Chongyi & Shangyou

The "green sea" of southern Jiangxi: the tiered Hakka rice terraces of Shangbao, Yangming Lake (Doushui Lake) with its many bays and islands, and the forests of Mount Yangming and Mount Qiyun, linked into a cool summer driving route.

Chongyi and Shangyou counties lie in western Ganzhou, Jiangxi, next to Rucheng and Guidong in Hunan, among the southern Luoxiao Mountains and the Zhuguang Mountains. With very high forest cover, the area is known as the "green sea of southern Jiangxi". Chongyi's name means "upholding propriety and righteousness"; the county was established at the request of the Ming philosopher Wang Yangming after he pacified southern Jiangxi, and his legacy is visible throughout the area. Shangyou is known for Doushui Lake (Yangming Lake) and its Hakka tea country. There are three main areas: in western Chongyi, the Shangbao Hakka terraces form part of the Rice Terraces in Southern Mountainous and Hilly Areas of China, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, with Junzigu Wild Fruit World, Chishuixian and the Qiyunshan Nature Reserve nearby; south of Chongyi's county town is Yangmingshan National Forest Park; and to the north, Doushui Lake, formed by the Shangyou River hydropower station, covers about 31 km² with many bays and islands, while Yuancun on its north shore is a rural tourism hub with tea gardens, a forest train and rafting. The area is worth visiting year-round: in Apr–May the terraces are flooded and mountain flowers bloom, in summer you can escape the heat by the lake and in the forests, and in Sep–Oct the terraces turn golden. Driving is the main way to get around: Chongyi and Shangyou are each about 1–1.5 hours from downtown Ganzhou, and the two county towns are about 40 minutes apart. Allow 2–3 days; local specialties include Hakka stuffed tofu, Chongyi Chinese sour jujube cake and Shangyou green tea.

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