Luotian & Yingshan

On the southern slopes of the Dabie Mountains: Tiantangzhai (Hubei side) and the sheer ridges of Bodao Peak in Luotian, plus Taohuachong, South Wudang and hot springs in Yingshan—eastern Hubei's go-to for mountain hikes and autumn foliage.

Luotian and Yingshan counties lie in the northeast of Huanggang, Hubei, on the southern slopes of the Dabie Mountains, bordering Jinzhai and Huoshan in Anhui to the north. They are the main places in eastern Hubei for mountain hiking, summer escapes and autumn foliage. On the Luotian side, the highlights are Tiantangzhai (main peak 1,729 m; on the Hubei side you enter via Shengrentang in Jiuzihe) and Bodao Peak, both part of Dabie Mountain National Forest Park. Jiuzihe Town is the hub for lodging and river rafting, and Sanlifan in the west has hot springs. Luotian is also known as China's "Home of Chestnuts," with chestnuts in season in autumn. On the Yingshan side are Taohuachong in the northeast and the South Wudang scenic area in Wujiashan National Forest Park to the north; Wenquan Town, the county seat, has hot-spring hotels, Wuyunshan Tea Park and the Bi Sheng Memorial Park, and Yingshan Yunwu tea is the local specialty. The climate is subtropical monsoon: summers in the mountains are cool, high-mountain azaleas are best in Apr–May and autumn leaves in Oct–Nov, and in winter you can soak in hot springs or ski at Taohuachong. The two county seats are about 40 km apart, and the main sights are scattered across the northern mountains on winding roads, so self-driving is recommended. Wuhan is about 2–2.5 hours away by car, or you can take a bus to either county seat and hire a car from there. Plan on 3–4 days: one day at Tiantangzhai, one at Bodao Peak and Jiuzihe, one at Taohuachong or South Wudang in Yingshan, and finish with a hot-spring soak.

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