Summer Waters and Deep Valleys

S ome people say that the air conditioning fee in the city for one summer is enough for you to buy a ticket to go to Shennongjia and enjoy a cool summer vacation.For Zhan Yahua,professor at the Hubei University of Chinese Medicine,this is an easy decision.“In the summer,staying in an air-conditioned room is definitely not good for your health.Shennongjia is a better place to go to.”

There are five reasons to go to Shennongjia in the summer season.First,Shennongjia is cool in the summer,especially when it rains.“Beer will soon become cold if you put it into the spring water.After the sunset,the water is chilly,and becomes too cold to even hold some in your palm for more than three seconds!”This is the summer in Shennongjia.Walking in the streets here is like walking in an air-conditioned room.Ifyou want to get up early to watch the sunrise in the morning,a jacket is necessary when climbing,in case the temperature on the top of the mountain is too low.

The second reason is the leisurely life here.Guo Ruitang,a 66-year-old man from Wuhan,has stayed in Muyu Town every summer for many years.“Here,my lifestyle is a lot healthier.”He said,“In the morning,I practice Taiqi in the yard.I usually go for a hike every morning.I meet folks who speak the Wuhan dialect along the way,and I feel as if Iwere living in a small Wuhan.”

九湖雾鹜（潘建翔摄）A lonely duck on foggy Dajiu Lake(Photo by Pan Jianxiang)

The third reason is the mountains,rivers,and the beautiful scenery here.The summer at Dajiu Lake,where the average temperature is about 20℃,brings you an ocean offlowers;at Banbiyan,you can see the ever-changing rays of sunshine,the pure and quiet clouds,the deep blue sky,and the arrow bamboos scattering allover the mountains.You can stroll in the jungle,lingering on both sides,exploring thousands of strange rock formations,looking for the legendary places,and enjoying the coolness ofthis paradise.

The fourth reason is the natural wonders,which frequently appear when it rains.Wonders such as“Foggy Rain in Stone Forest,”“Shennong Cloud Sea,”“Canyon Flying Rainbow,”“June Flying Snow,”and“Fokuang Shinning”make the place a land of fairytales.

And the last reason is camping.At sunset,you can sit at a scenic viewing location cross-legged,and watch the afterglow of the sunset disappear bit by bit, coloring the dusk clouds and everything around you.

Xiangxiyuan(literally Fragrance River),Jiadao River,and Wushan Lake are all good places to visit in summer.

夏近灵水深谷探幽

有人说，在城市一个夏天的空调费足以去神农架度一个清凉的假期。湖北中医药大学教授詹亚华说得更直接：“夏天，城里人呆在空调房里肯定对身体不利，所以，最好去神农架。”。

夏天到神农架康养，有五种理由：

一是清凉爽快，摒弃浮世喧嚣。“啤酒放到水里就成了冰啤；太阳落山后便毫无热意；泉水冰得捧不住三秒钟！”走在神农架的街道，比在空调房中歇息更为惬意。早起看日出，出发前需带棉袄或外套，以御山顶过低的气温。

二是生活悠闲，活得自在惬意。66岁的郭瑞棠来自武汉，他多年来一直在木鱼镇避暑。“在木鱼，我的生活方式也健康了很多。”郭瑞棠说，“早上在院子里打太极，上午一出门就可以爬山，沿途都是说着武汉话的人，就像生活在一个小武汉。”

三是徜徉山水，尽享奇秀美景。夏天的大九湖是鲜花的海洋，平均气温20℃左右。漫步在原始密林里，寻找传说中野人的踪迹，享受这份世外桃源般的怡然。诡谲多变的阳光、纯洁安静的白云、湛蓝深沉的天空、漫山遍野的箭竹、姿态万千的怪石让人目不暇接。

四是林区多雨，自然奇观频现。“石林烟雨”“神农云海”“峡谷飞虹”“六月飞雪”“佛光普照”等等奇观竞相生辉，人临其境，恍惚如入仙境。

五是帐篷露营，无限亲近自然。日落时分，盘腿坐在观景台上，看着夕阳的余晖一点点收起来沉下去，映红了天边的云彩和身边的一切。

香溪源、夹道河和武山湖都是夏游神农架很好的去处。