China is a vast country with varied and breathtaking landscapes. A couple of weeks ago Louis and I discovered one such landscape, one that surprised us with its unusual burst of colours

The city of Panjin, located in Liaoning Province, is an important oil production and
refinery centre. A small city with a village feel, it boasts a mere 1.4 million people, far less crowded than most Chinese cities. Being in the north it enjoys four distinct seasons, autumn being the most brilliant. 

This pre-winter season unfolds with an unusually bright red ground cover that spreads over what seems like endless wetland. Considered the biggest in the world, this entire marshy area has been dubbed “Red Sea Beach” and has become the city’s major tourist attraction.
It’s obviously not an actual beach, but a huge area with a kind of green seaweed that graces the wetland in the spring then turns crimson in the fall. Not only is the area know for its changing colours, it is also home for a number of wild and endangered birds, including Red Billed Cranes and Black Storks. As well, this
wet, swampy environment is the perfect nesting habitat for the burrowing Chinese Mitten Crab.

With miles and miles of boardwalk built deep into the ‘sea’, it’s easy to get lost in meditation in this natural wonder. So, for a seasonal break that will take you closer to nature’s astonishing beauty, a visit to Panjin is necessary.