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Longyan, which was featured on the cover of "National Geographic China" some time ago, and Fujian's "Alishan" - Yongfu Cherry Blossom Garden are already well-known to everyone. However, after the Chinese New Year, due to the influence of cold air and continuous rain, the cherry blossoms in Yongfu have gradually scattered and slowly faded from people's sight.
But just recently, the "Fujian Cherry Blossom Sea" that has been strongly searched has made Fujian's freshness and beauty the first associated word in recent times. It is also the hot search that made everyone know about this small county hidden in the mountains, and a more niche and extremely dreamy cherry blossom sea - Sanming Yaojia Village.
The cherry blossoms at Yaojia Village in Sanming, Fujian, have recently entered their peak viewing season. Nearly 300,000 cherry trees are in romantic bloom, creating a breathtaking spectacle that has attracted numerous visitors, with thousands flocking daily to check in. The cherry blossoms here stretch across several hills, covering over 2,000 acres. The wind-driven "rain" of cherry blossoms, like a slow-motion shower, gently and heartwarmingly touches the heart.
There are 230,000 cherry tree seedlings planted here, with 17 varieties: Pink Lady, Perfume Cherry (Hatsubijin), Pink Yoshino Cherry, Yangmingshan Cherry, Oshima Cherry, Yaezakura, Peony Cherry, Fugen Elephant Cherry, Weeping Cherry, Hikan Cherry, Guanshan Cherry, Ota Cherry...
The cherry blossoms at the base are constantly being renovated, so even repeated visits will never tire you of them. According to experts, the blossoms last for three months, with flowers to be seen every day from New Year's Day to March.
Walking along the path in the middle of the sea of cherry blossoms, all you can see is romance.
Not far from the cherry blossom garden, there is a thousand-acre tea field. The cherry blossom path hidden in the vast tea field has a unique charm.
At the Laifang Tea Expo Park, you can also witness the stunning contrast of vibrant cherry blossoms and verdant tea fields. While not as dazzling as Longyan, it possesses a delicate and subtle charm. The tea trees here are exemplified by the Oriental Beauty variety, planted by Mr. Deng Guoquan, the "King of Oriental Beauty Tea" in Taiwan.
Because it is located in the mountains, the scenery of the tea garden is very open. Walking into the wooden house on the top of the mountain, sipping a cup of tea, and looking at the mountains in the distance, I feel my mood become cheerful.
(Some pictures are from: Yingchuan Chen, authorized)
Many people don’t know this place, but it is an authoritatively certified “China’s Major Ecotourism County.” This small county is Qingliu, located in western Fujian, south of Wuyi Mountain, and upstream of Jiulongxi.
Qingliu is the earliest cradle of human civilization in Fujian, and traces of this ancient civilization can be found throughout the county. The relatively underdeveloped tourism industry has allowed the local people to preserve their traditional labor and lifestyle, and the ancient villages nestled in the mountains offer authentic Hakka customs.
In addition to the much-celebrated Tulou architecture, there are also pristine ancient villages that preserve countless traditional customs. During festivals, people from surrounding counties and cities come here to relive their childhood memories. This is the earliest birthplace of human civilization in Fujian, and it is rich in Hakka culture.
Laifang, a famous historical and cultural village in China, actually refers to the entire town of Laifang. Due to insufficient development and management, many residential courtyards are overgrown with weeds, and moss spreads wildly among the rubble. But precisely because of the lack of deliberate decoration, it has a sense of authenticity, naturalness, and simplicity.
The most special thing about Laifang is that it has preserved a large number of folk customs with unique local characteristics. On the basis of retaining the traditional Central Plains customs, it has integrated some cultural elements of the Min Yue ancestors, forming a Hakka folk culture with a strong western Fujian style.
This place belongs to the same city as Shaxian County. When you come here, you naturally cannot miss the world-famous delicacy - Shaxian snacks. Shaxian snacks are actually a branch of the long-standing ancient Central Plains food culture tradition. Many snacks in Shaxian still retain the characteristics of ancient traditional consciousness and culture. Some snacks even retain the original production methods, which can be called the "living fossil" of ancient Chinese traditional food culture.
The common snacks in Shaxian County include: flat meat, clear soup noodles, mixed noodles, sauerkraut noodles, ginkgo nuts, fried cakes, torches, pig ears, sesame balls, rice jelly cakes, cakes, sugar buns, xiaolongbao, meat buns, pancakes, cakes, large intestine cakes, rice cakes, duck soup vermicelli, pot-side paste, fried dough sticks, pepper cakes, puff pastry, scallion and meat cakes, turnip cakes, white sugar cakes, sugar water cakes, crystal cakes, chewing cakes, almond cakes, milk cakes, rice crackers, taro cakes, vermicelli noodles, roasted dried tofu, green grass jelly, jade cakes, winter wine, chrysanthemum wine, fried fruit noodles, hot tofu, etc.
Liji Shaxian Snacks
It basically covers all varieties of Shaxian snacks and is quite popular locally. Recommendations include: hot and sour duck blood soup, spring rolls, gold-wrapped silver, and duck head.
Shaxian Fat Sister Snacks
The most authentic Shaxian snacks, recommended: tofu balls, taro dumplings, siu mai, flat meat;
Shaxian Miaomen Flat Meat Shop
Shaxian's time-honored flat meat shop, with affordable prices;
A Tu Shao Mai
A unique old shop in Shaxian County specializes in siu mai. Recommended dishes include siu mai, taro dumplings, high-salt noodles, flat meat, hot and sour duck blood soup, and hot tofu.
Roland Shaobing
It is said to be the most authentic scallion pancake in Shaxian County, which is purely handmade and very popular in the local area.
Ah Ming Spring Roll Shop
Authentic spring roll shops in Shaxian often require long queues to buy;
More delicious food is waiting for you to discover~
If you think that Shaxian’s only international attraction is its food, you’re wrong. During the day, you can enjoy snacks and visit the City God Temple. At night, I highly recommend the “Fujian Arc de Triomphe” – the suspension bridge.
As night falls and the lights come on, it's the perfect time to take photos of the cable bridge. The bridge becomes completely different once the lights are on, creating a unique and charming scene against the backdrop of the night.
Next to the cable bridge is the Shaxian Qifeng Diecui Park Pier. The pier has attracted many tourists with its unique shape and intoxicating night view, and has become one of the most popular tourist spots in Shaxian.
Now a new attraction has been added. The steepest part of the bridge is built into a U-shaped glass plank road at the highest point from the water, which upgrades the fun of the bridge. If you like excitement, you must not miss it!
The Seven Fairies Cave is named after the legend that seven fairies descended to the earth here. The maze-like cave is divided into upper, middle and lower caves, and is a typical karst landform.
The Upper Cave is 25 meters wide at its widest point and 20 meters high, stretching over 340 meters. The Middle Cave begins with a narrow passage, then a spacious corridor, leading to a grand hall. As you descend, the cave gradually narrows, eventually becoming impassable. The Lower Cave, located beside the Youxi River, boasts a dazzling array of stalagmites and stalactites, each offering a unique and fascinating spectacle. Even more fascinating is the unfathomable depths of an underground river. It's warm in winter and cool in summer.
Sanming City
Take the shuttle bus from the respective county and township bus stations to Qingliu Bus Station, and then to Laifang.
Fuzhou, Nanping, Ningde, Putian and other cities can take the train to Sanming North - Qingliu - Laifang
Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and other cities can take the train to Longyan Station or Guanzhishan Station - Liancheng - Laifang
airplane
Sanming City, to which Qingliu belongs, has an airport (Sanming Shaxian Airport), but there are few flights.
There is a flight from Shanghai to Sanming every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and the price remains around 400 in March.
If your flight is approaching, you can choose to fly to Fuzhou, etc., where there are more flights available and the price is cheaper.
High-speed train
Sanming also has a high-speed railway station (Sanming North Station), with direct trains to Shanghai and Hangzhou, but the departure times are between 6 and 8 in the morning.
If you don’t want to rush, you can take the bullet train to Fuzhou for transfer. It takes about 1 hour to travel from Fuzhou to Sanming by bullet train.
Outbound
G1651 Hangzhou East - Sanming North 08:03-11:15
G1651 Shanghai Hongqiao-Sanming North 06:55-11:15
Return
G1654 Sanming North - Shanghai Hongqiao 15:51-20:25
G1654 Sanming North - Hangzhou East 15:51-19:30
Seize the tail end of the flower season and quickly check in in March to complete this cherry blossom viewing mission and experience the charm of the internet-famous cherry blossom sea.
