Yongzhou, Hunan | Visiting in the off-season during July-August is truly delightful, with fewer people and beautiful scenery

- Dear friends 🥰, summer in Yongzhou feels like it's been enchanted, with countless surprises hidden among the green mountains and clear waters! In July and August, Yongzhou's temperature ranges from 25°C to 33°C. Although it can be a bit warm, escaping into the mountains is super refreshing~ Here, you’ll find not only stories of an ancient city dating back a thousand years but also incredibly soothing landscapes and mouthwatering food that will make your taste buds dance! Quickly grab this guide to explore Yongzhou’s exclusive summer edition, and if you love it, don’t forget to like and save it💕! - ➤ Yongzhou Summer Must-Dos 🌟 Why visit Yongzhou in July-August? ❶ Cultural hits: Check in at Liu Zongyuan’s "Eight Records of Yongzhou" sites + a thousand-year-old Yao village, a must for literary youth 📜 ❷ Summer paradise: Cool off at Yangmingshan Waterfall and Zixia Cave’s natural air conditioning ❄️, temperatures 10°C lower than the city! ❸ Food hits: Dong’an Chicken and Yongzhou Blood Duck, spicy and appetizing delights 🌶️ - ➤ Top Scenic Spot Recommendations: 1. 【Lingling Ancient City】(Millennium Cultural Heritage · Liuzi Street Night Tour) 📍 Recommendation rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌟 Highlights: The original site of "Yongzhou’s wild snakes" described by Liu Zongyuan! The lantern-lit nights feel like time travel 🏮, and in July there’s an intangible cultural heritage fish lantern parade. Wearing Hanfu for photos is an instant hit! 🕒 Opening hours: Free all day (Liuzi Temple 8:30-17:30) 💰 Tickets: Ancient city free / Liuzi Temple 30 RMB ✨ Magical experiences: ● Rent Miao ethnic costumes at dusk to photograph the reflection on Fengyu Bridge 📸 ● Enjoy handmade glutinous rice cakes while watching open-air Qiju opera 🎭 ● Stamp collectors must visit: 8 old shops on the ancient street have hidden stamps 🖍️ 💡 Secret photo spot: The second-floor window frame of Pingyang Academy perfectly frames the beautiful sunset over Xiaoshui River! - 2. 【Yangmingshan】(Southern Hunan Cool City · Waterfall Kingdom) 📍 Recommendation rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌟 Highlights: 100,000 acres of primeval forest + 107 waterfalls! In August, wild rhododendrons bloom off-season 🌺, and the Xiaohuangjiang source hiking trail feels like stepping into the Land of Oz, perfect for oxygen and lung cleansing! 🕒 Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 💰 Tickets: 65 RMB (shuttle bus 40 RMB) ✨ Hiking guide: ● Don’t miss the "Wanhe Lake - Lovers’ Pool" waterside trail 💦 ● Camp on the mountaintop to watch the Milky Way and catch a sea of clouds at dawn ☁️ ● Drink freshly picked jiaogulan tea, perfect for cooling down and relieving heat 🍵 - 3. 【Zixia Cave】(Karst Cave Wonder · 16°C Constant Temperature) 📍 Recommendation rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌟 Highlights: A divine cave praised by Xu Xiake! Colorful stalactites + underground river boating 🚣, with a 20°C temperature difference inside and outside the cave, remember to bring a light jacket~ 🕒 Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 💰 Tickets: 80 RMB (including guided tour) ✨ Cave exploration tips: ● Look for strange stones like "Guanyin Sending a Child" and "Golden Turtle Exploring the Sea" 🔍 ● Experience VR projections inside the cave, with dinosaurs running around you 🦕 ● Buy cave-aged glutinous rice wine, tastes amazing chilled 🍶 - 4. 【Shanggan Tang Ancient Village】(Millennium Bagua Village · Ink Painting Scroll) 📍 Recommendation rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌟 Highlights: A living fossil village with 700 years of history! In August, lotus ponds bloom 🌸, the stone slabs on Buying Bridge "sing," and kids will have a blast catching small fish~ 🕒 Opening hours: Open all day 💰 Tickets: Free (museum 20 RMB) ✨ Time-travel experiences: ● Learn Nushu embroidery with villagers 🧵 ● Hang red silk ribbons on the wish wall at Wenchang Pavilion 🎋 ● Must-eat: firewood tofu pudding by Xie Mu River 🍮 - 5. 【Jiuyi Mountain】(Emperor Shun’s Tomb · Stargazing Camp) 📍 Recommendation rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌟 Highlights: The burial site of Emperor Shun recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian"! In July-August, the vast grasslands are as green as the Windows desktop 🌿, and stargazing from a tent at night is super romantic! 🕒 Opening hours: 8:00-17:30 💰 Tickets: Emperor Shun’s Tomb 60 RMB / Grassland free ✨ Stargazing tips: ● Rent Miao silver jewelry and take photos in front of Sanfen Stone 💃 ● Join the bonfire party and dance the bamboo pole dance 🔥 ● Pick colorful rain flower stones at Ehuang Creek early in the morning 💎 - 🌸 Yongzhou 2-Day Divine Itinerary Day 1: Culture × Food Hits 08:00 Morning tea and Lu Fen noodles at Lingling Ancient City 🍜 → 10:00 Copy "The Snake Catcher’s Tale" at Liuzi Temple ✍️ → 14:00 Cool adventure at Zixia Cave 💎 → 19:00 Night tour of Xiaoshui River with blood duck dinner 🦆 - Day 2: Scenery × Starry Romance 08:30 Waterfall hike at Yangmingshan 🚶 → 12:00 Farmhouse meal with Dong’an Chicken 🐔 → 15:00 Play in water and catch snails at Shanggan Tang 🐚 → 20:00 Camping and stargazing at Jiuyi Mountain 🔭 - ➤ Food Hits ❶ Dong’an Chicken: sour, spicy, tender, a Tang Dynasty palace dish yyds 🍗 ❷ Yongzhou Blood Duck: duck meat stir-fried with duck blood, so good you can eat three bowls of rice with it 🍚 ❸ Snail soup: field snails cooked in perilla soup, super addictive 🐚 ❹ Yao family smoked bacon: smoked with fir wood, stir-fried with wild bamboo shoots, irresistibly fragrant 🥓 ❺ Jiangyong Taro: soft, sweet, perfect when made into braised pork 🍠 - ➤ Accommodation Recommendations 🏯 Ancient city inns: Recommended to stay on Liuzi Street, windows open to Xiaoshui River, great value at around 100 RMB per person 🛏️ 🏕️ Starry tents: Jiuyi Mountain camp provides toiletries, even lazy travelers can enjoy camping ⛺ - 🚗 Transportation Guide ✈️ Flight: Yongzhou Lingling Airport → Bus 301 direct to ancient city 🚌 🚄 High-speed rail: Yongzhou Station / Lingling Station, 1.5 hours from Changsha 🚌 City: Tourist shuttle buses connect attractions, motorbike taxis start at 5 RMB 🛵 🚗 Self-drive: From Guangzhou via Erguang Expressway → Yongzhou (4 hours) - 💡 Summer Travel Tips ❶ Dress code: sun-protective clothing + breathable shoes! Bring a jacket for the cave 🧥 ❷ Mosquito protection: Spray insect repellent in mountainous areas, local mugwort balm recommended 🌿 ❸ Hidden perks: Half-price tickets for teachers and students 🎫 ❹ Cultural bonus: Free Nushu embroidery lessons in the ancient city on Saturdays 💌