Guilin-like Hidden Gem in Guangxi: Chongzhou (Mingshi) – A Sanctuary of Beautiful Scenery
As everyone knows, Guangxi is a popular tourist destination mainly featuring karst landforms, with Guilin being the most famous, renowned worldwide as ‘Mountains and Seas Gallery of China.’ However, it is also clear to everyone that as the hottest tourist destination in Guangxi, it is undoubtedly crowded with people, and many places have become completely commercialized.
Perhaps when it comes to Chongzhou (Mingshi), many people are unfamiliar with it. However, once you mention one of China’s most beautiful waterfalls – De Tian International Waterfall, everyone knows it. Yes, it is in Chongzhou, Guangxi, backed by the Southwest and bordering Vietnam. It has been a settlement of Zhuang people since ancient times. Moreover, Chongzhou has ancient geological structures and complex terrain, mainly karst landforms, which have created rich natural landscapes in Chongzhou. Chongzhou’s tourism resources are also abundant.
Besides the most representative De Tian International Waterfall, Chongzhou also has another scenic area that is highly representative, which is Mingshi Pastoral Scenic Area. It has unique karst landforms, and its scenery is a combination of water, mountains, and streams, with beautiful mountain scenery. It is also known as ‘Little Guilin’. In addition to the scenery of mountains and water, the scenic area also has fresh and simple Zhuang villages and fields. Tourists can enjoy the scenery of Mingshi Pastoral Scenic Area by rafting and sightseeing, and feel the wonderful scenery and peaceful rural life, which is also known as a paradise for living.
In particular, the popular TV series ‘Flower Thousand Bones’ filmed here, which has further increased its fame. The main contents of the scenic area include the natural rivers of the upstream of Mingshi River, pastoral scenery, and the downstream built Zhuang ethnic village museum. Tourists can choose two ways to travel: one is rafting, which needs to purchase tickets separately, and the other is land sightseeing, which takes more time and energy. Tourists can choose according to their own conditions.
Besides filming locations for TV series, it is also a location for the ‘China Post Frontier Landscape’ postage stamp. Some people call it a landscape like paradise, with misty clouds, fresh and natural air, and mountain and water scenery, like a series of landscape paintings. Riding bamboo rafts down the river, you can enjoy the scenery on both sides of the Mingshi River, which is a different experience.
Some people say that the scenery of Mingshi Pastoral is no less than that of Guilin, and there are fewer tourists and it is more peaceful. It has the poetic and picturesque scenery it should have, and it feels like a paradise in the world.
Mingshi Pastoral is suitable for self-driving tours, because the traffic here is not as convenient as other popular tourist destinations. However, it is definitely a place for relaxation and vacation. Overall, it is interesting and cost-effective. Come during the right season, and you can see beautiful scenery everywhere, which is a paradise for photographers.
