Things to do in Longyan

This is my second visit to Yongding Tulou. Transportation is now convenient, the scenic area is beautiful, and the changes are remarkable. As a World Heritage Site, it's worth learning from and understanding.

Due to time constraints, we could only choose one Tulou (Hakka earthen building), so we chose the King of Tulou 😄. There weren't many tourists, and the whole tour with the guide took less than 2 hours, making it very friendly to elderly people and children!

The scenery is quite nice. If you're not bringing children under 8 or elderly people with mobility issues, I highly recommend Route B. Route A has limited sights, but it's still worth the ticket price.

Wolong Academy, founded during the Shaoding era of the Southern Song Dynasty, is located at the southern foot of Wolong Mountain. It is the oldest academy in the eight counties of Tingzhou and the highest institution of learning in western Fujian. Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi and Ming Dynasty scholar Wang Yangming both lectured and taught here, nurturing the cultural heritage of Tingzhou. Over 300 scholars from the area have passed the imperial examinations here throughout history. The academy is conveniently located on the west side of Xinmin Street in the ancient city of Changting, a 5-minute walk from Sanyuan Pavilion. The grounds feature pavilions and towers, as well as introductions to the academy and Neo-Confucianism, offering both fun and educational opportunities, making it ideal for family visits. Walking out of the academy towards the river leads to Jichuan Gate, the most bustling area of ​​the ancient city of Tingzhou.

If you're looking to see Tulou (earthen buildings), then Chuxi Tulou is the place to go. It's not overly commercialized, to a reasonable degree. It's quite beautiful on a nice day, but the roads become slippery and muddy when it rains. Compared to the chaotic and disorganized Tulou King, Prince, and Princess Tulou next door, Chuxi is absolutely fantastic.

The Hakka Tulou (earthen buildings) are very distinctive. The Prince Scenic Area blends seamlessly with the ancient village, creating a unique atmosphere. The Tulou King Scenic Area is relatively small and can be seen quickly; the Tulou itself is filled with shops selling local specialties. Visitors can only tour the first floor of the Tulou; going upstairs is not permitted.

Several scenic spots seem to be carefully built by the local cultural tourism. They are clean and sanitary, and the environment decoration is as beautiful as possible, which is refreshing. However, the traces of the ancient buildings are very heavy, and everything looks very new, lacking the ancient charm. Another fatal point is that the content is too thin and too little. It is not worth visiting specifically, but you can come and see it on the way.

It's definitely worth a visit. The lush green tea gardens and pink cherry blossoms complement each other beautifully, and there are red, blue, and pink trains running through the park, creating a strong spring atmosphere. The only downside is that there are no places to buy bottled water along the way.

Overall, it's a pretty good ancient village, well-preserved in its original state, and worth a visit if you're passing through. However, the claims of it being a "folk palace" and "China's first ancient village" are a bit exaggerated and probably violate advertising laws.

It was fun, and the two kids had a great time. There were rides, interactive animal activities, and beautiful scenery to explore. You could easily spend a whole day there. We didn't go rafting because it was too cool, but we plan to come back next summer.