The travel books says there are over 170 scenic spots in Jinzhou, a city in the west part of the province. So that makes a good choice for a winter visit.

The first recommended site in Jinzhou is Bijia Mountain (called Penholder Mountain because of its shape). You can easily spend a week's holiday there because mountaineering, seaside enjoyment, rowing, sand beach, every casual activities you can imagine is available.

Actually, the mountain is a small island facing the Bohai Sea. The 78.3-metre-high mountain, with a total area of 1.2 square kilometres, is said to be hard to see from the land, especially in spring and summer. That is because heavy fog always surrounds it, making it look mysterious.

The island is famous for its spectacular sunrise and sunset views. The beautiful sunshine silhouettes the mountain, bathing everything in golden colours. It is best to find an isolated spot and enjoy it peacefully.

To get to the island from the mainland is also interesting and enjoyable. You needn't take a boat, since a 1,620-metre-long "Tian Qiao" (sky bridge) leads there. The "bridge" is actually a long 9-metre-wide stone-paved path created by the tides. The zigzag passage connecting the two sides looks like a beautiful dragon. Walking along it is truly pleasurable.

There are many temples and pavilions on Bijia Mountain, all accommodate different immortals who promise people long life, great fortune or happiness. Most of them were built during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

One thing that often interests people is the strange-look stones on the mountain. Dangerous cliffs at Ma'anqiao are waiting to be explored. In one place the path is too narrow for even one person to pass. Some of the giant stones look like tortoises and monkey heads.

If you go there in summer, Seaside Bathing Beach is a good place to swim, sunbathe or just have a rest. It is 5 kilometres from the Bijia Mountain.

Buddhist sites can be found here and there in Jinzhou. Fengguo Temple is the most renowned of these. Built in 1020, the temple, located in Yixian County, boasts seven huge Buddhist sculptures. On the walls of the hall, people can also enjoy paintings and frescoes from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), all have fading colours but are still vividly expressive.

If you catch a snowy day, consider yourself lucky. The snow-covered temple looks particularly peaceful and beautiful.

Even older Buddhist sculptures can be found in the northwest of the county. On the cliffs of the north bank of the Daling River, there is an ancient cave accommodating statues of the Buddha made over 1,500 years ago. These sculptures, with fading colours, sit silently in the dim light, making the cave feel strangely magical.

If time permits, Chashan Mountain, Qingyan Temple and Jinzhou Museum are also well worth visiting, all combine beautiful natural scenery with ancient buildings and relics.
 

(Shanghai Star)