Zhashui

A natural "oxygen bar" on the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains, where Niubeiliang's Takin Valley, the Zhashui karst caves and Zhongnanshan Village sit side by side; Xi'an residents' top summer escape.

Zhashui County is in northwestern Shangluo, Shaanxi Province, on the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains, bordering Xi'an's Chang'an District to the north along the main Qinling ridge. The Zhongnanshan Highway Tunnel puts Zhashui about an hour's drive from Xi'an, earning it the name "Xi'an's back garden." With very high forest cover and cool summers, it is the top summer escape for Xi'an residents. The area divides into north and south: in the north, around Yingpan Town, is Niubeiliang National Forest Park, home to the highest peak of the eastern Qinling, where you can hike the gorge boardwalk through Takin Valley, and Zhongnanshan Village and the many guesthouses in Zhujiawan Village at its foot are good places to stay; in the south are the Zhashui Caves, Jiutian Mountain Waterfall south of the county seat, and, about 45 km southeast, the thousand-year-old Fenghuang Ancient Town and Jinmi Village, a model village for wood-ear mushroom farming. The best season is Jun–Oct: summer is for escaping the heat and playing in streams, and red leaves at Niubeiliang and Zhongnan Mountain peak in mid-to-late Oct; in winter the mountains are snowy and some routes may close. Driving is the main way to get around, with the Yingpan and Zhashui exits of the Baotou–Maoming Expressway serving the scenic areas; trains also stop at Zhashui Station on the Xi'an–Ankang Railway. Allow 2 days: one for Niubeiliang and Zhongnanshan Village, one for the caves and Jiutian Mountain or Fenghuang Ancient Town. Temperatures in the mountains swing sharply between day and night, so bring a jacket and non-slip shoes, and book guesthouses ahead on peak-season weekends.

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