Family tour to Southeast China

Upon your arrival in Xiamen, our tour guide will meet you at the airport. You and your family will be transferred to the hotel in downtown Xiamen.

After breakfast this morning, we will drive west for about 3 hours (150KM) from downtown Xiamen to Nanjing Tulou Scenic Area in Nanjing County, Fujian Province. Tulou, also called the earth building, is a type of Chinese traditional dwelling mainly made of raw soil and wood. With a history of more than 600 years, this kind of Chinese traditional dwelling can withstand strong wind and torrential rain. Each building of Nanjing Tulou covers an area of about 1,000 square meters, with a height of 13 to 20 meters. If you come here, you and your family will find that Tulou is a wonderful place to live.

We will first come to Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster which is one of the most important Toulou clusters in the Nanjing Tulou Scenic Area. Looking from the outside, you will find that Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster forms a beautiful and harmonious landscape among the vast mountains. In the center of this Tulou cluster, there is one square Tulou surrounded by three round Tulous and one oval Tulou. In each Tulou here, kitchens, barns, and bedrooms are well arranged from the first floor to the third floor. Visitors can only visit the first floor and the spacious courtyard where there are many stalls selling handicrafts, local specialties, and so on. This is because other floors are still inhabited by local residents.

After lunch, we will drive northwest from Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster for about 12 minutes (4 KM) to Yuchang Building. The round Yuchang Building is the oldest existing Tulou in Nanjing County. It was built in the late Yuan (1271-1368) and early Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties. This Tulou has 5 floors, with 54 rooms of the same size on each floor. You will see that a round ancestral hall is in the center of the courtyard of Yuchang Building. This ancestral hall is the place mainly to offer sacrifices to ancestors and handle events such as marriages and funerals. When you come here, you can find more about this hall and Yuchang Building.

Next, we will continue driving north for about 10 minutes (3.5 KM) to Taxia Village. This village is embraced by lush mountains that are covered by the endless tea forest. This small mountain village is held in the arms by a lucid flowing stream, which glitters like a piece of jade. This flowing stream strings more than 20 Tulous in different shapes in Taxia Village that is just like an elegant and wonderful pearl necklace. You could feel free to follow our guide and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Taxia Village!

Then, we will drive northwest from Taxia Village for about 20 minutes (10 KM) to Chengqi Building, which took almost 81 years to build up. As a typical Tulou with inner corridors, it is composed of four concentric round buildings, with an outer diameter of 63 meters. Its corridors connect countless roadways and rooms. Moreover, the scale of Chengqi Building is so magnificent that you will feel that you are in a wonderland when walking inside this building.

After that, we will return to the hotel in downtown Xiamen.

Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster

Taxia Village

After breakfast, we will drive to the pier and take the ferry to visit Gulangyu Island. It is a small island with an area of less than two square kilometers, with luxuriant trees and flowers. Gulangyu Island is called an architectural museum because there are many modern buildings with different styles on this small island. It is also known as the cradle of musicians and the Piano Island. 

Then, we will come to Sunlight Rock, the highest point of Gulangyu Island at an elevation of about 100 meters above sea level. It is the best place to have a panoramic view of the whole Gulangyu Island. Standing on this huge rock after walking slowly up the winding mountain road, the red roofs, evergreen trees, and blue sea will come into your sight. You can also see the high-rise buildings in downtown Xiamen on the other side, forming a magnificent picture of the combination of Chinese and Western architecture styles.

The next stop is Shuzhuang Garden, which is located in the south of Gulangyu Island. Built in 1913, it was originally a private villa of Lin Erjia, a local gentry. After Lin Erjia died of illness in Taiwan in 1951, his wife donated Shuzhuang garden as a public park to the Xiamen government. At present, this garden is divided into two areas, each with beautiful sceneries. For example, you can walk on the “Forty-Four Bridge” that was named on Lin Erjia’s 44th birthday in 1919. There is a water gate under this bridge to introduce seawater into this garden. In addition, you can learn more information about Shuzhuang Garden from our guide.

After lunch, we will go to Huandao Road. This road was officially opened on September 30, 1999. It is crowned as a seaside resort and a leisure corridor where you can enjoy the beauty of the sea and the beach. What’s more, the beauty of Huandao Road lies in its cultural customs. For example, you can see well-preserved fishing nets and fishing boats in the ancient fishing villages here. Stepping on the golden beach here, you can bend down to pick up shells, enjoy the gentle sea breeze and overlook the endless sea.

Later, we will visit Nanputuo Temple. This temple covers an area of 258,000 square meters. It is also a good place to pray for blessings according to some elderly people in Xiamen. Inside Nanputuo Temple, there is the Hall of the Heavenly King, the Main Hall, the Hall of Great Mercy, and so on. Each of them sets off the grandeur of Nanputuo Temple. In addition, the furnishings between each hall and corridor are very exquisite, with well-coordinated orders and color combinations. As a sacred place, Nanputo Temple will certainly make your family feel its charm and Buddhist culture.

Then, we will keep going north to Wulao Peak, which is behind Nanputuo Temple. Wulao peak is blessed with a balmy climate all year round. It is also well-known as a real natural oxygen bar because the vegetation coverage of the whole mountain is as high as 70%. When reaching the top of Wulao Peak, you will feel that all other mountains are small. Standing here, you can have a bird’s-eye view of Gulangyu Island. All in all, it is very interesting to climb up the Wulao Peak slowly along with the stone steps in the backyard of Nanputuo temple.

After that, we will drive back to the hotel in downtown Xiamen.

Huandao Road

Wulao Peak

This morning, you will check out after breakfast and take the estimated high-speed train G1754 08:14/11:23 from Xiamen to Nanping, Fujian Province. Then, we will drive to Mount Wuyi after our tour guide picks up your family at the railway station. Let’s begin the Mount Wuyi family tour.

Mount Wuyi is known as the first famous mountain in Fujian, covering an area of more than 60 square kilometers. This mountain boasts numerous peaks, caves, rocks, and beautiful sceneries, all of which are very enchanting. 

After entering Mount Wuyi, we will first go to Tianyou Peak, which is 408 meters above sea level. This peak looks like a huge rock, lying quietly in the center of Wuyi Mountain. Tianyou Peak is also the best place to have a full view of Mount Wuyi. Besides, the only way to go up Tianyou Peak is a path with 828 stone steps. In the past, there was an old man aged over 70 who was responsible for cleaning the stone steps of Tianyou Peak. The fact was that it took a lot of energy to walk these stone steps. But the old man swept up and down level by level every day. It seemed that he was never tired of his job. When being asked why he wouldn’t retire, the old man said that he could clean the stone steps while enjoying the beautiful view of Tianyou Peak. The old man’s spirit of fearing no hardship has been praised by many people. Today, you can appreciate Tianyou Peak by walking up these stone steps.

Then, we will visit Yunwo, which is also known as the Cloud Pit. It is situated at the foot of a rock and beside a stream of Mount Wuyi. It has more than ten caves, big or small. Every morning and evening in winter and spring, wisps of clouds often gather near these caves, wandering between the peaks and streams. In addition, you can find many inscriptions on the walls of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in Yunwo. If you want to understand the content of these inscriptions, you can turn to our tour guide.

Later, we will go to see Tea Cave, which is in the east of Mount Wuyi. It is said that Tea Cave is the place where the first tea tree grows on Mount Wuyi, hence the name “Tea Cave”. Once upon a time, there lived an old man who often relieved the local people of their diseases in Mount Wuyi. One summer, a plague broke out. The old man was very worried and went up the mountain to collect herbs, regardless of the burning sun. But he collapsed from heatstroke on the mountain. After a while, an immortal saw the old man and took him to a cave to wake him up. Knowing that the old man was kind-hearted, the immortal told the old man that the leaves of the tea tree in this cave can be used to dispel the plague. The immortal left as soon as he finished talking. The old man hurried to do as the immortal told and finally ended the plague. This cave was later called Tea Cave to remember the immortal. Now you can come here to learn more about this cave and its story.

After that, we will head back to the hotel to rest.

Mount Wuyi

Tianyou Peak

After breakfast, we will enter from Dahongpao Scenic Area and walk to Shuilian Cave. In Dahongpao Scenic Area, you can see the most famous tea tree, Dahongpao, in Mount Wuyi. Known as the king of tea, it grows on a steep rock. The most outstanding feature of Dahongpao is its fragrant aroma. If you want to buy some Dahongpao tea, you can buy it in the nearby rest area. Then, we will see the Shuilian Cave. It is the largest cave in Mount Wuyi, with a height and width of more than 100 meters. The two clear springs fly down from the top of the mountain, like two hanging bead curtains. You can take pictures of this natural scenery here during your family tour.

After lunch, we will visit Yixiantian Scenic Area. It is at the southwest end of the peaks of Mount Wuyi. The first view of Yixiantian Scenic Area is a narrow canyon between two tall mountains. When you look up, you will find the mountain here is like being split by a sharp ax. Entering Yixiantian Scenic Area, you will feel that the space suddenly became moist and that the temperature also decreased significantly. Sometimes, you can hear the cries of bats coming from the nearby caves from time to time. Yixiantian is sure to give you novel and exciting experiences.

Then, we will come to Tiger Roaring Rock. It is a beautiful place with unique natural interest of grotesque stones and circuitous flowing water. At an altitude of 510 meters, Tiger Roaring Rock towers on all sides. When the mountain wind passes through the cave on top of this rock, there will be a loud sound, hence the name “Tiger Roaring Rock”. Starting to climb the rock, you will first feel comfortable because the slope here is relatively gentle. But the more you walk up, the steeper it becomes. You can follow our guide to enjoy the wonderful mountains and rocks here.

After the visit, you and your family will be transferred to the railway station to take the estimated high-speed train G9873 15:46/19:02 to Xiamen.

Dahongpao Scenic Area

Tiger Roaring Rock

After today’s breakfast, you can take the return flight to your home when our guide escorts you to the airport. Looking forward to seeing you in China again!

Author：Yan Weiran

Proofreader: Lexie