Best Places for Domestic Road Trips in Winter

There are many great places to travel in China during the winter. Many people say that winter is not suitable for road trips, but here are some of the best places to go for a winter road trip in China. The winter weather in China is also very beautiful.

1、Zhangbei Grassland Sky Road

The Zhangbei Grassland Sky Road in winter is a beautiful place to visit. You must have never driven on this road in the winter! This 132.7-kilometer self-driving road connecting Huapiling and Yehuoling, is covered in white snow in the winter, a sight of northern China. The mountains are covered in snow, several feet deep, and never melts all winter. It’s different from the scenery in summer, but it’s all very impressive.

After a snowfall, the sun shines brightly. Looking up at the head of the dam, you see mountains, forests, grasslands, and fields all covered in white. Only the road is smooth and mirror-like, like a black ribbon stretching for hundreds of kilometers.

The terraces are covered in snow, the black brown ridges are the most beautiful lines drawn on the white canvas; the towns that retain their natural state are not bustling or flashy, and are more primitive and simple in winter. They present a different kind of tranquility, remoteness, and vastness in the winter.

Address: 023 Township Road, Zhangbei County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province

Self-driving route: Zhangbei County – Yehuoling – North Terrace – Wind Power Tower – Yanpianshan – Huapiling – Chongli Ski Resort

2、Mohe Beihong Village

The most northern village in China, Mohe in the winter, is as its name suggests, with an inexplicable magic that attracts people. Of all the scenery, the most moving is the most beautiful village in China – Beihong Village, a place further north than Beiji Village, a pristine piece of land seldom disturbed.

Here are still preserved wooden houses, reminiscent of northeast China in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, like a dreamlike Dutch village in the vast white snow, everywhere is the original northeast flavor. Though it is a frozen wasteland, covered in snow, but the coldness still carries countless warmth of sunshine.

There is the morning mist that rises above the river, the smoke from the village houses; there is ice fishing, something you won’t find in the south… and there are the purest stars, the night falls at four or five o’clock, take your camera and you can take clear pictures of the star trail, every beautiful scene will make you fall for it!

Address: Beihong Village, Mohe County, Heilongjiang Province

Self-driving route: Hailar – Nine Bends – Ergun – Enhe – Moerdaoga – Genhe – Mohe – Beihong Village

3、Xinjiang Swan Spring

The Swan Lake in the fairytale world, the winter in Xinjiang, the sky and the earth seem particularly close, the vast blue sky, clean and bright, if there is a fairytale world in the world, then Swan Spring must be on the list, the snow scene of the swan, beautiful as a fairytale world.

Here is a secluded paradise, on the shore of Swan Spring in winter, the tall rime is crystal clear, there are a group of white elves, they play in the icy water all day long, the misty smoke fills the air, like a fairyland.

The unique climate and moisture make Swan Spring often see tree frost. The swans and rime in the morning mist blend together, the sunlight shines on the lake, the noble swans gleam, what a magnificent ballet of nature!

Address: Yintamu Township, Yining County, on the north bank of Ili River, Xinjiang

Self-driving route: Urumqi – Kanas – Bulun – Hemu Village – Kanas – Sayram Lake – Yining County – Swan Spring

4、Yunnan Dachaoshan

The forgotten brocade of the land of colorful clouds, different from Lijiang and Dali, there is a place in Yunnan, vast grassland, cattle and horses leisurely, as if it is God’s lost gorgeous silk, it is “Dachaoshan”, known as “New Zealand in the East”, the charming curves of the grassland, incredibly charming.

The autumn and winter of Dachaoshan are indistinguishable, a rain becomes winter. The snow often comes suddenly, there is no vastness of the northern grassland “wind blows the grass low, see the cattle and sheep”, but there is golden light sprinkled on the earth, covered with snow mountains surrounding each other, stunning.

As the first alpine ski resort in Yunnan, the Huize Dachaoshan International Ski Resort has ushered in its peak snow season. The vast grassland is covered with layers of snow after three or five snowfalls, wrapped up tightly, as far as the eye can see, it is all silver, white snow, reflecting the light, showing the color of grass, it is indeed a picture of the north.

Address: Southeast of Dachao Township, Huize County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province

Self-driving route: Kunming – Dongchuan District – Lumao Township – Dachao Township – Guniuzhai – Dachaoshan

5、Ningxia Helanshan

The real “Frozen” movie scene, many people say that Ningxia in the north has nothing to see in winter, but do you know? The winter in Helanshan, white snow covers the ground, the scenery of the rock art scenic area is particularly elegant and outstanding, like the scene in the Disney animation “Frozen”, dreamlike.

As soon as you enter the mountain road, you will be amazed. Here, the mountain peaks are shrouded in clouds and mist, the canyons are full of towering pines and cypresses, tall and straight poplars, and pine trees under the poplars covered with snowballs, like Christmas gifts.

The Tibetan Buddhist temple entrance Double Pagoda building is majestic, the rock paintings are particularly solemn in the background of white snow. Here, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the snow-covered mountains are crystal clear, and under the careful observation of the sun, they are full of interest.

Address: Guangzhongkou Scenic Area, Xixia District, Yinchuan City, Ningxia

Self-driving route: Yinchuan City – Zhangyu Moselle XV Winery – Xixia Mausoleum – Zhenbei Fort Western Film and Television City – Helanshan

6、Hubei Qiyueshan

The largest mountain grassland in southern China, in winter, come to Hubei to see the snow! Every winter, Qiyueshan, located in western Lichuan, is covered in frost, the whole mountain is covered in ice, 125 kilometers long, just like a towering wall across the west, another sight of northern China.

Here there are wind and clouds and the villages and rivers at the foot of the mountain, coupled with dead trees and cattle and sheep, it is even more beautiful like an oil painting, a thick layer of white blanket spread over the mountains, walking in the snow, soft and soft like walking on a sponge road, giving a quiet and relaxing feeling, very comfortable.

The forest on the mountain is covered in white snow, if you can ski, use your ski poles, whiz through the snowy forest, playing crazy, although it’s freezing cold, it’s very comfortable!

Address: Western Lichuan City, Enshi Prefecture, Hubei Province

Self-driving route: Wuhan – Yichang – Enshi – Lichuan – Qiyueshan

7、Guangzhou Shimen National Forest Park

The last touch of red leaves in winter, winter is the best time to see snow, but in Guangzhou, there is a place where it is just the right time to appreciate the red leaves, here is Shimen National Forest Park. Just entered December, after a significant drop in temperature, the green leaves will gradually lose chlorophyll, gradually replaced by red clothes…

Known as “Guangzhou Xiangshan”, Shimen has more than 3,000 acres of red leaves, colorful, mainly maple trees, mountain paperbark trees and maple trees, picturesque, all over the mountains and plains, the trees are dyed in autumn, to enjoy the red, no need to look for thousands of miles to Xiangshan, here is a perfect choice!

Scenic spots such as the Red Leaf Forest, picturesque maple tree forest, the Drunk Red Pavilion, all over the mountains and plains of mountain paperbark tree forest, the Red Maple Lake, the forest is dyed in autumn water scenery red leaves, wandering on the road sprinkled with red leaves, every photo taken casually is a blockbuster feel!

Address: Shimen National Forest Park, Wenquan Town, Conghua, 1.5 hours drive from Guangzhou

Self-driving route: Guangzhou – Jingzhu Expressway (or Airport Expressway) – Jiebei Expressway – Jiekou Exit – 105 National Road Wenquan direction – Shimen National Forest Park

8、Shanxi Youyu

The five-line staff that God left behind, when winter comes, Youyu, located at the junction of Shanxi and Mongolia, has a kind of profound and heavy beauty that is shocking. It is embedded on the edge of the Mu Us Desert, on the Loess Plateau of North China, presenting a magnificent sight of northern China.

Youyu after snow, overnight turned into a “snow country”, on the roof, trees, ground, like wearing a beautiful white dress, here, covered in snow, rime graceful, like a fairy tale world.

Youyu in winter, is particularly charming, white snow covers the ground, the mountain goats in the snow, also look particularly cute! On the Youyu Great Wall, full of mist, in the romantic snow, in the rising mist, like a picture of ink and wash landscape painting.

Address: Youyu County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province

Self-driving route: Taiyuan – Dayun Expressway – 211 Provincial Road – Hushan South Road – 109 National Road – Youyu