"I stop my cart to enjoy the maples in twilight hours, the frosty leaves are redder than spring flowers," reads a Chinese poem by Du Mu from the Tang Dynasty (618–907). The verses are an apt description of the fall foliage appearing in autumn.

During October, the fall season arrives to most of the northern part of China, as well as the country's southwest. There are many unique places to see the autumn foliage in China, so check out this 2023 fall foliage map and spring into action!

Why do leaves turn red? According to a research published on American Scientist, the chlorophyll that these leaves employ to capture solar energy during photosynthesis is what gives them their green color for the most part of the year. To nourish the tree, the leaves transform energy into sugars.

As the season changes, the days get shorter and the temperature drops. As a tree receives less direct sunshine, its leaves lose their chlorophyll.

A layer of cells forms at the base of the leaf stalk when a tree gets ready to shed its leaves in the winter, which inhibits the flow of sugars back into the tree's body. Concentrated in the leaf, anthocyanin, a purplish red pigment that turns apples red and black grapes purple, is created when sugars in the cell sap combine with proteins.

The multicolors of autumn are gracing wide areas of China, with the warm sunshine and soft breeze adding luster to the golden season. Let's enjoy the autumn together!

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