Reverse Travel Diary: Ningde is really worth it

DAY 1
* Accommodation: All Seasons Hotel Derun Shang Street (Excellent)
* Itinerary: Jingtai Mountain + Nanmendou
* Note: To reach Jingtai Mountain, navigate to "Jingtai Mountain Jinguang Temple" before starting the climb. Otherwise, you'll end up like we did, having exhausted all your energy only to reach the starting point. We chose a small path down the mountain, which was not only beautiful but also allowed us to observe the local architecture and streets along the way. Nanmendou was also fun to explore, giving it a very local feel and not too long.
* Food: Haoxianglai Food Stalls (Excellent), the snack shops at the entrance to Nanmendou were also good, and the Guangbing (Guang Bing) was delicious and filling.
DAY 2
* Accommodation: Vienna (Excellent)
* Itinerary: Depart for Pingnan (approximately 110 kilometers, 2 hours).
* Sightseeing: We drove to Pingnan via the National Highway. The 2-hour journey took 4 hours. The road was so beautiful. We encountered many ancient villages along the way and stopped to explore them. They were traditional Chinese villages with few tourists and even fewer people. We also stopped in Huotong Ancient Town and visited the "Line Lion Museum."
* Shuangxi Ancient Town: Went there for lunch. I felt there wasn't much to explore, and the food was average. The most interesting part was exploring the fields along the stream.
* Xiadi Village: Worth a visit! More interesting than Shuangxi Ancient Town! It has a unique Pioneer Bookstore, and you can stroll along the rice paddies and admire the ancient architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
* Food: I didn't dare try either the Pingnan Rice-roasted Rabbit or the Small Intestine Soup.

DAY 3
* Accommodation: Zhouning Junlin Crescent Bay Hotel (cleanliness was average, breakfast was average)
* Itinerary: Departed in the morning for Zhouning County (about 70 kilometers, 1.5 hours)
* Sightseeing:
* Jiulong Waterfall: East China's tallest waterfall! The climb took two hours and was quite tiring, all stairs. The waterfall is beautiful, the mountain is cool, and the instant noodles and grilled sausages I bought there were delicious.
* Carp Creek: An ancient village where humans and fish have coexisted for 800 years. Too many tourists feeding the colorful carp have polluted the stream, and the carp have become chubby. Other than that, it's quite worth a visit.
* Food: After climbing Jiulong Waterfall in the afternoon, I found a stir-fry restaurant in Qibu Town. That evening, I had dinner at the mall. It wasn't a good experience, but it was a bit disappointing.
DAY 4
* Accommodation: Orange Fuding Taimu Avenue Branch (good, but parking is difficult, so you have to fight for a spot.)
* Itinerary: Tour of Fu'an, departing Fuding in the evening (150 kilometers, 2.2 hours)
* Sightseeing:
* Lian Village: Fun! There's an October Café in the village, which is great for sitting and chatting. Later, I discovered you can play in the stream, which is so relaxing. I also spent 12 yuan on a bowl of mixed noodles and a bowl of mixed rice noodles in the village. They were absolutely delicious!
* Chayang Ancient Street: So-so.
* Food: The Fu'an mixed noodles and mixed rice noodles are really delicious. Yangtou Ice Hall is very popular online, but it's a bit too sweet. Qianxi Braised Food is delicious, really good! Recommended!
DAY 5
* Accommodation: Same as above.
* Sightseeing - Taimu Mountain Scenic Area: Worth a visit! We chose the 5-hour route, which wasn't too tiring. We also got to experience cave climbing and the sea-viewing plank road (my favorite). Plus, there were food stalls every 10 minutes, so we never went hungry!