In the vast forests of northeast China, there is a city favored by nature - Yichun. It is known as the "hometown of red pine" and "forest capital", with a forest coverage rate of up to 84%, like a piece of jade inlaid in the hinterland of Lesser Khingan Mountains. With the change of seasons, Yichun sketches a breathtaking northern painting with different brushstrokes.
Every May, when the south has entered midsummer, spring comes late in Yichun. The primeval forest that has been sleeping for a winter is awakened by the spring breeze, and the most amazing thing is the azalea sea in the Red Star Volcano Geological Park. On the volcanic lava platform billions of years ago, the pink and purple Xing'an azalea blooms in full swing, forming a sharp contrast with the dark basalt, as if the earth is burning. When the morning mist is lingering, walking on the wooden plank road, every step is stepped on the fragrance of flowers, and every glance is reflected in the splendor. The ice flowers on the banks of the Tangwang River are not to be outdone. They break out of the ground against the remaining snow. The golden flowers are crystal clear in the sun. Locals call them "Linhai Snow Lotus".
Yichun in midsummer is a summer resort. Driving along the Wudai Highway, the larch, red pine, and white birch trees on both sides interweave into an endless green corridor. The sun shines through the gaps between the leaves and casts mottled light and shadows, just like walking through a fairy tale tunnel. In Wuying National Forest Park, more than 3,000 hectares of original red pine forests cover the sky. The content of negative oxygen ions in the air is as high as 50,000 per cubic centimeter. Take a deep breath, and the clearness of pine fragrance goes straight to the lungs. If it is sunny after rain, clouds and mist flow between the mountains. Standing on the observation deck, the layers of treetops are like a surging green sea, and occasionally a goshawk flies by, breaking this silence.
September ushers in the most gorgeous season in Yichun. The mixed forests of the Lesser Khingan Mountains began to perform color magic: maple trees were dyed red, oak trees were plated with golden yellow, birch forests maintained a simple and elegant silver-white, and evergreen pines and cypresses became the most stable background color. Maolangou Grand Canyon is a great place to enjoy autumn. The rushing stream cuts out steep cliffs, and the forests on both sides are dyed, reflecting in the water like twin paintings. Climbing up to the viewing platform of Yutu Fairy Pond in Langxiang, the mountains in the morning mist seem to be splashed with oil paint. At sunrise, the sunset adds another layer of gold to this colorful forest, which is so beautiful that it makes people speechless.
When the Siberian cold current moves south, Yichun turns into an ice and snow kingdom. The rime wonders on the banks of the Kulbin River are unique. The steam from the river surface condenses instantly in the low temperature of minus 30℃, wrapping the branches along the coast into jade trees and white flowers. At sunrise, the sunset glows a pink and orange veil over these ice crystals, and the breeze blows, and the falling ice chips sparkle like broken diamonds. In Jinshan Deer Park, sika deer walk through the birch forest on knee-deep snow, and the white breath they exhale frosts on their antlers, just like elves from mythology. On the snow trails of Dajingshan Ski Resort, the speeding figures and the snowy forests form a perfect symphony of movement and stillness.
The scenery of Yichun is a masterpiece created by the Creator with the four seasons as the pen and the mountains and rivers as the scroll. The vitality of spring, the lushness of summer, the splendor of autumn, and the purity of winter are all performed here in reincarnation. This land not only gives a feast to the eyes, but also cleanses the soul in the sound of pine waves and falling snow. As the ancient folk song of the local Oroqen people sings: "Mountains are the backbone of gods, and trees are the clothes of people." In Yichun, people and nature always maintain the most primitive way of dialogue.
