Autumn leaves draw out nature lovers

An autumn scene at the Shuiguan section of the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The curtain might have fallen on the golden week of the National Day holiday, but the golden season has just begun.

Major cities across China are luring tourists with autumn's magnificent scenery.

Trips to Sichuan, Yunnan, Shaanxi and Jiangxi provinces have enjoyed brisk sales, China's biggest online travel agency Ctrip says in a statement.

"We saw great enthusiasm in tour registration," says Yan Xin, the agency's publicity manager, adding that the autumn travelers tend to be older on average and have time on their side, so many booked their trips early.

In addition, rates are favorable at this time of year. Some popular destinations for autumn have seen tour prices being marked down, some by 30 percent, as compared with the holiday period, he claims.

Tourists who love nature and photography are particularly keen to travel now.

"They can go hiking or paddling in water while taking in the autumn scenery," says Yan.

Leaves are turning red in major scenic spots in the capital city Beijing, drawing many visitors.

Fragrant Hills Park and Baihua Mountain in the west of the municipality, as well as the Baili Landscape Gallery and the Badaling National Forest Park in Yanqing county in the northwest are all ideal places to savor the autumn vistas.

Li Guoquan, a postgraduate from the Peking University, went hiking at the Fragrant Hills Park on Oct 23. Nice weather, fresh air and colorful leaves all motivated him to go out with his friends.

He chose the park because he knew "the park was named one of the four best sites to savor the red autumn leaves," he explains.