The former material transportation road has been transformed into a "beautiful forest road". Yichun Wudai Highway has set off a craze during the National Day holiday.

In the golden autumn of October, the forests in Xiaoxing'an Mountains are all dyed. During the first National Day holiday after the opening of the Haiyi High-speed Railway, the Wudai Highway winding between the forest and sea ushered in the most beautiful time of the year. According to statistics from the Wucui District Tourism Development Center of Yichun City, the average number of tourists received per day during the first four days of the holiday was more than 50,000. This former timber transport road is now known as the "Beautiful Forest Road" and has become a vivid footnote to the green transformation of the Yichun forest area.

Tourists check in on the Yichun Wudai Highway. Photo by Liu Lu

On October 4, the reporter drove along the Wudai Highway. The trees on both sides were colorful, with red, yellow and green intertwined, like an overturned palette. Under the blue sky, the mountains are undulating and the forests are dyed. Tourists stop to take pictures on the viewing platform. In front of a check-in point with Oroqen characteristics along the line, the traditional tuoluozi-shaped setting attracted everyone's attention. The ethnic customs and the autumn colors of the forest complement each other. Mr. Li, a tourist from Harbin, took his family here by high-speed rail during the holidays. "It took more than an hour to arrive. I rented a car and drove slowly along the Wudai Highway to feel the beauty of this forest. The elderly and children had a great time." Mr. Bi from Suihua rode all the way. He said that riding on such an original forest road made him feel very comfortable and it was a worthwhile trip.

Tourists check out the colorful mountains along Yichun Wudai Highway. Photo by Liu Lu

Wudai Highway is a forest road from Wucui District to Daqingshan County in Yichun City. The total length is about 100 kilometers, and 50 kilometers are within Wucui District. At the earliest, it was a timber transport road from the original Wuma River District to Dailing Forestry Bureau, hence the name "Wudai Highway". Today, it preserves the most complete ecological forest appearance in Xiaoxing'an Mountains and has the reputation of "beautiful forest road". After the opening of the Haiyi High-speed Railway, the convenient transportation has made this forest road a popular destination, and it has also become a "road to wealth" that increases the income of local people.

In front of the forest honey stall in Chu Shushan, the 63-year-old beekeeper was very busy. "The ecology here is good, and the quality of honey is naturally good." He told reporters that the number of tourists increased significantly after the opening of the high-speed rail, and twenty or thirty kilograms of honey can be sold in a day. At the stalls nearby, there is a dazzling array of birch sap, dried blueberries, mushrooms and other specialties. From time to time, tourists stop to taste and buy. Many people along the route also put up their own mountain products at stalls to take advantage of the tourism boom to increase their income.

Specialties from the Yichun forest area are sold along the Wudai Highway. Photo by Liu Lu

Tourists are coming in droves, and service guarantees along the route have also been upgraded. Wang Haiying, director of the Wucui District Tourism Development Center, said that Wucui District has 7 volunteer service points along the Wudai Highway. Volunteers provide tourists with travel consultation, route guidance and free photos; 3 caring service points are set up along the route to provide free hot water and instant noodles; robotic dog shows, song singing, dance and other artistic performances are simultaneously carried out on site to enrich tourists' experience along the way.

From the old timber transport road to today's "beautiful forest highway", Wudai Highway connects the ecological beauty and people's livelihood and well-being of Xiaoxing'anling, and also reflects the new atmosphere of cultural tourism integration and green transformation in Yichun Forest District. (over)