On August 17, 2025, I went hiking on White Cloud Mountain, a super affordable five-star tourist attraction with an admission fee of only 5 yuan.
I’ve been to White Cloud Mountain many times before, but always followed the standard tourist routes.
This time, however, I took a different route.
Liu Rong Trail is the first forest wellness trail opened by Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area in June 2025. Spanning 2.5 kilometers, it focuses on natural healing and ecological education, offering residents a new green leisure option that’s “away from the hustle yet still in the city.”
The entire trail is designed with natural dirt paths, no steps, and a gentle slope, making it knee-friendly. The path is rich in negative ions and phytoncides, with ecological education along the way, as well as cute and whimsical decorations, making it a top-notch five-star trail.
It's just not wild enough. Haha! I was just thinking: this road surface, 12 kilometers is no big deal. Upon reaching the end of the Liu Rong Trail, we embarked on an unconventional path.
Steep climbs, obstacle crossings, bending down to crawl through—all sorts of high-difficulty moves kept coming. Haha, this is a test of strength and flexibility. I rubbed my slightly protesting old back: Old back, old back, I need to take better care of you from now on!
Hearing the crisp sound of flowing water, I hurried a few steps forward. In the emerald-green mountains, a small waterfall cascaded down like a silver chain. The guide said, “25 minutes of playtime by the water.”
Immersing my feet in the water, the icy-cold sensation felt refreshing, while the fine sand gently massaged my tired feet; the rushing water brought a small thrill of surfing…
Playing in the water and taking photos, my teammates said, “We can still walk another 10 kilometers!”
Leaving the small waterfall, we continued onward. After walking for a while, the scenery suddenly opened up, and we found ourselves on the main trail of White Cloud Mountain. There were flat paths, restrooms, small shops, and even professional gear racks.
After a short rest, we turned onto a small path on the side of the mountain. The narrow path on the mountainside required careful navigation. Teammate A said, “It's like the Long March!” Teammate B replied, “The Long March wasn't this easy!” Teammate A said, “That's right, with pursuers behind us, blockades ahead, enemy aircraft bombing from above, and dangerous terrain below...”
At the lower end of the descent, there was a staircase path. It started to drizzle, so we took shelter under a beautiful bamboo grove. We also encountered a kitten, and the children threw bread to feed it.
There might be heavy rain ahead, so we took a short break, opened our umbrellas, and continued on in the light rain. After a few steps, the rain stopped, and the mountain forest after the rain became even more lush and green.
Descending the staircase path, we felt the impact on our knees. Experienced teammates had various ways to cope: slightly tilting the body, landing on the heels, or walking on the dirt path beside the stairs.
I tried walking on the dirt path beside the steps, which was covered with fallen leaves, making the ground feel soft and springy, making the walk much easier and more enjoyable.
The endpoint was at the West Gate of White Cloud Mountain, where there was a vast expanse of grassland dotted with raindrops, resembling a miniature version of “Altay.”
Gathering, stretching, waving goodbye to the guide and teammates, looking forward to the next time!
Attached is a photo shared by a teammate: Guangzhou city center
……End