Autumn Trip in Guangdong: Shaoguan Nanhua Temple + Zhuji Ancient Alley + Maozi Peak Review

Law firm weekend team building, this year we chose Shaoguan Day 1 【Nanhua Temple】 The birthplace of the "Southern School Zen" promoted by the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, Huineng. Founded in the Southern Dynasties, it is the oldest temple in eastern Guangdong. It is said to be very effective and worth a visit. However, I didn’t see any very beautiful prayer beads 📿 at the place where the Dharma items are sold. 【Zhuji Ancient Alley】 Various clan ancestral halls. The street is still under renovation with a lot of dust. Many villagers set up stalls selling cured meat, tobacco, dried goods, and the like, but most are quite similar. Many ancestral halls were built later. It’s been a long time since I encountered an ancient alley that requires an entrance fee. There aren’t many ancient buildings and the commercial development is incomplete, so avoid it. Day 2 【Maozi Peak】 Maybe the weather isn’t cold enough yet; the ginkgo trees are only about 20% yellow, see the last picture for details. It’s somewhat more commercially developed than Zhuji, with coffee available and many roadside vendors selling wild fruits (like jujube, black tiger fruit, August fruit, etc.). It’s okay to take a walk with friends and family, and it should still be good for photography. Yellow leaves are rare in Guangdong, so kids picking up leaves were quite happy. I suggest coming 1-2 weeks later; the colors will probably be much better. ————————————— Overall, the experience was so-so. The specialty dishes tend to be spicy 🌶️!! I’m not a big fan of goose or duck. Many dishes include sour bamboo shoots. I usually love snail noodles, but pairing them with duck meat somehow lowered my acceptance... P.S. But friends from Hubei said they liked it quite a bit (so maybe it’s just me). Emmm, I suddenly understand why some attractions in Zhuhai feel a bit perfunctory.