A pine tree grows atop the Shengtang Mountain.[Photo provided by Chen Liang/China Daily]

Winter is often an offseason for hiking enthusiasts living in northern China. Covered in snow, most mountain sites known for their hiking routes in the northern part of the country are closed because of concerns about tourist security and fire prevention.

Especially this year as heavy snow and icy conditions have contributed to more falls and fractures in many northern cities.

Fortunately, China is a big country. For anyone wanting to hike on a beautiful mountain in the winter, there is always the south.

Located in the northern part of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Jinxiu Yao autonomous county is hidden in the rolling Dayao Mountains and offers visitors quite a few attractions and pleasant hiking routes all year around.

To reach the county, I chose to fly into Guilin in northern Guangxi from Beijing on a Thursday morning last month, pick up a car at the airport and drive to Jinxiu.

Jinxiu is more than 200 kilometers south of Guilin under the jurisdiction of Laibin city. The drive was pleasant as the region around Guilin is known for its karst scenery that is a staple of classical Chinese landscape painting. For an hour, it was like driving in a scroll painting featuring green karst pinnacles with clear streams curving through dense bamboo groves.