Yichun: The travel destination with best forest

When autumn brushes China with gold, most travelers flock to Beijing’s fiery red maples, Suzhou’s chrysanthemums, or Xinjiang’s desert poplars. But the most dramatic fall colors in China unfold much farther north — in the vast woodlands of Heilongjiang Province.

Welcome to Yichun (伊春) — China’s most forested city. Nestled in the Xiaoxing’an Mountains, Yichun transforms into a sea of colors every September. With over 83% forest coverage and more than 3 million hectares of trees, it’s a natural wonderland and one of the country’s best-kept travel secrets.

With Bridge to Locals, you can explore this forest city like an insider — guided to secret viewpoints, local feasts, and cultural experiences that most travelers miss.

1. China’s “Five-Colored Mountain”

Five-Colored Mountain is not a single peak — it’s a breathtaking natural phenomenon unique to northeast China.

In the transitional forests of northeast China, where conifers meet broad-leaf trees, the arrival of frost triggers a palette of autumn colors:
Red pines, larches, oaks, birches, maple-like Acer ginnala, and chokecherries all transform at once, turning entire mountain slopes into layered tapestries of red, orange, yellow, green, and purple. This is what locals call it by “five-colored mountain,” — it’s a full-color symphony shaped by elevation, sunlight, and species variety.

Best time to see it: mid-September to early October.
Best places in Yichun: U-Dai Highway, Wuying National Forest Park, and small hillside towns surrounded by rolling woods.

From the train window or a riverside walk, you’ll see why locals say: “Yichun was raised by the forest.”

2. Wuying Virgin Forest: The Sacred Red Pine Groves

Yichun’s pride is the Wuying Virgin Forest, home to Asia’s largest and best-preserved red pine forest, protected under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Reserve program.

Here, ancient pines tower over 23 meters high, their cones bursting with fragrant, nutrient-rich pine nuts. Locals consider these pines spiritual guardians — patient, slow-growing, and resilient.

Walking through the forest in autumn, you’ll smell pine resin and crisp mountain air. Chipmunks dart across your path, and the canopy glows with a mosaic of green against waves of gold. It’s not just scenery — it’s an ecosystem millions of years in the making.

3. Rivers, Stone Forests, and Border Landscapes

Yichun is not only about trees — it’s shaped by 702 rivers and dramatic stone formations carved by glaciers.

• Tangwang River National Park: Granite peaks rise from autumn forests like brushstrokes in a Chinese painting.
• Heilongjiang Border: From Jiayin, gaze across to Russian towns, or cruise the river at sunset as golden forests reflect on the water.
• Stone Forests: Surreal granite pillars, polished by time, stand guard like ancient sentinels among the trees.

Further north, along the Heilongjiang border with Russia, the Jiayin stretch reveals an entirely different landscape: sweeping plains, misty gorges, scattered islands, and glimpses of Russian architecture across the river. At sunset, from a river cruise, you’ll watch the golden sun sink behind endless trees, the river turning to liquid gold...

4. Autumn’s Feast: Foraging and Flavor

Wild Harvest

In autumn, Yichun’s forests become a pantry. Families forage for mushrooms, berries, and nuts, while markets overflow with pinecones, currants, schisandra, and wild grapes. Children carry baskets, squirrels race overhead — everyone is gathering for winter.

Red Pine Nuts

A local delicacy, prized for their rich aroma. Harvesting is no easy task: pine trees take 50 years to produce cones, and seeds are collected, sun-dried, roasted, and cracked by hand. Patience, here, is part of the flavor.

Signature Dish: Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms

The star of northeastern cuisine, made with free-range chicken and wild hazel mushrooms. Families rise at dawn to pick mushrooms, saving the best for dumplings or slow-cooked stews. The fragrance fills entire homes in autumn — comforting, earthy, unforgettable.

River Fish & Village Feasts

Markets brim with freshwater fish from the Heilongjiang River, cooked into stews or skewered for smoky, open-air banquets. At countryside weddings, whole villages cook together outdoors, a celebration of abundance and togetherness.

5. Bridge to Locals' Travel Tips

• Best Time to Visit: Mid-September to early October for peak colors.
• How to Get There:
  • Fly into Harbin Taiping International Airport, then take a 4–5 hour train or bus to Yichun.
  • Trains also connect Yichun with Qiqihar, Mudanjiang, and Daqing.
• Weather: Crisp and cool (5–15°C). Pack warm jackets and sturdy shoes for forest walks.
• Language: Mandarin is spoken; Some person also speak Korean. Translation apps or a local speak dialect are recommended.

6. Why Visit Yichun with Bridge to Locals?

Yichun is not yet crowded with tourists, which makes it perfect for travelers who want authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences.

With Bridge to Locals, you’ll:

• Discover hidden spots where forests blaze with color.
• Join families for wild mushroom foraging.
• Taste pine nuts roasted by hand in village homes.
• Cruise border rivers at sunset with Chinese-speaking traveler.
• This isn’t just sightseeing — it’s living autumn in China the way locals do: slow, generous, and deeply connected to the land.

Click to plan your Yichun autumn journey with Bridge to Locals and discover why this forest city might just be China’s most stunning autumn escape.

Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UAYspkcBDbkXmxGILtGfSw