In Changjiang, Hainan, I ventured into the last hidden realm of the Li ethnic group.

Posted 28 days ago, helping 72 travelers with their trips

There is another 1 Trip Moment about Miyun Flood Pass that can provide additional references for your trip

Real-time travel info for Miyun Flood Pass on 2026.3.15

Today's weather: 0~12℃

Today's opening status: Open | Open year-round, 24/7

Hidden in Hainan is a "rainforest paradise," where the Li people have guarded their thousand-year-old Shangri-La. While the beaches of Sanya are crowded with parasols, the buttress roots of Bawangling grow under the moonlight. This rainforest, stretching across the heart of Changjiang, features strangler vines on tree trunks resembling giant green pythons, and stick insects beneath decaying leaves that look just like tree branches. Deeper still in the mountains, elderly Li people in Wangxia Township are using bamboo knives to split open mountain orchid rice—this place, known as "Hainan's Shangri-La," can only be reached by car via a winding, cliffside road. Starlight still filters through the thatched roofs of the boat-shaped houses. The villagers say, "Our lives are not much different from when our ancestors cultivated mountain orchids." A dual secret of rainforest and Li village ① A rainforest wonder that "walks": The boardwalks of Bawangling are hidden among towering ancient trees. The thickest mother tree requires three people to encircle it, and the buttress roots at the base of the trunk, like elephant feet, firmly support the 20-story-high canopy. The "strangulation phenomenon" is a living drama here: the aerial roots of banyan trees droop from the branches of their host trees, take root in the soil, grow wildly, and eventually strangle their hosts, leaving only hollow "tree graves." Our guide, Awu, points to an "eye" on a tree trunk: "This is an upas tree (Antiaris toxicaria). When the bark breaks, it oozes white venom, which Li hunters used to coat their arrowheads to hunt wild boars." Mornings in the rainforest belong to the birds; the calls of the scarlet-breasted parrot are louder than the guide's loudspeaker. If you're lucky, you might spot a silver pheasant with its long tail, darting through the ferns beside the boardwalk. ② A Li village forgotten by time: Hongshui Village in Wangxia Township. The boat-shaped houses resemble overturned wooden boats, with clumps of wild grass growing on their thatched roofs. 72-year-old Grandma Fu squats in front of her house pounding rice; the "thump-thump" of the wooden pestle striking the stone mortar blends with the distant sound of the Nanyao River. Her sarong was embroidered with a "Hercules" pattern, the stitches still brimming with last year's mountain rice husks: "I embroidered this when I was 18; the girls in the village don't know how anymore." Under the old banyan tree in the village, several men were brewing mountain rice wine, mixing steamed mountain rice with yeast and filling hollowed-out coconut tree barrels. "It needs to be buried underground for three months; when it's opened, the aroma will intoxicate even mice." The Nanyao River winds around the village, its water so clear you can see the stream crabs lurking in the crevices of the rocks. Children, barefoot, fish in the shallows, their laughter startling a flock of egrets. Exploration Guide - Must-Visit Spots: At dawn in the Bawangling Rainforest, sunlight filters through the buttress roots of the mother tree, casting dappled shadows on the boardwalk; a silver pheasant leaps from the ferns. Aerial view of the Nanyao River: the emerald green water winds around Hongshui Village like a jade ribbon, the thatched roofs of the boat-shaped houses peeking through the green trees; several Li children play in the shallows. - Hidden Activities: Learn to recognize the "Three Treasures of the Rainforest" with A-Wu: tree ferns are plants from the dinosaur era; the venom of the upas tree (Antiaris toxicaria) can be used to make poison arrows; and the wood shavings of Hainan rosewood have a medicinal fragrance. Learn to weave Li brocade in Hongshui Village; Grandma Fu will teach you how to use a waist-operated loom. Although you can only weave 3 centimeters a day, you'll experience the most primitive warp and weft. In the evening, go beachcombing on the shallows of the Nanyao River. River crabs hide under the pebbles; shine a flashlight on them and they won't move (remember to release any small ones). - Avoidance Tips: Rainforest boardwalks are slippery during the rainy season; wear non-slip hiking shoes (steel-toed shoes are recommended to avoid stepping on sharp objects); the guesthouse in Wangxia Township has no hot water; showers are done by solar power, and you might have to shower with cold water on cloudy days; Shanlan wine has a low alcohol content but a strong aftereffect, so don't try to overindulge when Grandma Fu encourages you to drink (50-proof rice wine can knock out a strong man). The Flavors of the Rainforest and the Li People The Original Flavors of the Mountains: ① "Five-Legged Pig Hot Pot" at Bawangling Yajia Resort: Local miniature pigs with crispy skin and tender meat, topped with a few rainforest wild vegetables (such as *Gnaphalium affine* and *Centella asiatica*), so fresh you'll want to swallow your tongue (around 80 RMB per person); ② "Bamboo Rice" in Hongshui Village: Grandma Fu stuffs mountain rice and cured meat into fresh bamboo tubes, buries them in the ashes of a fire pit, and roasts them. When split open, the aroma wafts across half the village (15 RMB per tube). For accommodation, choose Bawangling Yajia Resort (300 RMB/night), which has hot water and air conditioning. For a Li village experience, stay at Hongshui Village Guesthouse (100 RMB/night) and fall asleep to the sounds of insects. Travel Tips By Car: From Sanya, take the Ring Expressway and then National Highway 225. It takes about 3.5 hours to reach Bawangling, then another 30 kilometers of winding mountain road to Wangxia Township. Some sections are gravel roads, so an SUV is recommended. By Charter: There are chartered cars available from Changjiang County to Wangxia Township (round trip 200 yuan). The drivers are all local experienced drivers who can avoid landslide-prone areas and will tell Li ethnic legends. As the last rays of sunlight slipped through the leaves of the mother tree, Awu hung up an infrared camera by the boardwalk: "I might be able to photograph a clouded leopard tomorrow." Bawangling and Wangxia Township are not just "tourist attractions," but another face of Hainan—the rainforest uses strangler figs to write its survival rules, and the Li people use boat-shaped houses to hide their wisdom. This winter, why not come to Changjiang, find walking trees in the rainforest, and drink wine buried underground in a Li village? What other "unconventional" hidden gems have you encountered in Hainan? Share your stories in the comments!