Off-the-Beaten-Path Travel | Longyan - Eight Counties, Eight Specialties

Accommodation, dining, and taxis are all affordable in Longyan City, Fujian. Each district and county boasts earthen buildings, cherry blossom tea gardens, ancient cities, and landscapes, allowing you to experience Hakka culture and cuisine. Go before it gets popular! Visit Yongding! See the earthen buildings! 📍Chengqi Building The female protagonist of 'Big Fish & Begonia' lived in the 'Divine Enclosure Building', which is said to be the design prototype for this building. Looking up from the courtyard, the circular corridors and rows of doors are quite impressive, though it has become somewhat commercialized. 📍Chuxi Earthen Building Cluster With 72 staircases in the building, one for each household, it's remarkably logical and astonishing. The TV series 'Going South to Nanyang' was filmed here. The fewer tourists and original atmosphere allow for a better experience of the landscapes and earthen building charm of western Fujian. Visit Yongfu! See the cherry blossoms🌸 and tea gardens! The biggest feature is the more than 50,000 acres of tea gardens, with over 150,000 cherry trees planted along the roads of the tea fields, creating a unique charm of tea field cherry blossoms. The unique combination of cherry blossoms and tea gardens has led to a photo of the cherry blossom garden being featured on the cover of 'China National Geographic' magazine. Visit Changting! See the ancient town! 📍Changting Ancient Town Located at the southern foot of the Wuyi Mountains, bordering Guangdong to the south and Jiangxi to the west, it has been a hub of ancient roads and a strategic frontier between Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces since ancient times, hence known as 'Fujian's Western Gateway'. The Ting River flows through the city, and walking on the bluestone paths, strolling through the alleys, or visiting traditional shops, you can see the authentic local life everywhere. Visit Liancheng! See the ancient residences! 📍Peitian Ancient Residences An 800-year-old village, it is currently one of the most well-preserved Hakka ancient residential buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. There are no crowds or noise, just life in its most original form. 📍Guanzhi Mountain A mountain that rises abruptly from the plain, named 'Guanzhi' because its peak resembles a giant crown. Guanzhi Mountain is steep and rocky, resembling a budding lotus from afar, also known as Lotus Mountain. Together with Wuyi Mountain, it is referred to as 'North Wuyi, South Guanzhi, the twin marvels of Danxia'. Visit the city center! Slurp noodles and eat beef! Buy local specialties! 📍Lianhua Mountain Park Free🆓 Take a walk on the half-mountain air walkway for oxygen, and if you have enough energy, climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city. 📍Tingxiu Tower + Financial Street Stroll along Financial Street in the evening, take a walk along Yanxi Creek, and enjoy the night view of Tingxiu Tower, relaxed and comfortable. 🍜Food Quanbing's third-generation clear soup noodles (10 yuan/bowl, very delicious) Old Masses clear soup noodles (8 yuan/bowl, the environment is not as good as Quanbing's but the taste is also great) Luoqiao beef offal (we ordered three dishes and one soup for just over 100 yuan, the stir-fried beef and stir-fried beef blood are delicious. Liangqiang Luoqiao and Luoqiao Second Store are run by two brothers, with basically the same taste. Recommend going to the second store, near the Jiucaiyuan Market, so you can browse the market after eating) Yipin stew pot (various soups for 10-20 yuan with solid ingredients, Fujian stewed soup is worth a try) 🏨Olive Homestay 160 yuan/night, conveniently located on Financial Street for dining and travel. Budget hotels like Hanting, Home Inn, and 7 Days are 80-100 yuan, cheap and clean. 📍Jiucaiyuan Market Everything in the market is very cheap, you can buy 'Eight Dried Specialties of Western Fujian' as gifts, and the prices of various stewing medicinal herbs are also low. The shop owners will teach you how to make and match them, Fujian medicinal cuisine