Hidden Autumn City Mountain Forest Secret

Autumn-dyed Zhenjiang Nanshan |||🍂The poetic imagery of "layers of forest dyed, overlapping green and flowing gold"
Winding stone steps, towering ancient trees, autumn sunlight filtering through leaves casting scattered gold,
Every step feels like walking into Shen Zhou's autumn mountain residence painting
📸Must-visit spots:
Millennium-old temple — Zhaoyin Temple: An ancient temple built during the Southern Dynasties, hidden in the deep autumn mountains, with red walls and black tiles contrasting beautifully with golden ginkgo trees. Inside the temple, "Zhaoyin Fang" and "Tingli Mountain House" exude rustic elegance. On autumn afternoons, the bell tolls mingle with the sound of falling leaves, blending Zen and autumn moods. Outside the temple, two century-old ginkgo trees shed golden leaves in the autumn breeze, creating a "golden avenue," a perfect backdrop for autumn photos.
🟠Mountain forest secret: Autumn in Zhenjiang Nanshan is a feast of colors. The bamboo sea around Zhulin Temple remains lush green, contrasting with the nearby sweetgum and Chinese tallow trees to form a "green base with red makeup"; near Jiuhua Villa, the forest is gradually turning red with chicken claw maple and triangular maple, with red, yellow, orange, and green spreading across the hillsides in distinct layers, like nature’s spilled palette.
🟠Rich cultural heritage: Nanshan is a model of "urban mountain forest," where literati and poets have left their marks through the ages. The tomb of Mi Fu is hidden in the forest; visiting in autumn, you can feel the scholarly spirit of this Song Dynasty calligrapher. Zenghua Pavilion is famous because Crown Prince Liang Zhaoming compiled the "Zhaoming Wenxuan" here. Climbing the pavilion offers a panoramic view of the autumn mountain forest, blending literary elegance with natural autumn scenery.
🟠Quiet trails, scenic at every step: The scenic area has multiple hiking trails that are especially pleasant in autumn. The trail from Zhaoyin Temple to Zhulin Temple weaves through colorful forests, with soft paths covered in fallen leaves underfoot and birdsong and insect sounds in the ears, as if stepping into a tranquil autumn fairy tale world.
🟠📸【Must-visit spots】:
🍁Hupao Spring: In autumn, Hupao Spring’s water flows gently, surrounded by colorful trees. The spring reflects red maples and yellow apricots, creating a serene and charming scene, perfect for capturing "spring reflecting autumn scenery."
🎋Zhulin Zen Courtyard: Famous for its bamboo forest, the Zen courtyard gains extra charm in autumn, with golden ginkgo leaves falling on the bluestone slabs and beside bamboo fences, perfectly blending the courtyard’s tranquility with autumn’s brilliance.
🏯Helin Temple: The ancient pines inside the temple are vigorous. Although the autumn osmanthus flowers have withered, the lingering fragrance mingles with the crisp autumn air. Outside, persimmon trees are laden with orange-red fruits, radiating the joy of harvest.
🍵Autumn limited experience:
Enjoy a cup of autumn tea at the teahouse beside Zhaoyin Temple, watch the ginkgo leaves fall outside the window, listen to monks chanting, and savor the leisure of "stealing half a day of carefree life"; or stroll along the trails collecting autumn leaves of different shapes to make unique autumn bookmarks.
🥧Autumn delicacies:
Nanshan vegetarian noodles: At the dining halls of Zhaoyin or Zhulin Temples, enjoy a bowl of steaming vegetarian noodles, richly topped, light yet flavorful, perfectly complementing the peaceful autumn atmosphere.
Osmanthus cake / candied taro shoots: Small shops around the scenic area offer seasonal osmanthus cakes and candied taro shoots in autumn, combining the sweet fragrance of osmanthus with the soft taro for a sweet autumn treat.
Chestnuts: Farmers at the foot of the mountain sell freshly roasted chestnuts, steaming hot, sweet, and soft. Eating them while walking brings warmth and comfort.
Autumn in Zhenjiang Nanshan is a perfect encounter of nature and culture. Stroll through the mountain forest, admire the layers of dyed trees, listen to ancient temple bells, savor autumn delicacies, and experience the unique and enduring autumn charm of the "urban mountain forest."