Southern Zhejiang

A mountain-and-sea region in southeast Zhejiang made up of Wenzhou, Taizhou and Lishui, with Mount Yandang, Shenxianju, Mount Tiantai, Nanxi River and Oujiang River landscapes each with their own character.

The Southern Zhejiang region covers the entire jurisdictions of three prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang Province: Wenzhou, Taizhou and Lishui. Taizhou is sometimes counted in "eastern Zhejiang," but this plan places it with Wenzhou and Lishui in Southern Zhejiang, that is, the southeast coast plus the southwestern mountains of Zhejiang. This is where Zhejiang's scenery is most concentrated: Mount Yandang in Yueqing is known for its strange peaks, waterfalls and night views, with Lingfeng and Dalongqiu as highlights; Shenxianju in Xianju is famed for its volcanic rhyolite peak forest and cliffside plank walkways; Mount Tiantai is home to the founding temple of the Tiantai school of Buddhism, where Guoqing Temple has a long history and there is also the Stone Bridge Waterfall; along both banks of the Nanxi River in Yongjia lie farming-and-scholarship ancient villages such as Furong and Cangpo. Lishui is the "Green Valley of Zhejiang"; the Yunhe terraces, Xiandu in Jinyun and the ancient villages of Songyang are loved by photographers, while Longquan celadon and swords, Qingyuan's covered bridges and Jingning's She ethnic culture reflect a distinctive mountain culture. The alum mine ruins and coastal scenery of Fanshan in Cangnan, and Linhai's prefectural city in Taizhou with its coastal islands, are also worth a visit. A classic route takes 5–7 days: enter at Wenzhou, tour Mount Yandang and the Nanxi River, head north to Xianju and Tiantai, then turn west to Lishui, returning via Jinyun and Yunhe. Getting around: Wenzhou Longwan Airport and Taizhou Luqiao Airport have many flights; the Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou railway runs along the coast, the Jinhua–Wenzhou railway connects Lishui, and every city's main urban area has a high-speed rail station; public transport between mountain sights is inconvenient, so self-drive is recommended. Spring and autumn are best; summer is cool in the mountains but typhoons need watching along the coast, and take care on plank walkways, which are slippery after rain.

Destinations

Itineraries