The pace of life has been getting faster in China. We are actually pushed ahead by the big waves of the social development. Consequently, health problems may occur, both physically and mentally. We do need to actively adapt ourselves to this challenge of life. One way to address this problem is to break the daily routine, traveling to a well-chosen tourist attraction. We can not lead a life constantly under pressure, after all.

Recently we had a relaxing trip to Wuyi(武义) after the school sports meet was over. Wuyi is located in the center of Zhejiang Province, southeast of Jinhua. It is a relatively less developed area, but with a distinct advantage other places are hard to compare and compete with: its ecological environment.

We set off at 1: 30 the day before yesterday, on 28th of this month, and arrived at its capital at about 4: 30 pm. The journey was comfortable, for most of time we were on the expressway. After having dinner, we went directly to Tangfen Hot Spring, which boasts one of the best in China.

I was surprised to see so many “ponds” in the open air. Some of them have a pavilion, but still outdoors. In the beginning I was wondering if the water was truly spring water and how they managed to keep so much water warm, and some of them were actually very hot! The waitress nearby told me the water was pumped up from underground about 300 meters deep. There’re many kinds of pool-bathing: milk, coffee, angelica(当归), ginseng(人参), Ganoderma lucidum(灵芝), mint, just to name a few. There’s one place where you can lie on the warm marbles, which is really relaxing. And you can have a massage at the same time if you want to.

The next day we went to a scenic spot called Dahongyan, meaning big red rock. This area is famous for its typical Danxia landform. The name comes from the huge red precipice, which is more than 300 meters high and 650 meters wide. The mountain is not very high, but a little steep. However, it is worthwhile because on the way up you can see various views, which are truly natural and all unique in its own way. Having been in the hustle and bustle of the city life for so long, you would feel especially relaxed, being able to feel so close to nature with thick refreshing air. I always believe what we need to escape from daily busy life is distant mountains and the streams among them with few human traces.