The Most Beautiful Wan Yao Leisure Tourism Area

　　The Most Beautiful Wan Yao Leisure Tourism Area encompasses Wan Yao Village, Hongshi Bridge Village, and Dahe Village, spanning an administrative area of 46.5 square kilometers. The area is rich in leisure tourism resources, including the national large (Class II) Wan Yao Reservoir and the provincial-level key cultural relic protection site—the Dahe Ancient Kiln Site Cluster.

　　Wan Yao, named after the hundred ancient kilns of the Song Dynasty, is famed for its Eighteen-Li Moon Lake and even more celebrated for its diverse, eco-friendly agritainment offerings. It is truly a leisure paradise where you can dine in the mountains, cruise on the water, pick fruits in the gardens, stay amidst the forests, and revel in nature.

　　Starting from downtown Jiangshan City, drive across the Rainbow Bridge, pass over Jiangqu Road, and follow the Xu River upstream to Dahe. Along the 8-kilometer-long Jiangwan Tree-lined Avenue, rows of poplar trees stand tall, shading the road from sun to sky. Whether you’re driving through or strolling leisurely, it feels like traveling through a secluded forest tunnel. Passing by Tiger Shape Mountain, you’ll arrive at the 2,000-meter-long Dahe Green Corridor. Here, weeping willows droop low, apricot blossoms smile pink, and ornamental plants such as camellia, podocarpus, and photinia are arranged in charming layers. The artfully layered man-made scenery, the fragrant winding footpaths, often captivate anglers and enchant travelers. “Rippling waters mirror the moon; lotus leaves stretch green over the water”—this poetic line captures the essence of the 80-acre lotus pond along the Dahe section. Every fragrant May, when lotus leaves cradle dewdrops and blossoms vie in full bloom, Dahe Stream transforms into a world where lotuses seem to tread on water and flowers bloom unstained by mud. Their ethereal grace and noble elegance attract numerous calligraphy, painting, and photography enthusiasts from across the province and beyond. It’s also a favorite spot for couples about to wed, who come here to capture the most beautiful moments of their lives.

　　Located in Wan Yao Village, She Shan Forest Park is a standalone, gently sloped hill covering 16 acres. Surrounded by roads on three sides and facing a river to the west, it resembles a turtle emerging from water. Nearly 50 years of natural evolution and enclosed conservation have left She Shan lush and emerald-green. The mountain is densely wooded, with a mix of coniferous and broadleaf trees, and almost no underbrush. With moderate human intervention, antique pavilions peek through the foliage, and pebble-paved paths wind through serene groves—creating a perfect leisure oxygen bar where past and present blend seamlessly.

　　Walking along the dam of Wan Yao Reservoir toward Linghou, the Peach-throwing Pavilion will tell you a touching story of love for the people; the exhibition hall will recount the past and present of Wan Yao. And when you stand before the ancient Song Dynasty kiln site, letting your thoughts traverse time and space, who could help but marvel at—and be awestruck by—the porcelain-making mastery of the ancients, whose blue-and-white ceramics were “as thin as paper, as white as jade, as clear as a mirror, and as resonant as chimes”? Their extraordinary wisdom, skillful craftsmanship, and the profound cultural heritage of this place command deep respect.

　　In mid-spring, stroll along the winding mountain road and you’ll see verdant peaks rising one after another, with winds stirring and clouds swirling. In the distance, the mature leaves of tall and short coniferous and broadleaf trees are deep jade green, while the newly sprouted buds and leaves are fresh light green. The tender shoots and buds just forming are pale yellow. The interplay of deep jade, light green, and pale yellow creates a splendid spring scene. The most magnificent sight is the golden pine cones covering the endless green pines—up close, they resemble exquisitely stacked miniature pagodas; from afar, they look like orioles dancing on the branches. Amid the greenery, colorful flowers bloom in competition: pure white raspberry flowers, pinkish-yellow mountain spice flowers, and purple-and-white wisteria. But the most renowned are the azaleas, in shades of purple, white, yellow, and red. Their vibrant hues, bursting through the green canopy and cascading down cliffs, reveal what a truly colorful world and an ocean of fallen petals really look like.

　　“Bamboo shoots just sprout, shaped like calf horns; fiddlehead ferns rise, curled like a child’s fist.” The pulse of spring also awakens the winter-dormant bamboo shoots. They push upward from deep beneath the soil, using their tender yellow split leaves to force their way through layers of bamboo leaves and mossy stones, breaking ground like playful bamboo babies. Among the slender, swaying mother bamboo groves, they stretch in the wind, whispering their spring greetings.

　　Wan Yao boasts not only picturesque green mountains but also melodious clear waters. Thanks to the mild climate, abundant rainfall, and surrounding mountains crisscrossed with ravines, the area has a main catchment zone stretching eighteen li, with a dense and well-developed water system. At sheer cliffs, green moss thrives and water droplets glisten. Halfway up the mountain, mountain springs cascade down, their white waves like silk ribbons, splashing into pearls on jade plates upon hitting rocks and sending up cool mists. In the mountain streams, where pebbles of all sizes lie scattered and peach blossoms and willows cast dappled shade, the water flows gently—sometimes soft as silk, sometimes smooth as a mirror, sometimes misty as smoke. At the source of the secondary reservoir of the Golden Dragon Reservoir, the water is as green as jade. Calling it a mini Jiuzhaigou of Wan Yao is no exaggeration.