With beautiful scenery, ancient Wuyuan sends visitors back in time
Travelers today are apt to look for tranquil places that are less commercialized and more isolated. One way to avoid a clamorous crowd is to choose a destination that keeps a low profile and head there after the peak season.
Wuyuan county, with its ancient towns and villages in Jiangxi province, is ideal for such exploration in autumn and winter. In the spring, tourists flock to see the profusion of bright yellow rapeseed flowers across terraced hills, but fall provides its own color in a riot of red-leafed maple trees against a backdrop of pebbled streets and black-tiled roofs.
The region's mountainous terrain, once a barrier for easy travel, helped preserve its bygone charms. Now the glimpses into the past - the wooden arches, stone bridges and maze of winding streets - are easily accessible by highspeed rail from Beijing (eight hours) or Shanghai (four hours).
