Fujian's Ancient City of Changting | A Shining Pearl of the Ages.

| A Shining Pearl of the Ages. Changting, formerly known as Tingzhou, is located in the upper reaches of the Ting River in western Fujian. It is one of the third batch of Chinese historical and cultural cities announced by the State Council. In the Jin Dynasty, Xinluo County was established in Changting. From the Tang Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, it was the seat of the prefecture, road, and government. It was also one of the main settlements and birthplaces of the Hakka people, known as the "Hakka Base Camp" and "Hakka Capital." In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was called Tingzhou Prefecture, and Changting, Liancheng, Ninghua, Qingliu, Guihua, Shanghang, Wuping, and Yongding counties belonged to it. For those of us who were born and raised in Ninghua, Tingzhou is actually our hometown. The New Zealand writer Rewi Alley, known as one of "China's Top Ten International Friends," once said: "There are two most beautiful mountain cities in China, one is Changting in Fujian, and the other is Fenghuang in Hunan." So this sentence is often used as an introduction to Changting. In fact, when Rewi Alley said this in the 1920s and 1930s, his feelings may have been genuine. After all, Changting is a historical and cultural city with a long history, and there are many ancient buildings in the county that are covered in the dust of history. The most eye-catching and famous is, of course, the ancient city wall of Tingzhou on the banks of the Ting River. When we entered Changting County, it was just after the lights came on. We climbed the city wall and strolled along it, with the lights and shadows on both sides of the river clearly visible, and the sound of music and dance in our ears. There was also a bright moon shining on the past and present, and we didn't know what day it was! 1️⃣ Transportation High-speed rail: 🚅 High-speed rail to Changting South Station ➡️ Taxi to Changting Ancient City (most homestays can rent electric vehicles) 🌟 Recommended self-driving 🚗 2️⃣ About attractions 🗺 ✔️ Jichuan Gate (climb the gate to see the night view of Tingzhou, not so good during the day) 🎫 CNY 30 (free for firefighters) ✔️ Da Fu Di (the first carved building in Fujian) Tingzhou Ba Xi Museum (11:00–20:00 performances) Joint ticket 🎫 CNY 60 ✔️ Wolong Academy (better to go during the day) 🎫 CNY 60 ✔️ Diantou Street (many specialties, as well as clothing rental) 📍 Features: dried tofu, brown sugar ginger candy 💃 Costume change: clothing + makeup photo CNY 100–150 (negotiable)