Wuyuan,

    Jiangxi Province

    Tucked between scenic Huangshan Mountain and Sanqing Mountain, Wuyuan has been dubbed “the most beautiful countryside in China.”

    March and April are about the best months to tour the area, when golden rape flowers are in full bloom.

    Wuyuan has at least 50 well-preserved, century-old villages. The places that have the best displays of rape flowers are terraced fields in Jiangling, the ancient road along Qingyuan, Lingjiao and Guankeng in Duanshen County, Xiaorong and Xiaofan in Jiangwan and Likeng.

    The area is dotted with Huzhou-style houses with white walls, black roofs, elegant eaves, dark green paving stones, all relics of the county’s glorious past.

    Transport: Fly to Jingdezhen from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and get to Wuyuan by coach.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Wuyuan. Or stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Tofu soup, steamed rice cake, fish with glutinous rice wine, roast meat and sweet and sour goose neck are recommended.

    Xinghua,

    Jiangsu Province

    The best time for rape flowers in Xinghua is in mid-April and there is no other place in China where you can enjoy the beautiful golden view when rowing a boat on the river.

    The rape flowers, the rivers, the boat, the small villages, the willow trees and the wild flowers — Xinghua has all the beautiful and gorgeous elements of areas south of the Yangtze River.

    The best place to enjoy rape flowers is in Dongwang Village, Ganggu Township. In the center of the scenic zone, there is a three-floor tower which is the best spot to take pictures of the golden sea. Standing in the tower, it is like small yellow flowers flowing on the water, beautiful and passionate. The rivers cut the rape flower seas into pieces in different shapes, which is quite a unique view that can be hardly seen in other places around the world.

    Transport: Fly to Hangzhou from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and get there by coach.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Xinghua. Or stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Fish cake, wheat porridge, soup bun, dried beef, mint candy, tea food, chicken leg, Santai beer and lamb stew are recommended.

    Menyuan,

    Qinghai Province

    Many people know rape flowers in Qinghai from an international cycling race around Qinghai Lake. The blue water, the clean sky, the golden rape flowers all make it like Hokkaido in Japan.

    There is a Dabanshan Tunnel on the way from Xining, capital of Qinghai, to Menyuan, which is about 4,000 meters above the sea level. A sightseeing stand at the tunnel is the best place to get a bird’s-eye view of the rape flower fields. If you want to indulge yourself in the flower sea, you can go to the north of Menyuan and walk along the village roads and smell the aroma of the golden flowers.

    Transport: Fly to Xining from Bao’an International Airport and take a coach to get there.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in Menyuan. Or stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Milky pastry, bean thread, yogurt are recommended. (Wang Yuanyuan)