This post was originally published by Carole Terwilliger Meyers on her blog TravelswithCarole.com. Carole is a travel writer and author of 17 books. She shares her travel adventures on her blog to inspire others to see the world.

The Yandang Mountains coastal range dominates the eastern part of Wenzhou. Known for its natural beauty, the area features many vertical rock faces and pinnacles, mountain slopes with lush forests and bamboo groves, streams with clear water, waterfalls, and caves.

Also known as “Wild Goose Pond Mountain,” Yandang Mountain is a UNESCO World Geological Park. It offers a rare combination of both scientific and aesthetic value and is ranked among the top 10 mountains in China, Yangdang was formed 12 million years ago and is one of the most complete Cretaceous rhyolitic ancient volcanic caldera. It is called “the natural museum of volcano.” 

Visit the beautiful Dalongqiu (“Big Dragon”) Waterfall and the Lingfeng scenic area, which is famous for its steep peaks and various shaped rocks.  In the Lingyan scenic area, you can see the “Flying Man” glide and perform acrobatics from one mountain peak to another using a harness. The area also has many temples and shrines that are built inside caves or in the mouths of caves. Visitors climb up 407 steps to reach the 9-level Guanyin Temple, a Buddhist temple built in 265 inside a hillside cave between two rock peaks leaning against each other. The temple follows the natural rock structure, and a shrine is in the highest, most hidden part of the cave.

With jagged Shiwei Rock/Shizhi Hill as the dramatic backdrop, this area of the park offers a relatively easy two-hour hike through varied terrain that includes bamboo forests and a rushing river. Several stepping-stone bridges add some challenge.  Half-way through, a short boat ride on a still, scenic section of the river is an option to cut down on climbing.  After the ride, benches and some simple snacks are available at a resting spot.”

LINGSHANG Renjia village  Fronted by a river, and built into the hills behind, this small 400-year-old Chinese mountain village is home to 47 families.  Because of its very fresh air, it is nicknamed “Natural Oxygen Bar.”  It is a full-on tourist destination, with restaurants, tea houses, and hotels operating within many of the old buildings, most of which have been renovated.

Restaurants serve local specialties, including roasted baby goat, which is brought to the table whole and which diners don plastic gloves to eat.

CANGPO Ancient Village In Yantou Town, Yongjia County. 15yuen. Situated on the  Nanxi River, this ancient village dates to the 1100s and features traditional Chinese architecture. The village’s walls, houses, paths, pavilions, temples, and pools retain their ancient style, and the village maintains its original layout. Cangpo is a single-surname village, settled and developed by a population of which all claim the surname Li. A garden with flowers, two lotus ponds, and ancient cypress trees remain, and a Chess Museum can be visited inside an ancient house. An ancient wedding ceremony performance is included with admission, and a farmhouse dinner is an option. Kunqu Opera of Yongjia County is a living fossil. Southern China’s local classical opera is today performed professionally in only seven mainland Chinese cities, including Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province Kunqu Theatre).

Lishui Ancient Street  With a 400-year-history, this ancient curved commercial street stretches along a canal and is lined on one side with shops.  There is plenty of opportunity to mingle with locals here.

Nanxi River bamboo rafting  Yongjia Town, Yongjia County. The Nanxi River is a branch of the Ou River–the largest river in the Wenzhou area–and is famous for its 36 bends and 72 beaches. More than 200 ancient villages dot the river, which also boasts beautiful mountain scenery and river banks lined with beech forests. A quiet ride on the clear water of the Nanxi River aboard a bamboo raft is a must.  Sometimes cormorant fishing is demonstrated.  The Nanxi River and its Kun Qu (a type of local music) are a UNESCO Non-material Heritage of the world.