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On August 13th, 2013, my workmates and I drove to Santan Scenic Area, which is praised as “the pearl of north Hubei Province”, located 35 kilometers north from Guangshui Downtown. It covers an area of 52 square kilometers and includes four subsidiary tour areas where the climate is extremely special and pleasant, namely Santan Lake Area, Dagui Golden Mountaintop Area, Xujiahe Reservoir Area and Pingjing Ancient Plank Road. 
The center of Santan Lake Area is Santan Waterfall, which is surrounded by the narrow “Yixiantian Valley”, the winded “Jiudaowan Pond”, the upstream “Dajian Ditch”, the stony “Longtan Ditch” and the rippling ‘Biyu Lake”. Santan Waterfall is so long that it looks like a white silk hanging on the cliff. Besides, the scenery of Biyu Lake can simply meet the scene requirements in Zhang Yimou’s film. The blackish green and clear water, the quiet lake shore, the flowing fog above the lake and the chipping birds’ songs—how wonderful they are!
The 908-meter Golden Mountaintop is not that easy to reach. It is said that Dagui Mountain is the highest mountain in the north area of Hubei Province. Once you get to the top, it could be a rare experience for you to overlook the central plains of China. The sweet and refreshing Santan spring water can be used as drinking water as well. It left us totally different feelings when we set up our tents just besides the stream, listened to the sound around it and fell into a sound sleep at the deep night.
The beautiful Xujiahe Reservoir Area is covered with mountain woods. Willows on the banks are spreading new leaves. Fishing boats are floating on the blackish green water. So it is called “the park on the water” which is an ideal place for people’s swimming, fishing or spending the hot summer.
As for Dagui Mountain, it is the rarest Chinese traditional folk village which is a cultural combination of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. You can visit the Zushi Hall, the Qianming Temple, the Shengshui Well and the Longpa stockade on Dagui Mountain and the study hall of Yang Lian. All these spots are immersed in a strong ancient cultural atmosphere.
Since the development of Santan Scenic Area, it has undertaken more than 8 kinds of activities once a year, such as climbing, camping, and tent festival, self-driving tours and outdoors projects.
It is really a perfect traveling world with so many unique mountains, waters, roads, pavilions bridges. What’s more, if you want to spend you whole weekend there for two days, there are private inns around which is very convenient and not expensive.They may provide the tourists with lunch with the charge of 20-30 yuan for each person.
I am proud of being a native of Guangshui because of these beautiful sceneries. Though I have been there several times before, I will plan to go there again and again without getting rid of it. So if you come to Guangshui, welcome to the pleasant Santan Scenic Area.