a scenic spot and then quickly drive to the next one. After a day, although we saw many scenic spots, we felt very tired. That's why people often say that tourism is spending money to suffer. We go with high expectations, but return exhausted, and end with the phrase 'It's just so-so, I won't go again.'
Compared to this kind of tourism, I prefer traveling.
Firstly, from a time perspective, places like the South Mountain Ranch scenic area, I don't think spending a week is too much. For example, I could spend a whole day at South Mountain Lake, which is embedded in the embrace of South Mountain, reflecting its beauty day and night. With gentle and flowing water, it washes away the fatigue of travelers. This fairyland-like place cannot be hurried with an hour. I must at least walk around the lake once, savoring every blade of grass, every stone, and every grain of sand. When tired, I can take a small boat and drift freely on the lake, or even close my eyes and take a nap, feeling the caress of the lake breeze.
Moreover, there are 230,000 acres of contiguous natural grasslands in the area, which is green and beautiful in all four seasons, like a painting. I don't even need to do anything, just lying on the grass can keep me for a whole day. The earth is my bed, the grass is my mat, and the blue sky and white clouds are my luxurious canopy. I've tried it a hundred times, and I know it's sweet.
If the weather is just right, you can take a photo in a secluded place, post it to WeChat, and attract a lot of envious and surprised glances. As someone said, 'Flowers need green leaves to complement them'. If you wear a white dress and stand in this grass, you will instantly become a pure flower, and your self-confidence will rise. How wonderful it is!
When really tired, you can set up a tent anywhere and be isolated from the world, forgetting all loves and affairs, and sleep soundly.
When you wake up, you can ride a majestic horse and gallop freely on the grass. This is a genuine leather horse, more comfortable than a Rolls-Royce.
If you're thirsty or hungry, this natural pure milk is the green and environmentally friendly drink. If you want to experience the life of a herdsman, you can even squeeze a full bucket of pure and fragrant milk yourself. Drinking it is very satisfying.
Therefore, compared to spending money to suffer from tourism, traveling is more tempting. It's a soul-filled journey of enjoyment!
