After breakfast, we dressed in hiking gear and, taking on plenty of water, walked to Jizhen Mountain, guided by the village signposts. The orchards along the way are a main reason why spring, when the fruit trees are in blossom, is the most beautiful season in Xitou.
On the hill behind the village rows of green bamboo grow along the brook and emit a distinct fragrance.
The bamboo grove brought us to a surfaced road that after a few kilometers leads to the broad, gradually inclining road to Jizhen Mountain, which is thronged with hikers on festivals and holidays. A roadside map shows various climbing routes.
Among the many wild flowers and fruits on the mountain is a plant that locals call Shanjianlan (dianella). Its royal blue fruit and leaves are highly toxic, but its root is a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient. After peeling, sun-drying and grinding the root into powder, it is used as a remedy that mitigates swelling and cures skin disease. On the other side of the mountain road is a deep valley through which flows a brook. It’s a good spot for hikers to cool off.
Hidden Pool
On our way back we found a brook lined with trees and bamboo whose water was clean enough to drink.
We also came upon Ershui Pond, formed from two cascade-like brooks, where we and other visitors enjoyed a swim.
The deep blue pond is rich in minerals beneficial to the skin. One child we met who had been stung with nettles felt instant relief after a dip in the pool.
Rural Treats
Situated as it is in a mountainous area, Xitou Village offers a wide range of rural products such as wild nectar, dried bamboo shoots, dried vegetables and different kinds of herbs. Local snacks include mugwort leaf cake, a typical local specialty mainly made of sticky rice, sweetened bean paste and minced peanuts with mugwort leaves added. It removes dampness and coldness in the body and helps stop bleeding. Many ingredients in Chinese cuisine originate in traditional Chinese medicine. Combining herbs and food hence prevents disease as well as offering tasty sustenance.
Xitou Village is also noted for its Shanshui toufu pudding, which is on sale at shops throughout its alleys. Silky toufu pudding with honey is particularly popular. The best-known Xitou specialty, however, is the Sanhua plum. Plum trees grow everywhere in this small village, but those originating in Sanhua of neighboring Shaoguan City are acknowledged as producing the finest plums. Big with deep red skin, when ripe the fruit is covered in a white frost. Sanhua plums are rich in sugar, protein, carotene and riboflavin. Sun Simiao, a prominent doctor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) prescribed the Sanhua plum to patients with liver diseases.
We spent the whole weekend luxuriating in the rural delights in Xitou – old houses and alleys, views from the mountain and the scent of wildflowers, bamboo and tasty snacks.
We had no time to visit other nearby spots, such as the Huju Pavilion and Liu-xihe National Forest Park, but this gave us another reason to escape our urban toil and revisit this haven.
Tips:
1. Xitou Village is 105 kilometers from downtown Guangzhou. You can go by bus to Conghua passenger depot and take a non-stop bus from there to Xitou Village. Or you can drive.
2. Fruits are abundant. March and April are the green plum picking season. Plums are ideal for making a cooling summer wine. The Sanhua plum harvest is in June and July, and persimmons, which are commonly eaten dried, are ripe in September and October. December and January are months when visitors can pick fresh, sweet mandarin oranges.
3. For hiking, bring a helmet, a poncho or umbrella, climbing boots, and insect repellent. The temperature drops at night, so a thin blanket is needed even in summer.
Source: China Today
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