FANCY an early autumn break? With fresh and cool weather, September is a great time to get away. It’s generally a better value and less crowded than during high summer, and an ideal opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet before the National Day holiday travel peak begins. Trek along Ancient West Peking Path The Ancient West Peking Path, or Jingxi Ancient Path, refers to the weaving trade routes and military roads around the Mentougou area in Beijing’s western suburb, which dates back to the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. Now it has turned into a paradise for trekking lovers. Here you can still visit the village where Ma Zhiyuan, a Chinese poet and celebrated playwright in the Yuan Dynasty, lived, and experience the scene blending all the elements of old trees, dried entwined vines and crows in dusk in his famous poem. The entrance of the official Ancient West Peking Path lies inside Shuiyuzui Village along Highway S209. The entrance ticket costs 20 yuan (US$3). You can visit a museum about the ancient path and then move forward toward the old residence of Ma and toward the Niujiaoling Pass. Most hikers would choose Shiguyan Village along Highway G109 as their starting point, and then walk through Jiuyuan Garden to reach the old residence of Ma. Another trekking route starts from Quanmen in Mentougou area, where you can go westward along the stone road to go up the mountain. Later you will reach the ancient pass Fengkouan. Not far away is the famous path with the footprints of mules and horses. If you don’t want to go backwards, you can move forward along the mountain road in the north, passing a courtyard on the mountain top, then climb down to reach the old residence of Ma. Enjoy the colorful sun-drying crops in Wuyuan Villagers in Huangling Village, nestled in mountains in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, on sunny days in autumn have the custom of sun-drying their produce such as corn, pumpkin, hot chili peppers and chrysanthemum flowers in bamboo baskets placed on the roofs of their Hui-style folk houses built along the mountain. This custom is also called Shaiqiu, which is a spectacular scene. Riding a cable car, you will pass through four pavilions representing the four seasons and a forest of Taxus chinensis. There are two observation decks where you can feast your eyes on the picturesque terraces and fields of rapeseed flowers. In September and October, you will have nice views for photo ops in Huangling Village. Behold the golden poplar forest in Ejina When autumn falls in Ejina in the west of Inner Mongolia, during several dozen days, this place turns into a colorful paradise. Tourists from across the country flock to this gobi town all for the sake of seeing the world made totally golden by the dessert polar forest. The 44-mu (2.93 hectares) polar forest links Bridge 1 to Bridge 8 of Highway 312, which stretches for 30 kilometers. With Heihe River passing alongside the forest, you can see golden leaves reflecting in the water, producing a fine visual impact. Apart from the golden polar forest in Ejina, mesmerizing autumn scenery also shows up in other places like a splashed palette, presenting a picturesque landscape in a blaze of colors with gold, red and green, making for sights that excite the senses. From early September, from north to south, the Greater Khingan Range, Arxan Mountains and Wulanbutong Grassland all take turns to present their autumn beauty. The birch forest in Erguna is also aflame with autumn colors in mid-September. (Chen Xiaochun) | 