In Beijing, the Fragrant Hill (Xiangshan Park) is still the best area for tourists to enjoy autumn's red hues. Actually, red leaves, covering every inch of the western Beijing hill, have long been an amazing characteristic of the city. Autumn in Beijing usually surrenders to winter's chill overnight in late October or early November, preserving the leaves from being torn off the trees but turning them red instead.

Visiting the Fragrant Hill, one may discover the dazzling array of color everywhere, some light, some dark and some as bright as fire. Driving into the mountain roads or taking a walk there is to be bathed in an autumnal atmosphere, its warm color retaining a hint of summer factor clinging on before the onset of winter.

Beijing, power base to several dynasties in ancient times, boasts its western part according to the art of Fengshui. Emperors appreciated the mountains there, planting trees, opening canals and building parks near them. This may be the reason why people regard the place as a zone of comfort, holidaying in the mountains in summer and autumn, and even in winter when howling winds from the harsh north mysteriously become mild when reaching the mountains' sanctum of peace.

In the words of Albert Camus, Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

All photos by Guo Xiaoyong

(China.org.cn by staff reporter Wandi Jiang November 14, 2006)