FANCY an early autumn break? With fresh and cool weather, September is a great time to get away. It’s generally a better value and less crowded than during high summer, and an ideal opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet before the National Day holiday travel peak begins. Experience fishing season around Erhai Lake Every year on Sept. 28, people celebrate the opening of Erhai Lake Fishing Season at Hongshan Temple. During the ceremony, people worship the sea, perform fishing skills and cook fish to participate in the 4,000-year-old fishing culture of Bai ethnic people. There will also be a spectacular scene of 100 boats setting off. Named the “Golden Moon” by ancestors of Bai ethnic people, Erhai Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake and a popular scenic spot in Yunnan Province, is also dubbed the “mother lake” by local residents. Every year, the ear-shaped lake is a popular destination for city dwellers looking for a taste of the pastoral life. It has also lured many people to settle down here, some of whom opened guesthouses while enjoying the tranquility the place has to offer. With an increasing number of tourists, pollution has become a hot topic for Erhai Lake and many efforts have been made to improve the lake’s environment, which has paid off. If you travel to Erhai Lake, cycling around the lake is recommended, as it is a green and low carbon traveling method to enjoy the best of the site. Taste the history of Macao The uniqueness of Macao lies in its continuous cultural exchange between China and the West over the past 400 years. The Historic Center of Macao, which was inscribed on the world heritage list, is home to the largest and most time-honored building groups blending Chinese and Western architecture in China. The place includes the oldest Western architectural heritage on Chinese soil today. Together with Macao’s traditional Chinese design, it stands witness to successful East-West cultural pluralism and blending of architectural traditions. A total of 22 historic sites were recognized as having cultural and historic significance, including several churches, temples, fortresses, a lighthouse, a barrack and other buildings. The most famous construction is the Ruins of St. Paul’s, which is actually the wall ruin in front of the old St. Paul’s Cathedral. The church was built in the 1700s but was destroyed by fire in 1835. The Museum of Macao stands to the east side of the Ruins of St. Paul’s while the Na Tcha Temple is located on the west side. The Na Tcha Temple was built to worship Na Tcha, a folk religious figure related to Taoism, providing a perfect example of the local Chinese traditions and forming an interesting contrast with the Ruins of St. Paul’s. Trek on Taihang Mountain The autumn view in North China starts to show up in September, a nice period for trekking around the southern part of Taihang Mountain. The Taihang Mountain is a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 kilometers from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The southern part of the Taihang Mountain sits at the intersection between Shanxi and Henan provinces, contributing stunning natural views and time-honored history to both provinces. You can enjoy the beautiful sunrise and the spectacular landscape of the Taihang Mountain from the peak of Wangmang Mountain. Red-stone Gorge of Yuntai Mountain is a testimony to the changes of the earth’s crust over the past billions of years. The 1.5-kilometer-long Danxia landform gorge features reddish sandstone. Treat your stomach to delicacies in Fujian In Fujian, you can eat seafood all year round. However, autumn is the season when oysters grow the plumpest. Oyster omelet is a signature dish for Fujian people. It’s often a recommended dish easily found at local restaurants. Simple and rustic, the dish is best enjoyed when the oysters are at their plumpest and when their salinity and juiciness is brought out by the crispy fried eggs. In addition to oyster omelets, autumn is also the season for eating sea crabs and fresh oyster. Dried longan and Wendan pomelo are also ready at this time of the year. (Chen Xiaochun) | 