The May Day holiday is approaching, have you decided where to go? If you're still struggling with where to go, why don't you recommend a good place to visit? It's the 178 kilometer self driving tour around Jinfo Mountain in Chongqing, a world heritage site that we happened to visit a few days ago. During the journey, I shared many beautiful scenery and delicious food with you. Many friends asked me for a route map and guide. These past few days, I've had time to organize this detailed guide of 7500 words for your reference. I believe it won't disappoint you.

Chongqing is a famous online celebrity city in China. It is assumed that many friends will spend two days in the urban area of Chongqing after they arrive in Chongqing City. Monument to the people's Liberation, Ciqikou, Hongya Cave, Liziba, Yangtze River Cableway, etc. will go to punch in, and then they can drive by themselves two days later (of course, if they don't drive by themselves, it is also convenient for Chongqing to rent a car) to Nanchuan. This is an important town in southern Chongqing, only 60 kilometers away from the main city of Chongqing. The city construction is very beautiful, with many tall buildings and numerous cars.

After arriving in Nanchuan, I suggest that everyone can take a break in the popular old street of Nanchuan - Dongjie. This old street is like a dusty story passing through a door of time, taking you into the last century. The arched gate of the cement structure of the Datu Grain Station tells the scene of farmers exchanging public grain and the story of harvest; The giant pole scale on the old factory site, weighing 500 pounds and 5 meters high, reminds people to be fair, just, and just in their actions; The stone mills that can be seen everywhere outline the folk paintings of the city. Nostalgic East Street carves the labels of those eras into artistic imprints of time in this way.

On the weathered railway tracks at the entrance, the white words "Science and technology are the primary productive forces" stand out prominently. A blue and yellow locomotive is parked under the signboard of Nanchuan East Station, with the words' from past to future 'marked on the station. Boarding the "East Street" train carrying memories of the times and strong homesickness, it feels like traveling through thousands of rivers and mountains, and returning as a pure youth.

When you arrive at East Street, there is a place that must be recommended to everyone, which is the four story Family Memory Museum. It collects family memories from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with each floor representing a different era. Strolling along, the furnishings, household appliances, and posters on the wall in front of you will make you burst into tears. It will remind you of the stories your parents once told you, as well as your own student days.

There is an iconic building on East Street, which is the Ferris wheel located on the roof of a building. It is said to be one of the tallest Ferris wheels in Chongqing, but the ticket price is extremely affordable. It only costs 20 yuan to ride once, and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the entire Nanchuan city. The cost-effectiveness is extremely high.

Address: Dongcheng Street, Nanchuan District, Chongqing (formerly known as Jiefang Road)

Admission: Free Tour (Dream Ferris Wheel: 20 yuan/person; Family Experience Hall: 39 yuan/person, children under 1.2 meters are free, and elderly people over 60 years old are 20 yuan.)

In April, the beauty of the earth fades away, and the golden Buddha azaleas begin to bloom! May Day has passed the season of appreciating flowers in spring, but the azaleas in Jinfo Mountain have ushered in the most beautiful season. The azaleas adorn Jinfo Mountain, making it particularly enchanting. The hundred mile flower mountain is colorful, like a vast tapestry of flowers covering the mountains and ridges, with various shapes and shapes, covering the mountains and fields, and blooming with thousands of flowers. Every breath carries the fragrance of flowers.

Jinfo Mountain is not only a world heritage site due to its karst topography, but also rich in resources, known as the Kingdom of Plants. Jinfo Mountain has a forest coverage rate of 96%, with 5097 species of plant resources, over 250 species of ancient plants, 136 species of endemic plants, 82 species of rare and endangered plants, and 52 species of rare plants. Among them, silver fir, ginkgo, large leaf tea, square bamboo, and rhododendron are national first-class protected plants, known as the "Five Treasures of Jinshan", especially the rhododendron, which is remarkable.

It is reported that there are over 60 varieties of rhododendrons in Jinfo Mountain, covering the mountains and plains, with a total of more than 600000 plants. Among them, Jinshan Rhododendron, Shufeng Rhododendron, Broad stemmed Rhododendron, and more than ten other Rhododendrons are only unique to Jinfo Mountain. Moreover, Jinfo Mountain has many world-renowned azaleas that have grown for over a thousand years. The trees are over twenty meters tall and when in full bloom, there are hundreds of thousands of flowers on the trees.

It is worth noting that Jinfo Mountain has three excellent flower viewing destinations. The first one is the cableway up, which is built in the mountains. When tourists ride the cableway up the mountain, they can catch all the azaleas in sight and experience a nearly 90 degree vertical ascent while admiring the flowers. It's really romantic and exciting! The second place is the Ancient Rhododendron Park, also known as the Wild Ancient Rhododendron Park. To reach this place, you can choose to take the cableway up and walk a few hundred meters. In this ancient azalea park, visitors can see the most unique and beautiful sea of azaleas in the Golden Buddha Mountain.

The third place is the Lingkong Plank Road on the top of Jinfo Mountain. It is built on the west slope of Jinfo Mountain, with a maximum distance of 20 meters from the ground. It is parallel to the flower crown of azaleas, so when visitors walk on the Lingkong Plank Road, they can clearly see the azaleas and have zero distance contact with them, just like strolling in a huge mountain top flower sea.

Jinfoshan ticket: 80 yuan during peak season, 70 yuan during off-season;

Feilada is a transliteration of the Italian word Via Ferrata, which means rock exploration or railway style climbing. It is a hiking trail composed of iron handrails, fixed ropes, rock plugs, foot pads, and other components. It is an interesting outdoor sport that is said to have been popular in Europe for over a hundred years. It originated during World War I, when Italy built a mountain iron ring on the mountain to allow its army to quickly climb over the Dolomites.

This sport combines the advantages of outdoor rock climbing and hiking, and is known as the "dance on the cliff". It retains the thrilling excitement of outdoor rock climbing, achieving the purpose of exercising physical fitness and willpower, while greatly reducing the professional technical requirements for climbers. With sufficient safety guarantees, it allows ordinary people to gallop between cliffs, bringing a wonderful feeling of reaching the summit and overlooking the mountains, thus obtaining great spiritual enjoyment.

It is precisely because Feilada has so many advantages that it has quickly become popular in China and is loved by outdoor enthusiasts. Currently, multiple scenic spots have launched this project, but Feilada located on the southern slope of Jinfo Mountain is definitely the most beautiful among them. It is not only backed by the World Heritage Jinfo Mountain, but also the mountain is almost 90 degrees vertical, extremely stimulating. The mountains are often shrouded in clouds and mist, and walking in them is like strolling in the clouds.

It takes about 15 minutes to drive from the south slope gate of Jinfo Mountain to Feilada (accessible by navigation). After parking, there is a small path along the foothills of the river, which takes about 20 minutes to walk to Feilada's reception center. Once there, professional staff will receive and distribute equipment. Suggested playtime: half a day;

Shenyou Xiongqi Jinfoshan, with infinite scenery on the southern slope. The 178 Ring Road of Jinfo Mountain is a deep tour route that follows the southern slope of Jinfo Mountain to explore Jinfo Mountain.

The pleasure of self driving lies in the most beautiful scenery on the road. On the southern slope of Jinfo Mountain, there are beautiful scenery along the way, shrouded in clouds and mist, as beautiful as a fairyland. There is a section of road where Jinfo Mountain is faintly visible on one side and Jinshan Lake is as green as jade on the other, enjoying the beauty of the mountains and waters. Every snap is a big picture.

Looking towards Jinfo Mountain in the morning, looking at Jinfo Mountain in the evening, the golden Buddha is shrouded in mist and clouds. "On the southern slope of Jinfo Mountain, you can see that Jinfo Mountain is like a Buddha. Buddha is a mountain, and Jinfo Mountain is named after it. Here, you don't know what traffic congestion is, and often you can't even see a car. If you think the scenery is good, you can find a place to park and slowly take pictures.

Jinfo Mountain is far away from pollution, with rugged mountain roads, many bends, and low traffic flow. You can fully enjoy the fun of self driving, freely gallop between the beautiful S-shaped highways, and feel the natural charm of the World Heritage Site.

There is no need for tickets here. You can freely shoot and embrace nature without affecting the passage of other vehicles and ensuring your own safety. Although people are as small as ants in front of the mountains, you can be a happy ant.

Yangjiagou is located in Delong Town, south of Jinfoshan in Chongqing. There are large areas of wild ginkgo communities here, with a total of over 3000 plants. Among them, there is a 2500 year old ginkgo queen tree, which is the oldest ginkgo tree discovered in the world so far and can be called the king of ginkgo trees in the world.

Although ginkgo trees are common plants in various parts of China, what people usually see are their cultivated plants, and wild ginkgo populations in their natural state are very rare. Therefore, there was a time when botanists believed that wild ginkgo had become extinct. Unexpectedly, this extremely rare wild ginkgo forest was discovered on Yangjiagou Mountain on Jinfo Mountain South Road.

In this little-known village, there are over 30000 wild ginkgo trees of all sizes growing, making it the most concentrated, largest community, and largest plant area of wild ginkgo trees in the world. Among them, 10 trees are over 1000 years old. According to botanists' research, the largest of them has a tree age of at least 2500 years and requires several people to embrace each other to survive.

In April and May, although ginkgo trees do not have the delicate fragrance of flowers, their tender green leaves sway and rustle in the soft warm breeze like a fan. Along with the ancient village under the trees, it is a rare material for painters to sketch, which has attracted a large number of artists to come and sketch.

Without climbing high mountains, one does not know how high the sky is; Without facing the abyss, it is difficult to understand how thick the earth is! Wild ginkgo trees grow to their fullest, their trunks weathered by wind and frost, vigorous and ancient, symbolizing the passion and splendor of life. In the deep and ancient forest, they shine alone, presenting a strange landscape far away from the city and noise.

The tea sage Lu Yu said in the "Classic of Tea": "Tea is the finest tree in the south. It is one foot, two feet, or even dozens of feet long. In the Bashan Gorge, there are two people embracing each other, and they are cut down and plucked." Wild large tea trees growing in the valleys of Jinfo Mountain and Baizhi Mountain are similar to the tall tea trees described in the "Classic of Tea" in the Bashan Gorge. There is a wild tea tree in Tea Tree Village that is over 7 meters tall, 57 centimeters in diameter, and over a thousand years old. It is known as the "ancestor of tea trees".

The place where the ancient tea tree is now located is called Gucha Village. According to the memories of elderly villagers in the area, the wild large tea trees in Delong used to be scattered all over the mountains and fields, and there were also many with a breast diameter exceeding 50 centimeters. But in the mid-20th century, most large tea trees were cut down. In recent years, thanks to government protection, the number of wild tea tree species has increased, and it has been preliminarily identified that there are more than 17000 in the Jinfo Mountain area.

Nowadays, the local area has developed a well-known Jinshan black tea. After all, it is a millennium old tree tea with low production, so the most expensive one can be sold for 60000 kilograms. Here, you can visit the park, learn about ancient tea culture, and enjoy tea tasting and chatting while driving.

It is reported that the local area has also built an ancient tea theme park in Delong Town, which showcases the history of Ba Yu tea, tea events, tea utensils, tea customs, tea etiquette, tea poetry, tea songs and dances, and develops tea themed leisure and entertainment such as tea experience, tea processing, tea banquets, tea food, tea games, etc., showcasing the cultural charm of ancient tree tea in Jinfo Mountain, Nanchuan in multiple directions, levels, and dimensions.

Taking Jinfo Mountain as an example, many friends only know that it is a world heritage site and a national 5A level tourist attraction. Even if they have been there, many only know about attractions such as Bitan Yougu, Cliff Stack Road, Golden Turtle Chaoyang, and Ecological Stone Forest. However, they do not know that within the 441 square kilometer Jinfo Mountain scenic area, there are a large number of landscapes such as karst hills, sinkholes, caves, rock pillars, waterfalls, canyons, ancient villages, ancient villages, ancient teas, and ancient trees.

Candlestick Peak is located at the intersection of Jinfo Mountain and Baizhi Mountain. The Baizhi River Grand Canyon is formed here due to long-term water flow and wind erosion. The canyon has deep valleys and steep cliffs on both sides. At the mouth of the valley, a solitary peak is formed due to long-term water flow and wind erosion, which is called Candlestick Peak. The Candlestick Peak is over a hundred meters high and looks like a huge candlestick. An equally huge "candle" is inserted into it, making it a solitary peak towering above the clouds. It is not within the scenic area, it is not a scenic area, but it is a scenic area that makes people marvel at the amazing craftsmanship of nature.

Do you think there's only one mountain peak here? In fact, there are two caves in the cliff at the edge of Candlestick Peak. The entrance of the cave is surrounded by a wall made of many crushed stones. It is obvious that someone once lived here, but in what era? Who is it? But there is no way to verify, how did these people get to this cave with cliffs and cliffs up and down? Even the locals don't know, it's really an unsolved mystery.

On the opposite mountain of Candlestick Peak, there is a waterfall that cascades down from a cave in the middle of the cliff. According to local villagers, this waterfall flows continuously throughout the year, with no increase or decrease in water volume and a continuous stream. Where is its source? Where does the cave lead to, no one knows, it is also an unsolved mystery.

Pangguandu is located in Qingyuan Town, where there is a winding river and a cliff on the opposite bank. The cliffs are very unique, with layers of straight lines, like ten thousand volumes of scriptures; Yufan asked local friends, what geological features does this belong to? They only stated that Jinfo Mountain belongs to the southern karst landform. As for what geology this layer by layer rock structure belongs to, they are not sure. Everyone thinks it is magical, like a city wall built by God on the river bank.

The water flow of this river called 'Guandu' is not large, and the river surface is not wide, but it is an ancient ferry crossing, which is really incredible. Could it be that ancient people had to pass through this river to travel north and south, and to travel east and west? Originally, Jinfo Mountain was a natural watershed running east-west, and the areas of Dayou, Qingyuan, Guhua, Hexi, and Zheng'an in Guizhou are all located in the south of the Jinfo Mountain barrier. The water on the southern slope of Jinfo Mountain leads out numerous streams from north to south through the ravines at the southern foot of Jinfo Mountain, which converge into a main stream at Pangguandu. People traveling from east to west or from west to east must pass through the barriers of multiple rivers and establish multiple ferry crossings if taking other roads.

Since the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, both Nanchuan in Chongqing and Zheng'an in Guizhou belonged to Bozhou (now Zunyi). From Nanchuan to Zheng'an, the official road must pass through this ferry, hence the name Guandu. Due to the frequent flow of people and goods, as well as the gathering of merchants on both sides of the ferry and the large size of the ferry, it is called "Pangguandu" by people.

According to the "Inscription on Pangguandu", Guandu "encountered an earthquake, the water volume decreased, the official road changed, and the ferry crossing no longer existed. However, although there is no ferry crossing now, the name Pangguandu is still in use today." Local villagers told us that there are caves on the shore of Guandu, and there is an underground river in the cave (which may be one of the important reasons for the reduction of water volume in Guandu), which is unfathomable. Once, a big fish over 2 meters long swam out of the cave, and it has been passed down as a legend among the people.

This place has now become a weekend camping site for some self driving experts in the main city of Chongqing. During the day, birds sing and flowers bloom, the scenery is pleasant, and at night, you can sleep on the gurgling stream. If the weather is good, you can also see the stars in the sky. Transportation is also very convenient, and it only takes more than an hour to get there from the main city. The roads are not only highways but also oil roads, and no cars are picked up. Therefore, many people invite friends to come camping, play in the water, move crabs, catch fish, barbecue, etc. on weekends, which is very interesting. (Yufan's note: This place is open for free and does not require a ticket)

This is an internet famous waterfall located near the famous Longyan City, so some people also call it Longyan Waterfall. The fan-shaped cliff at the top of the waterfall has an altitude of 1300 meters, and the water flows down with a vertical drop of over 200 meters.

When the water volume is not large and the water flow is close to the bottom, it disperses like smoke and rain; If the valley wind rolls back and the water mist flies. From a distance, this scenery is silent and audible, like a static landscape painting. Approaching the waterfall, water mist splashes and the sound of water roars. To speak, one must shout loudly.

Underneath the Ma'nishui Waterfall is a new scenic area under construction called the Wanjuan Shutai (currently free, but may be charged in the future). This area features a limestone landscape and is located in the Upper Ordovician Baota Formation, with a relatively flat shape formed by the weathering and dissolution of limestone. Due to the stacking of rocks, the bedding is exceptionally clear, resembling a book scroll, hence it is called the Wanjuan Shutai by the locals.

Guanyin Rock was once a post station on the thousand year old tea and salt ancient road from Sichuan to Guizhou Province. It was named after the Guanyin Rock in front of the post station (a natural rock with a Guanyin statue under it). In the past, various types of people such as porters, hired laborers, and members of the Three Teachings and Nine Schools frequently traveled back and forth. Bamboo shoots, tung oil, tea, medicinal herbs and other unique products of the mountains are transported here to trade outside the mountains. Blue cloth, socks and other items from the city also enter the lives of the people in the mountains through here.

As an important post on the ancient tea and salt road between Sichuan and Guizhou, Guanyinyan was once extremely prosperous. According to the "Nanchuan County Annals", from the 26th to the 28th of the Republic of China, 146000 dan of bamboo shoots, tung oil, tea leaves, raw lacquer, gallnuts, pine oil, pine smoke, coke, iron wool, medicinal herbs, pig bristles, cowhide, etc. were exported, and 18200 packs of salt (135 catties per pack) were imported and exported from the mountain roads by the merchants of that year.

However, time flies, and in the tide of development of the times, this thousand year old Sichuan Guizhou ancient road is gradually being replaced by faster highways and railways, and this place is also slowly being ignored and forgotten. Nowadays, the weeds are overgrown, obscuring the smooth bluestone slabs. Few people have arrived, and many shops have closed their doors tightly.

Guanyinyan Station has an altitude of about 1000 meters. With the disappearance of passenger flow, most of the original residents have moved out, and many houses have been in disrepair for a long time, with people leaving and buildings becoming increasingly desolate. A few years ago, after some merchants settled in, they carried out simple repairs on it, which can be considered a good place with history, stories, and few beautiful scenery. (Currently, no admission tickets are required, making it a good choice for dining and accommodation);

Longya City may be unfamiliar to many friends, but it was once very prominent in history. It is located in Mazui Township on the north slope of Jinfo Mountain, with an altitude of about 1784 meters. It was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty and is a must pass route from northern Guizhou to eastern Chongqing. It is a must win for military strategists and is on par with Hechuan Fishing City, known as the "first barrier in the south".

The Mazui Mountain, where Longya City is located, has a magnificent mountain terrain that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. According to the "Geographical Records of Ming Dynasty", Mazui Mountain was originally named "Majing Pass", which choked the throat of Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. The mountain is high and the road is dangerous, with cliffs and steep walls around it. However, there is a single path leading to the city gate at Majing Pass, which has the momentum of "one general guarding the pass, ten thousand people are invincible".

Longya City is one of the anti Mongolian battlefields that is equally famous as Hechuan Fishing City. Although the war is not as large-scale and long-lasting as Fishing City, it is a place where the Mongolian army retreated after two months of unsuccessful siege. Even the "History of Song" written by Yuan Dynasty scholars, which kept a secret about the anti Mongolian history at the end of the Song Dynasty, recorded that "on the day of Bingxu in June of the first year of Kaiqing, Nanping came to report his military achievements". It is evident that its impact is significant.

Longya City is a free scenic spot, and when we went there, the fog was particularly strong, so the scenery we saw was faintly visible. If the weather is good enough, the view here is extremely broad. Not only can you feel the danger of Longya City, but you can also see the ultimate beauty of the north slope of Jinfo Mountain from afar. It is recommended to stay here for half a day and climb the mountain (about half an hour). Flat bottomed shoes are preferred.

Other recommendations: Liangyu Health Valley, Thumb Mountain (Dayou Town), Shiren Mountain (Dayou Town), Shanwangping Fantasy Forest (more beautiful in autumn, with yellow and green on one side), Shenlong Gorge, Jinsanquan Hot Spring, Tianxing Town, Qianxing Grand Canyon (as shown in the picture), etc. The surrounding area of Jinfo Mountain is really beautiful and there are many attractions.

Puxiang Hotel

This is a high-end and luxurious mountain homestay, located in a canyon called Wolongtan at the foot of Jinfo Mountain. The scenery of Wolongtan is beautiful, with deep canyons, bird songs, floral fragrance, flowing springs and waterfalls. The scenery is pleasant, but it is not open to the public. Only guests who stay in this homestay can visit this scenic area. The privacy is excellent, and when we arrived, it could almost be described as a private room.

At the foot of the Golden Buddha Mountain, nestled in the hidden dragon realm and surrounded by clear waters and tranquil pools, several small houses are hidden in the valley. This is the Puxiang Hotel introduced in this article. Here, the deep valley, tranquil pond, mountain mist, Sanskrit music, elegant garden... outline a few exquisite dwellings.

Although it is a mountain homestay, the housing prices here are not cheap. The lowest one costs more than 3000 yuan per night, and the most expensive one costs 18000 yuan per night, much more expensive than Bailian, Banyan Tree, Lijing, and Wenhua in the urban or suburban areas of Chongqing. Even if it is located in the north, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, it is still the top-notch room. And there are only 18 rooms in total, sometimes there may not be a room available even if you want to book, so it's best to book in advance if needed.

Jinshan Yunxi Hotel

Compared to the Puxiang Hotel, this Jinshan Yunxi Hotel is much more affordable. It is also located in the Great Buddha of Jinfo Mountain, accompanied by the chirping of insects and birds, and has an excellent environment. If the weather is good, you can also see the stars in the sky at night.

Jinfoshan Liangyu International Health Valley

Jinfo Mountain Liangyu International Health Valley is located on the west slope of Jinfo Mountain. Here, there is a vast world of flowers and an endless emerald green forest. As you step into it, you will be captivated by the gentle strokes of a painting, which is quiet, elegant, and breathtaking.

This hotel is a high-end Chinese style hotel built at a cost of 300 million yuan, with the charm of a Jiangnan Chinese water town. The hotel has a total of 76 rooms, including a business center conference room, restaurant, tea room, coffee bar, book bar, chess and card room, fitness center, KTV and other rich leisure and entertainment facilities. It has the only infinity pool in Jinfo Mountain (not yet completed, estimated to be open to the public in summer), which is an ideal place for flower viewing and self driving.

Chongqing is a famous food city in China. In addition to Chongqing hot pot, noodles, and Jianghu cuisine, each district and county has its own unique delicacies, such as the pickle feast in Fuling, the vegetable feast in Tongnan, etc. Nanchuan, as the world's biological gene pool, is the most representative of health Tonic Diet.

Nanchuan, Chongqing is an area with extremely rich traditional Chinese medicine resources. According to relevant information, Nanchuan has nearly 5000 types of Chinese medicinal materials. The Jinfo Mountain in the area enjoys the reputation of "World Biogene Bank", "Chinese Medicine Bank", "Northern Medicine Changbai Mountain, Southern Medicine Jinfo Mountain". The eight special medicinal materials of Jinfo Mountain, including Changshan, Dikudan, Mao Huangjin, Hu Doulian, Hui Xin Cao, Jinshan Rock Cabbage, Four sided Muscle Bone Grass, and Zhusha Lian, are well-known. The Chongqing Institute of Drug Planting, located in Jinfo Mountain, is the only established scientific research institution in China that specializes in the cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine. It has a deep scientific research background. It is precisely because of this condition that the local Tonic Diet for health preservation is passed down from generation to generation and is very famous.

Jinfo Mountain has a wide variety of delicious foods, such as famous bamboo shoots, wild mushrooms, firewood taro rice, energetic soup, wild vegetables (Chaihu, Houttuynia cordata, Ci Lao Bao, etc.), ginger stuffed duck, cured meat, hand ground tofu, etc. It can be said that in Nanchuan, any small shop can satisfy you.

The total length of the Jinfo Mountain Ring Road is exactly 178 kilometers, which means "together" or "together". It crosses the 1300 square kilometer Jinfo Mountain and passes through towns such as Jinshan Town, Toudu Town, Delong Town, and Dayou Town. The circular road features beautiful mountains and waters, allowing visitors to enjoy flowers, take photos, pick tea, visit secluded places, play in the water, and explore (Feilada)... Avoiding crowds, unlocking new ways to play Jinfo Mountain. The scenery here is unique, and visitors can be intoxicated by the picturesque scenery outside the window. It will definitely be an unforgettable self driving journey. (If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a message, comment and communicate).