With the recent arrival of the autumn rains in Longquan – a county-level city administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – the summer heat finally dissipated and the perfect time for enjoying nature has arrived.

Here are some recommended places in Longquan for your first autumn outing this year.

Guanpuyang village

Autumn is an enchanting season to visit Guanpuyang village. [Photo by Zhang Luming/WeChat account: zjlqtour]

In the early fall, walking into Guanpuyang village is like walking into a fairy tale world. During this time of the year, you can enjoy the forest of ancient maple trees whose leaves are turning to russet throughout the hillocks.

Moreover, the village, boasting a history of 600 years, has a raft of heritage sights – including cliff carvings, ancient roads and an ancient temple built during the Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736-96) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Best touring season: September-November

Lishantou village

Portraying the patterns of the terrace fields in Lishantou village would make a fascinating painting. [Photo by Yin Xianggeng/WeChat account: zjlqtour]

Lishantou is a striking tourism village, well known for its beautiful natural scenery and well-preserved ancient architecture. It is also famous for its terrace fields. When the wind blows the wheat, the terrain shimmers tremulously.

With its winding mountain roads, the village is also a great place for cycling. What's more, it's only 15 kilometers from the city center.

Best touring seasons: spring and autumn

Liushantou village

Liushntong is a wonderful village, perched on a hillside terrace, that has a raft of ancient and rare trees. [Photo by Zhang Yougang/WeChat account: zjlqtour]

If you have enough time, go a little further to Liushantou village, which is 800 meters above sea level.

The village has more than 500 ancient trees, including more than 300 trees over 1,000 years old. It also has many valuable ancient trees such as the Taxus Wallichiana – currently classified an endangered species by the France-based International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN – making it one of the villages that boasts the rarest trees in the East China.