Not Just for Pretty Photos: Top 3 Most Poetic Autumn Scenes at the Photographer’s Paradise

The unique flavor of persimmon cakes in Hsinpu Township, Hsinchu County, is worth experiencing firsthand. (File photo from our newspaper group)

The autumn wind sweeps across thousands of miles, heralding the arrival of winter and announcing a season of harvest. Autumn has always been poetic. This year, the sun-drying culture of Wuyuan in China’s Jiangxi Province was selected as one of the “Most Beautiful Film Locations in China and Abroad,” with its picturesque autumn landscapes resembling traditional Chinese ink paintings once again capturing international attention. Shedding the summer heat, seize the rhythm of the autumn breeze and unveil a series of poetic autumn scenes.

Hundreds of Huizhou-style houses in Wuyuan are perched on terraced slopes with a drop of hundreds of feet, and as autumn arrives, households hang their harvested fruits out to dry. (Photo provided by Shutterstock)

%舵脑瓷骨? Certified as One of the Most Beautiful Film Locations in the World

The small village of “Wuyuan” (pronounced “Wu yuan”) in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province in China, bordering Anhui and Zhejiang, is hailed as “China’s most beautiful countryside.” It was also recognized as one of the “Most Beautiful Film Locations in China and Abroad” at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Hundreds of Huizhou-style houses are situated along steep terraced slopes, and when autumn arrives, households display their colorful harvest—vivid shades of red chili peppers and yellow corn—accentuating the beauty of the traditional white-walled, black-tiled Eastern architecture.

In Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, an age-old technique of curing whole salmon is preserved, with salted salmon hung under eaves to dry in the cold winter winds. (Photo by Yee-Yin Chien)

%洞迳仙滚? A Thousand Flavors, A Thousand Years of Tradition

Salmon is rich in fat and delicious, loved by many for its various cooking methods. Unlike the common “small” dried fish cured overnight, Murakami City in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, preserves the thousand-year-old technique of curing whole salmon. Locals catch salmon passing through nearby waters in autumn, not only skillfully preparing the fish in a hundred different ways from head to tail but also salting and hanging the salmon under the eaves to dry in the winter winds. This becomes a unique local sight, even visible on train station platforms.

In Japan, autumn-harvested persimmons are strung up and dried under eaves to make persimmon cakes, creating a spectacular scene like a “golden curtain.” (Photo provided by Shutterstock)

When the strong autumn winds blow, persimmons are harvested and dried into “gold.” The process of making persimmon cakes takes two weeks, involving roasting, sun-drying, and multiple rounds of manual massaging. (File photo from our newspaper group)

%缎轮裆故? Yellow Hues Adorning Ancient Houses

Speaking of enjoying the warmth of autumn sun, don’t miss the persimmon-drying tradition in Hsinchu, the photographer’s paradise. When the strong autumn winds arrive, from September each year to January of the following year is the best season for drying persimmon cakes in Hsinchu. Plump, bright red persimmons are peeled and neatly arranged in the courtyards of old Hakka houses in Hsinpu, naturally air-dried over several days. Row upon row of drying racks turn golden yellow, with light and shadow casting little circles, creating a beautiful assembly of autumn’s bustling persimmon-drying scene.