Lichuan

A cool mountain town in western Hubei at over 1,000 m: wind-turbine-dotted grasslands on Qiyue Mountain, the cool forests of Sumadang, and the Tujia cliffside village of Yumuzhai, where summers are pleasantly cool.

Lichuan is a county-level city under Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hubei, at the southwestern border of the province where it meets Wanzhou and Shizhu in Chongqing. The urban area sits at an elevation of about 1,100 m, and summer averages only about 22°C, making it a famous cool retreat along the middle Yangtze. This destination focuses on the high-mountain resort area of western Lichuan. In Moudao Town stands the 'No. 1 Fir Under Heaven,' a giant dawn redwood. Sumadang is a forest resort area at about 1,000 m. To the west, Qiyue Mountain is the largest mountain grassland in South China, with rows of wind turbines, where you can watch sunrise over the clouds and go horseback riding and camping. In the southwest of the city, Fobao Mountain National Forest Park offers canyon rafting, glass-plank walkways and high-altitude cable cars. In southern Moudao Town, Yumuzhai is a Tujia village built on a cliff, with Qing-dynasty tombstone carvings, a village gate, and ancient paths. Tenglong Cave, the Dashuijing ancient architectural complex and the Longchuan Water Village are also in Lichuan, but they are covered in the Enshi destination and can be visited on a same-day round trip from Lichuan city.

Seasons: July–August is the peak for summer escapes, so book hotels and Sumadang homestays in advance. October–November turns the dawn redwoods reddish-brown. Winter is cold, damp and foggy, and Qiyue Mountain occasionally has snow, with a ski resort in Wangying Town.

Getting there: the Zhengzhou–Chongqing high-speed railway and the Yu-Li railway stop at Lichuan station, with direct trains to Chongqing and Wuhan. The sights are scattered across the mountains, so driving or hiring a car (about 400 yuan a day) is recommended. Plan 2 days: one for Sumadang, the Moudao dawn redwood, and Yumuzhai, and one for Qiyue Mountain and Fobao Mountain. The mountain roads are foggy with many curves, so drive carefully in rain or fog.

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