After the May Day holiday, the high temperature starts to sweep Chongqing. Many people begin to use the air conditioner at home.

Well, nature is actually the best "air-conditioned room".

Wanna travel far to see mountains and rivers? Better not. Making long trips is quite dangerous at a time of the epidemic.

Luckily, there are quite many good getaways just around Chongqing where you can spend a cool weekend. If you are looking for a less crowded summer resort for a cool, unique experience, here are some high-quality routes you will definitely love.

Route I: "Top of Three Gorges" Scenic Area to Feel the Ultimate Grandeur

On the first day of the May Day holiday, the Top of Three Gorges Scenic Area in Fengjie was opened to the public officially.

Situated atop Chijia Mountain on the north bank of Kuimen Gate, the Top of Three Gorges is 1,388 meters above sea level, making it the very peak of the Yangtze's Three Gorges. Stretching ten kilometers, the scenic area houses seventeen scenes like Tianyin Shendao, Danqing Cliff, Qingyun Ladder, and Caiyun Platform. Notably, tourists can go to the sightseeing platform to overlook Kuimen Gate, Qutang Gorge, and White Emperor City.

Route II: Baili Bamboo Sea Scenic Area to Explore a Real-life Wonderland 

Located in Mingyue Mountain, Liangping District, Baili Bamboo Sea Scenic Area is home to more than 30 bamboo varieties. Amid that vast bamboo expanse hides one after another quiet village, presenting a very unique idyllic sight.

Over recent years, Liangping District has rolled out a series of eco-homestay products with Bayu charm and nostalgic touch, like Idyllic Homestay, Bamboo Sea Homestay, Ancient Village Homestay, and Stilted Building Homestay.

Route III: Nanchuan Jinfo Mountain to Get Your Summer Days Off 

Nanchuan Jinfo Mountain is a world natural heritage site and a national 5A scenic area, with an average temperature of around 20℃ in summer. In May, the temperature here is pleasantly cool and the azalea flowers are gorgeously abloom. Now, azalea has become a famous attraction of Jinfo Mountain, especially Shufeng Azalea (Rhododendron changii (Fang) Fang). This species is abloom till late May, and Perfume Azalea has an even longer flower season till July.

Better yet, there are also many other national tourist attractions around, like China's first karst national ecological park Shanwangping, Shenlong Gorge, Grand View Garden of Twelve Women, and Lixiang Lake.

Route IV: 816 Underground Nuclear Project Site to Enjoy Coolness 

Located in Wuling Mountain Great Rift Valley, Fuling District, the 816 Underground Nuclear Project Site is about over an hour's drive from the city proper of Chongqing. Notably, Wuling Mountain Great Rift Valley boasts a bottom-top distance of more than 1,380 meters, exuding an extremely gorgeous grandeur.

In summer, the average temperature here is 22° C, and there are more than 3,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter of air.

Now, Wuling Mountain Great Rift Valley Scenic Area has opened a 3D tourist route.

Having enjoyed the grandeur of the Great Rift Valley, tourists can go on a trip to the Military Cave at the 816 Underground Nuclear Project Site on the same route.

Covering an area of 104,000 square meters, the 816 Underground Nuclear Project Site is the world's largest artificial cave. At this gigantic structure, you can find buildings in caves and caves in buildings.

Located underground in Wuling Mountain, this super huge military cave boasts a pleasant temperature in both winter and summer.

Route V: Pengshui Ayi River 5A Scenic Area to Have Fun Playing Water

Ayi River 5A Scenic Area sits in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County where you can see mountain, river, forest, spring, and gorge and feel grandeur, uniqueness, steepness, grace, and serenity.

In early January this year, the Pengshui Ayi River Scenic Area became Chongqing's ninth 5A tourist attraction.

With the arrival of summer days, the best time to tour the Ayi River Scenic Area is coming.

Come here with your family and spend an enjoyable weekend! You can take a Miao-style bamboo raft on bamboo-fringed Qili Pond to enjoy beautiful songs.

You can rent a kayak to play water on Ayi River with your family to have a quality time.

Moreover, you can also take a pleasure-boat to get an eyeful of the beautiful Wujiang Baili Gallery.

Route VI: Four Mountains in Chongqing's City Proper

Maybe you don’t want to travel far, so the “natural air-conditioned room” within an hour’s drive is the very spot.

The four maintains refer to Jinyun Mountain, Zhongliang Mountain, Tongluo Mountain, and Mingyue Mountain, and their extended mountain ranges, with a high forest coverage rate.

Take Tieshanping, the nearest and most convenient camping site, as an example. In the daytime, you can go to the sightseeing platform to enjoy a commanding view of Tongluo Gorge. At night, you can feast your eyes on the beautiful star-studded sky in your camp.

Jinyun Mountain is also a good getaway worth visiting. It is not only an important “lung lobe” of Chongqing’s main city proper but also a valuable plant gene bank in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. When you walk up along a mountain path, Daihu Lake will come into view. Perched right hillside, the lake is flanked by Jinyun Mountain and Northern Hot Spring like a sapphire. With such a limpid lake in sight, a walk along the lakeside footpath is also very enjoyable.

Tips: Please take good care of yourself when traveling during the epidemic and learn about the opening information of every scenic area in advance and make an appointment.