eminent writers and poets of successive dynasties.
Nowadays,It was announced as the national key scenic area, China 4A-level tourist area, National Forest Park and key cultural relics protection units of Hunan. The Peach Garden also has been known as the National Tourism protects consumer rights demonstration units and civilized scenic area demonstration of Hunan province.
Founded in Jin dynasty, Taohuayuan had reached its peak in the Song dynasty. It is one of the
China's four major Taoist sacred places, sharing the same reputation with Emei, Wudang and Nanyue. From time immemorial, it has had the reputation of the thirty-fifth dwelling of immortals and the forty-sixth blessed spots, harmonized the culture of Nuo, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and other multi-cultural.
Witnessed the Seclusion culture to the world, Taohuayuan represents a dimension of Chinese history and culture, and has a very high tourism, historical value and cultural artistic value, which flickers the light of human civilization.
Taohuayuan, with the remarkable historical sites and breathtaking pastoral scenery, was the wonderland with which people enchanted in former days and an ideal paradise for people free from the meaningless worries of city life today.
What to see in TaohuayuanWith an area of 8.12 square kilometers, Taohuyuan Scenic Area includes 70 tourists attractions, such as the Peach Hill Archway, the Peach Blossom stream, peach forest, Qionglin Bridge, chrysanthemum garden, Square Bamboo Pavilion, Yuxian Bridge (Immortal Encounter Bridge), Shuiyuan Pavilion (the Pavilion of riverhead), Qinrengu Cave (the ancient cave of people in Qin dynasty), Yanzhi Hall and Jixian Temple.
Taoyuan Village
This is a newly developed travel program according to Tao Yuanming’s Note for the Land of Peach Blossoms. Featuring typical countryside scenes and harmonious neighborhood, the village represents the utopia described in the prose. As you visit a local residence, hospitable host will first present a cup of tea and then feast you with a dinner of rural flavor. The host may also entertain you with a local drum dance during the dinner. If you are interested, you can gather vegetables or go fishing together with the host.
Taohuayuan Scenic Area is composed of four scenic parts, namely Taoyuan Hill, Taohua (peach blossom) Hill, Qinren (people of Qin Dynasty) Village, and Taoxian (fairy of peach blossom) Range.
Taohua Hill
Taohua Hill scenic area covers an area of 2 square km, consisting of 30 scenic spots such as the archway, Wuliu Lake, Taohua stream, and several bridges, temples, pavilions and ancient residence. It is said the Qinren ancient cave is the entrance to the “Peach Colony” in Tao Yuanming’s essay.
Taoyuan Hill
Taoyuan Hill scenic area covers an area of 2.5 square km, with 10 scenic spots open to visitors. The area boasts splendid mountain scenery. According to a legend, long time ago, there was white fish demon stirring up big storms in the lake in front of the hill to flood farm land and even eating people and animals. A brilliant boy named Huang Wen subdued the fish but was trapped under the lake. Since then, people here lived a harmonious life, and the landscape has turned more attractive.
Taoxian Range
Taoxian Range covers an area of 1.5 square km, featured with idyllic scenery. As a romantic legend said, Zhinv, one of the seven fairy sisters, met cowherd Niulang here and they fell in love with each other. Because of the intervention of the Goddess of Heaven, the two could only meet once a year on Qixi Festival – the Chinese Valentine’s Day, falling on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. And Zhinv assigned the fairy of Peach Blossom to build here a fairyland on earth.
Qinren Village Qinren Village covers an area of 2.5 square km, boasting its 1,000-meter-long bamboo corridor with Chinese classic elegance. The Qinren ancient cave connects to the Peach Colony where exist a good preservation of the folk houses, drama stage, and water wheel of that ancient period.
Peach Hill and the Qin village are the center of the Taohuayuan Scenic Area. With water at the front and a hill at the back, the scenic area has a dense growth of evergreen trees and peach blossom trees and formed a “retreat away from the vulgar world”.
Coming when the peaches in full blossom, travelers can appreciate the trees of flourishing flowers everywhere crowding like the peach blossom cloud. Red alternating with white, some flowers are coceine as rouge, while others are white as jade.
Extending from the area is the extraordinary landscape where the grandeur of
Mount Wuling, the quiet cave and valleys, the rolling water of
Dongting Lake and the grace of mountains and rivers in
Hunan are well-blended, presenting people with the fascinating
Peach Blossom Land. Moreover, there is one of the Eight Grand Sights in Hunan Province, known as “Fishing Village at Sunset ” among the scenic area together with the landscape of Yuan River.The beauty of its pastoral scenery, greatness of temple pavilions, abundance of the stone inscriptions with poetic prose and the peculiarity of its historical legend, has made it well-known all over the world.
Taohuayuan Peach Blossom Watching Festival
Time: March 28 to April 28
Taohuayuan took on the meaning of Utopia for hermit's place because of Tao Yuanming’s extraordinary prose. Since then thousands of scholars and celebrities of all dynasties went to visit the place and every year the Peach Blossom Watching Festival is held here with a huge social gathering. Peach trees are everywhere in the scenic area and blossoms come into bloom in late March to late April every year. It is just like a picture of rural scenery and a land of peace, away from the turmoil and chaos of the world.
Travel Tips
Admission fee: CNY 75
Opening hours: 8:
00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
How to get there: 30km away from Chngde City, and 160km from
Zhangjiajie.
Best time to visit: The peach blossoms come into bloom in late March every year, so the best time to visit Taohuayuan is during the Peach Blossom Watching Festival.
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