Avoid the Crowds This May Day! 4 Off-the-Beaten-Path City Guides

Hey friends! Still squeezing into popular attractions this May Day holiday? Let me introduce you to the "reverse travel" strategy! These 4 lesser-known cities offer beautiful scenery with fewer crowds and budget-friendly prices, letting you truly enjoy your holiday. Let's go!

Gansu · Jinchang

📍City Introduction: A "nickel capital" hidden in the northwest, Jinchang in May is like stepping into an oil painting! Thousands of acres of purple flowers in bloom, plus stone grottoes that rival Dunhuang - underrated but stunning!

Must-Visit Attractions:

• Zijin Garden Scenic Area: Lavender and verbena create a purple ocean 🌷 Every photo looks Instagram-worthy!

• Shengrongsi Tower: A thousand-year-old pagoda standing in the Gobi Desert, with few tourists, giving you an exclusive taste of history 📿️

Practical Tips:

• Transportation: Fly directly to Jinchang Airport, then take a convenient taxi to downtown

• Accommodation: Downtown hotels offer excellent value, with star-rated options for just 100+ yuan per person

• Food: Try the delicious lamb roll and desert whole roasted lamb - affordable and satisfying 🐑

Jiangsu · Taizhou

📍City Introduction: An underrated Jiangnan water town, more peaceful than Suzhou or Hangzhou! Escape the crowds this May Day and experience the "slow life of a water city" in Taizhou.

Must-Visit Attractions:

• Qinhu National Wetland Park: Take a boat through the reed marshes and encounter wild birds 🦆 The air is so fresh you'll want to bottle it up!

• Daohe Ancient Street: Authentic morning tea hidden in bluestone alleys 🍵 Try the scalded dried tofu and crab roe buns - soul-satisfying!

Practical Tips:

• Transportation: Take high-speed rail to Taizhou Station, then public buses to scenic spots

• Accommodation: Recommended guesthouses near the old street offer therapeutic river views from your window

• Food: Fish soup noodles are incredibly delicious! Experience the "dried tofu banquet" with various tofu preparations

Guangxi · Chongzuo

📍City Introduction: A border city hiding "China's version of mini Southeast Asia"! Visit in May to experience the magnificence of a transnational waterfall and healing countryside scenery.

Must-Visit Attractions:

• Detian Transnational Waterfall: An impressive water curtain at the China-Vietnam border 🌊 Get an exciting close-up view from a bamboo raft!

• Mingshi Countryside: A karst mountain and water landscape where you can drift on bamboo rafts, like stepping into a filming location for "Hua Qian Gu" 🎋

Practical Tips:

• Transportation: Take a direct bus from Nanning Airport, or rent a car for more freedom

• Accommodation: Must stay at a characteristic guesthouse in Mingshi Village with mountain and water views right outside your window

• Food: Vietnamese spring rolls and "Qutou" eggs offer unique border flavors

Heilongjiang · Yichun

📍City Introduction: Known as the "Forest Oxygen Bar"! In May, Yichun is covered with fresh greenery and has off-the-charts negative ion levels 🌲 The perfect escape from city life!

Must-Visit Attractions:

• Wuying National Forest Park: Walk through Korean pine forests breathing sweet air 🌳 You might even encounter wild squirrels 🐿️

• Maolan Gully National Forest Park: Northern China's "Jiuzhaigou," with babbling brooks and unique rock formations - every photo looks like a screensaver!

Practical Tips:

• Transportation: Connect through Harbin by plane or take a direct train; chartered cars recommended for sightseeing

• Accommodation: Forest cabins offer amazing atmosphere! Wake up to birdsong in the morning

• Food: Iron pot stewed river fish and fried burbot - hearty and affordable Northeast cuisine

Friends, reverse travel is the true winning strategy for May Day! Save this guide and easily master your off-the-beaten-path holiday. Let's go! 💨