Recently, the reporter learned from the Forestry Bureau of Guangdong Province that the prime season for admiring colorful foliage in Guangdong falls in the period from November to January. Various places across the province are now adorned with colorful leaves, creating a vibrant atmosphere that attracts numerous citizens for sightseeing.
In mid-November, Shaoguan's Maozifeng Tourist Area, known as the "hometown of Chinese Ginkgo Trees," enters its best viewing period. With over 8,000 ginkgo trees scattered along a seven-kilometer sightseeing route, the visitors embrace the autumn atmosphere against the backdrop of white walls, black tiles, and a clear blue sky.
Nanxiong City is known as one of the "nine most beautiful ginkgo viewing sites in China". To promote the high-quality development of ginkgo tourism, Nanxiong City has actively explored a new route for tourism with ginkgo. The successful hosting of the 8th Ginkgo Cultural Tourism Season every year attracts around 160,000 ginkgo sightseers, which generates tourism revenue of over ten million yuan. The event "Ginkgo Adorns Autumn" has been recognized as the most influential tourism brand in Guangdong Province.
In recent years, Nanxiong City has been promoting ecotourism by leveraging the brand influence of "Ginkgo Adorns Autumn". The city has integrated forest culture, forest health, and nature education to form a smart industry chain for forest tourism, which helps transform the original "scenic spot tourism model" into a holistic one. During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays of 2023, Nanxiong City received 104,300 tourists, with a revenue of 77 million yuan. This has effectively promoted the deep integration of rural revitalization and holistic tourism.
In addition to Maozifeng, other destinations in Guangdong also offer captivating foliage. As temperatures drop, the maple leaves in Yunji Mountain change from green to orange and then to red, swaying in the wind and reflecting a warm glow in the sunlight. At Tianjing Mountain, the fallen leaves of bald cypresses form a colorful palette of red, yellow, and green, resembling a spilled paint palette. Wanlv Lake presents a world of green mountains and waters, with red leaves dancing on the green waves, creating a breathtaking scene of "red leaves hidden in the green sea". The maple forest viewing area at Shimen National Forest Park is currently beginning to turn red and will reach its peak in late November.
Currently, Guangdong boasts a forest area of 143 million acres, with a forest coverage rate of 53.03%. There are 100 designated forest tourism routes, 100 emerging branded destinations, and 100 forest homestay brands.
As one of the provinces with the richest wildlife resources in China, Guangdong enjoys 1,361 nature reserves, 115 nature education bases, and 101 nature education trails. Nearly 150 million people benefit from free admission to nearly 1,000 forest parks and wetland parks each year, experiencing the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in a magnificent way.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News
