AUTUMN is a great time for photographers. Here is a list of places in China where you can capture images of breathtaking natural beauty.

    Colorful Bashang

    This is the best time of year to go to the picturesque Bashang Grasslands, which is located approximately 240 kilometers north of Beijing and covers an area of 350 square kilometers. Bashang Grasslands is the closest prairie to Beijing.

    In autumn, the grasslands, lakes, mountains and valleys are at their most colorful. In this season, whether riding a horse or standing quietly on the grasslands, visitors can enjoy unspoilt nature as far as the eye can see.

    Particularly eye-catching are the vast birch woods, Korean pines and spruces. The trees make the grassland a cascade of colors.

    For those of us who live in cities, the sight of Mongolian yurts and horses is a rare cultural experience.

    Transport: Fly to Beijing from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and take a bus to Bashang Grasslands.

    Accommodation: There are hostels and inns, or you can stay with the locals. Yurts may not be very convenient, but can be a rare experience.

    Cuisine: Mutton, mushrooms and wild vegetables.

    Golden Guiyang

    Guiyang, capital of Southwest China’s Guizhou Province, is a popular tourist destination in autumn, with its large areas of terraces and paddy fields where crops wave in the autumn breeze.

    Walking along the terraces are women of the Miao ethnic group in their traditional dress. Members of the Buyi ethnic group also live in the city’s Huaxi District, which boasts valleys, stone clusters and waterfalls.

    Visitors can also find houses of the Miao people in the bamboo shrubs. Outside the traditional wooden houses are chilies, corn and rice, either on the ground or hung underneath the ceilings.

    In Chinese culture, gold symbolizes the harvest. Visitors to Guiyang can experience both harvest scenery and the cultural traditions of some of China’s ethnic minorities.

    Transport: Fly to Guiyang in Guizhou Province from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and take a bus to the terraces.

    Accommodation: There is a selection of hotels and hostels, or you can also stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Fish, hotpot, rice noodles and chicken are recommended, especially the Miao and Buyi-style dishes.

    Red Luliang

    Luliang in Shanxi Province has some of the most eye-catching red maples in China. At this time of year, the weather is mild and the scenery is breathtaking.

    Pangquangou and North Wudang Mountain are the best places to behold red maples. Mountains of the trees wave in the breeze as flowers, plants and clouds dot the red background.

    North Wudang Mountain, which is also known as Longwang (Dragon King) Mountain, has nearly 80 peaks, 40 cliffs and 30 gullies. It is home to one of the most famous Taoist shrines in northern China. Xuanzhong Temple, located on Shibi Mountain, is the birthplace of the Pure Land Sect of Chinese Buddhism.

    Luliang was the wine center in Shanxi during the Tang Dynasty.

    Transport: Fly to Taiyuan in Shanxi Province from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and take a bus to Luliang.

    Accommodation: There is a selection of hotels and hostels, or stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Soup and snacks made of flour are recommended. (Jane Lai)