Embarking on the Heavenly Match journey, we ventured deep into Tiantai and Xianju along Zhejiang’s southeastern coast to witness a vibrant, poetic landscape painting and delve into a profound cultural anthology. In mid-April, Phoenix Travel, together with five renowned travel influencers, completed a journey tracing the Heavenly Match, showcasing the distinctive natural beauty of Tiantai and Xianju through their cameras.
A spectacular journey has just concluded. Attracted by the “Heavenly Match Travel Influencer” campaign launched by Phoenix Travel in March and the “Domestic Influencers Trace the Heavenly Match Journey” event in April, international travel influencers from around the world gathered in Tiantai and Xianju to interpret the Heavenly Match through foreign eyes.
International Travel Influencers Gather in Tiantai and Xianju
“In your opinion, what kind of route best captures the stunning scenery and cultural richness of Tiantai and Xianju?” To allow everyone to fully experience the breathtaking beauty of Tiantai and Xianju, Phoenix Travel launched the “Heavenly Match Journey – Influencer Itinerary Callout” in March this year. The call received enthusiastic responses from all over, even catching the attention of international friends worldwide. A group of foreign travel influencers immediately set off, completing an extraordinary Heavenly Match journey.
In late spring and early summer, during the peony blooming season, the Grand River Peony Garden in Taijiangyuan, Xianju County, has already burst into bloom. The garden is ablaze with the “national beauty and heavenly fragrance” of Chinese flowers. Foreign visitors arriving in Taizhou began their Heavenly Match journey right here in Xianju.
Peony Garden
The peony is China’s national flower, hailed as the “king of flowers.” Before admiring the peonies, the foreign influencers couldn’t wait to take a boat ride along the Yong’an River, the mother river of Xianju. Unlike the mighty rush of the Yellow River, the Yong’an River flows gently, winding through the mountains. This tranquil stream is perfect for drifting along on a bamboo raft, offering an up-close view of the ink-painting-like scenery of “green mountains and emerald waters.”
Yong’an River
For many foreign influencers, drifting along green waters on a bamboo raft is something usually reserved for the heroes in Chinese martial arts blockbusters. Now getting to experience it themselves was especially novel. At one end of the raft, the boatman appeared to nudge the riverbed casually, skillfully gliding the light craft forward, leaving the influencers amazed.
Yong’an River
Upon arriving at the Peony Garden, the group of foreign influencers were captivated by the grand and luxurious Chinese national flower, taking photos one after another. The diverse and splendid peonies, accompanied by music and poetry, created a scene of radiant spring beauty. The millennia-old folk event, the Peony Flower Festival, continues in Xianju and spreads from here to the international stage.
Peony Garden
After leaving the Peony Garden, the foreign influencers immediately experienced a greenway cycling and walking tour around the Yong’an River. Winding between the river and the embankment, with the Yong’an River on the left and mixed woodlands along the bank on the right, the river water is as clear and smooth as jade, starting wide and calm as a mirror. The influencers were treated to rare and beautiful scenery once again.
After the initial “fairyland” experience on the first day, on the second day the influencers delved into the immortal realm of Shenxianju Scenic Area in Xianju. Amidst the steep peaks, they experienced the majestic and surreal beauty of China’s mountains and rivers, marveling at this otherworldly paradise seemingly hidden away by immortals. Having connected with nature, they also warmly embraced the local simple folk customs and culture. Upon leaving Shenxianju, the foreign visitors headed to the historic Potan Ancient Town nearby, strolling along the well-preserved “dragon”-shaped old street to feel the millennia of cultural accumulation in Chinese history.
Shenxianju
Potan Ancient Town
After experiencing the charm of Xianju, the foreign influencers then traveled to Tiantai. Known as the “origin of Buddhism and Taoism, and a divine beauty of landscapes,” Tiantai is famed for its spiritual elegance. Among its attractions is Guoqing Temple, founded in the 18th year of the Sui Dynasty’s Kaihuang era, which is the ancestral home of the Tiantai sect of Buddhism. The influencers chose this as their first stop in Tiantai to understand authentic Buddhist culture and atmosphere within the thousand-year-old temple.
Guoqing Temple
It was here at Guoqing Temple that the eminent Sui Dynasty monk Zhiyi founded the Tiantai sect, making it the birthplace of this major school of Chinese Buddhism, with influence extending both domestically and internationally. Jianzhen stopped here to pay homage during his eastward voyage to Japan. Japanese monk Saichō came to Tiantai Mountain to seek Buddhist scriptures, studied under Dao sui, and later returned to Japan to establish Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei and found the Japanese Tiantai sect, later recognizing Guoqing Temple on Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang as its ancestral temple. It can be said that Guoqing Temple embodies both traditional elegance and international character, enabling international influencers to gain a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese religious culture as well as its philosophy and meaning.
Guoqing Temple
After viewing cultural landmarks, the influencers headed to Qiongtai Xiangu Valley, the foremost scenic wonder of Tiantai Mountain. Though a natural landscape, it is imbued with 5,000 years of Chinese mythological and Daoist culture, presenting another kind of fairy mountain charm.
Qiongtai Xiangu Valley
While exploring the scenic area, foreign travelers traced the footprints left by legendary Chinese immortals such as the Yellow Emperor, Wang Qiao, Ge Xianweng, Sima Chengzhen, and the Eight Immortals. At the same time, they admired this “Little Huangshan”-like wonderland, where the relationship between humans and nature coexists harmoniously and seamlessly.
Qiongtai Xiangu Valley
After enjoying the peonies in Xianju, the influencers came to Tiantai to see the famous Yunjin Azaleas. Coinciding with the Rhododendron Festival at Huading National Forest Park, the Yunjin Azaleas here stand out uniquely compared to those on other mountains—“trunks as sturdy as pine and cypress, blossoms as graceful as peonies”—hailed as “a unique wonder of China,” leaving the international visitors in awe.
Yunjin Azaleas
The final stop for the foreign influencers was the former residence of Ji Gong. The Chinese folk tales of Ji Gong, known as the “Living Buddha,” presented a fresh set of stories to the international audience. As they listened to the legendary tales of Ji Gong while wandering through the time-worn ancestral home of Li’s family, the influencers gained yet another refreshed understanding and impression of Chinese culture and its people.
Ji Gong’s Former Residence
With laughter and songs all the way, they journeyed through natural landscapes, Buddhist and Taoist culture, and local customs, bringing the “match made in heaven” trip for foreigners to a delightful close. If you’re equally enchanted, why not set off right now—not for thousands of miles, but for the scenery that greets you at every turn.