Guangdong has another mountain road perfect for a road trip.
The 218 km figure-8 loop connects Mount Luofu and Mount Nankun, driving from reservoirs, bamboo forests, and streams all the way into valleys and seas of clouds.
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🚗Recommended Route 218 road trip
Xiangang Reservoir Station > Green Screen Stone Beach > Millennium Ancient Banyan Tree > Zengjiang Bamboo Bank > Changting Pavilion > Xiangxi Bay > Shajing Greenway > Xixi > Tiegang River > Maling Bridge > Banhu Ridge > Banshan Yunhai > Xiangxi Valley > Yonghan River > Shisanba > Xialang Creek Bank
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🌿My favorite stations
1️⃣ Zengjiang Bamboo Bank: Surrounded by ancient trees, bamboo forests, and mountains and water, there are even stone beds to lie on for a while, perfect for catching a breeze and zoning out
2️⃣ Shisanba: Right next to the Xipo resort where I stayed this time. Bamboo forests, streams, and ancient bridges are all here. You can even play in the water when the weather is nice
3️⃣ Banshan Yunhai: The view is very open, and it's easy to encounter a sea of clouds after the rain. Wallace Chung has also shot magazine photos here
4️⃣ Xiangxi Valley: The 200 km mark check-in point on Route 218
5️⃣ Banhu Ridge: The crescent-shaped building is hidden in the mountains and forests, making it great for photos
6️⃣ Tiegang River: The Corridor of Life and the sky swing are very photogenic
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🏨Recommended accommodation | Xipo Resort (Huizhou Longmen Branch)
This time I stayed right next to Shisanba, so I didn't have to rush after finishing my activities. Opening the window reveals the greenery of the mountains. During the day, you can sit in the coffee and book bar, have a cup of coffee, and rest slowly. At night, when the surroundings quiet down, what I like most is this feeling of truly living in the mountains.
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🎁Souvenir recommendation
Besides the scenery, I think there are two Huizhou flavors worth taking home along this route
🍶 Dongpo Leshi Green Plum Wine
What attracts me most is the story behind it. The inspiration comes from the "smile before the wine cup in the flower dock" in Su Dongpo's Sixteen Joys of Appreciation. It puts the four images of "plum, wine, poetry, and person" into a bottle of wine, and uses local Longmen green plums and Hakka brewing techniques from Nankun Mountain that have been around for over 30 years. Compared to ordinary tourist souvenirs, it's more like taking home the leisure of Su Dongpo's appreciation of flowers, drinking, and knowing how to live. It's perfect to chill and drink slowly
🍵 Mount Luofu Tea
I think this is also very suitable as a gift. The tea comes from the Mount Luofu ecological tea garden. The black tea has a distinct sweet fragrance, with a mellow, smooth taste and a long-lasting aftertaste. The green tea is more refreshing, with a bright tea soup, and tastes fresh and elegant, with a sense of freshness from the mountains
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🌟You can visit Dongpo Leshi stores at stations and homestays along the way. In addition to green plum wine and Mount Luofu tea, there are many other Huizhou souvenirs and cultural creative products to choose from. If you see something you like, just take it home
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🌈Travel tips
▪️You can buy a stamp collection book at the stations. Collecting stamps along the way gives a sense of ritual
▪️Recommended special drinks at Dongpo Leshi stores: Douhua Latte "Luofu Le · Mountain Jade Veil", Tangerine Iced Tea "Nankun Le · Wind Mountain Tangerine", Starfruit Iced Tea "Nankun Le · Ode to Star Picking"
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This Route 218 is best for driving slowly. Pack the mountains, water, tea fragrance, and Dongpo Leshi into the scenery along the way. Don't rush; just go and feel nature, and feel life itself