Best destinations for May Day holiday (II)

One more week of working and then we will be embracing the longest holiday in the first half of the year, the May Day holiday. May is an ideal time for traveling with the weather not too cold nor too hot with nature in its prettiest moments.

Besides, due to the pandemic, most people have stayed put for a long time and can’t wait to get out of their “birdcage” and hit the road. But where to head for? Here, we have a list of destinations worth visiting and at the same time free from crowds.

Lyushunkou, Liaoning

Lyushunkou, also known as Lyu-shun, is a district in Dalian City which is located at the southernmost tip of Liaodong Peninsula. It faces Yellow Sea in the east and Bohai Sea in the west, looks at Shandong Peninsula across the sea in the south and is adjacent to Dalian’s old town in the north.

Lyushun, a place with rich history and welcoming residents, makes visitors feel so warm and comfortable that they want to stay and spend their rest of lives there. Visiting Lyushun in May, you will appreciate the latest cherry blossoms in China.

The district is home to national tourist sites, a national natural reserve and a forest park. There are many scenic spots in this district, such as Naval Port Park, Lyushun Snake Museum, Lyushun Naval Weaponry Museum, Memorial Tower of Sino-Soviet Friendship and Japan-Russia Prison Site.

The natural ice-free Lyushun Port is a natural barrier for the maritime gateway of Beijing and Tianjin and Northeast China. When you are here, you can stay alone and enjoy the beautiful sea view, or wander around the alleys in the area to feel the charm of one of the world’s top five military ports.

Zhaji Ancient Village, Anhui

If Taohuatan scenic area is a fairyland on earth, then Zhaji Ancient Village should be an ideal land on this planet. The ancient village is a life-like ink painting that is all about tranquil life with small bridges over flowing streams, aged fine wine and rich history.

Located 60 kilometers west of Jing-xian County in southern Anhui Province, Zhaji Ancient Village was built during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, with a long history of over 1,380 years.

It is also one of the largest extant ancient residential complexes in China. The village is home to more than 300 Hui-style ancient structures built in the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It still has the only example of Yuan dynasty architecture – Degong Hall, and the most complete Ming dynasty buildings — Aiyue Hall and Erjia Temple.

Qilian Mountain Loop Line

In China, you can also enjoy the spectacular views of Switzerland without traveling abroad. Snow-capped mountains, herds of sheep, grassland, lakes ... every element Switzerland has to offer, you can all find it here along the Qilian Mountain Loop Line in Northwest China. Qilian Mountain Loop Line forms the border between Qinghai and Gansu provinces.

Though the best time to travel this route is July, May is also exceptionally nice as you can avoid the peak season. Except the blossoming rape flowers, basically all the sceneries are there in May.

Recommended sites include Qinghai Lake, Caka Salt Lake, Dachaidan Emerald Lake, Wusute Yadan Geological Park, Mogao Caves, Crescent Lake, Qicai Danxia scenic area, and Qilian Mountain grassland.