Fujian Longtan Ancient Town: An "Artistic Jiangnan" Hidden in the Mountains

✨✨Fujian Longtan Ancient Town: An "Artistic Jiangnan" Hidden in the Mountains✨✨ ### 🌟 **Ancient Town Overview** Located in Beicun, Changqiao Town, Pingnan County, Ningde City, Fujian Longtan Ancient Town is about 30 km away from the county seat. It is an ancient village that was first built in the Song Dynasty and prospered in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. With the traditional wooden structure dwellings in eastern Fujian as its core, the ancient houses are well-preserved, integrating natural landscapes and cultural customs. In recent years, it has been revitalized through artistic transformation and has become the Fujian version of "Meet Yourself." --- ### 🏞️ **Must-Visit Experiences** 1. **Ancient Houses and Artistic Spaces** - **Ancient Residential Clusters**: Stroll along the bluestone paths, explore the ancient houses of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and admire the carved doors and windows and the upturned eaves, which show the architectural features of eastern Fujian. Some old houses have been transformed into homestays, bookstores, and cafes, such as the "Avant-Garde Bookstore" in the rice fields, which is full of artistic atmosphere. - **Longtan Canyon**: The canyon has waterfalls and clear pools. You can go upstream in summer, and the forests are colorful in autumn. It is a secret place for hiking enthusiasts. 2. **Art and Handcrafts** - **Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience**: Participate in traditional Lei Cha making, blue calico tie-dyeing, or make bamboo weaving handicrafts by hand to experience the local culture. - **Artistic Market**: There are often handicraft markets on weekends, selling local specialties such as Qiuju Guo and bamboo crafts. You can also meet resident artists. 3. **Surrounding Natural Wonders** - **Baishuiyang Scenic Area** (about 1 hour by car): The world's largest shallow water square, where you can play in the water and escape the summer heat in summer, and enjoy the colorful mountain scenery in autumn. - **Mandarin Duck Stream**: Hike through the plank road, check in at Baizhangji Waterfall, take the cave ladder to overlook the canyon, and encounter macaque monkeys. --- ### 🍜 **Longtan Cuisine** - **Old-fashioned Snacks**: ✔️ **Taro Noodles**: Q-bomb taro flour with the aroma of lard is a unique dish in Pingnan. ✔️ **Qiuju Guo**: A pastry made of chrysanthemum and glutinous rice, fragrant and soft, fried and eaten fresh. ✔️ **Rice Roasted Rabbit**: Smoked and roasted rabbit meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, a must-have for locals to drink. - **Cafes and Tea Houses**: Many cafes in the ancient town offer hand-drip coffee and tea. It is recommended to sit by the window and enjoy the rice field scenery while sipping tea. --- ### 📜 **Useful Tips** 1. **Transportation Guide** - **Self-driving**: About 2 hours from Fuzhou and about 4 hours from Quanzhou. Navigate to "Pingnan Longtan Ancient Town." The roads in the village are narrow, so it is recommended to park outside and walk in. - **Public Transportation**: Take the high-speed train to Pingnan Station and then take a taxi for about 30 minutes, or take a bus directly from Ningde City. 2. **Accommodation Recommendations** - **Senke Xiasi Homestay**: An artistic homestay by the rice fields, with mountains visible through the windows, and the night is as quiet as a painting. - **Longtan Inn**: Renovated from an ancient house, it is cost-effective and provides Hanfu rental and local cultural tours. 3. **Itinerary Suggestions** - **One-day Tour**: Visit the ancient houses in the morning + handicraft experience, explore Longtan Canyon in the afternoon, and enjoy the sunset at the cafe in the evening. - **In-depth Tour**: Combine Baishuiyang and Mandarin Duck Stream, arrange 2–3 days to experience the dual shock of nature and culture. 4. **Photo Tips** - **Best Spots**: Avant-Garde Bookstore rice field window view, the depth composition of the ancient village stone road, and the ancient house eaves in the morning mist. - **Outfit Suggestions**: Plain cotton and linen long skirts or Hanfu are more in line with the atmosphere of the ancient town. --- ### 🌸 **Seasonal Limited** - **Spring and Summer** (March–August): The rice fields are green, hydrangeas bloom all over the ancient village, and it is the right time to play in the water in Baishuiyang. - **Autumn and Winter** (September–December): The rice fields are golden, Qiuju Guo is fragrant, and the red leaves in the canyon are like fire, suitable for a quiet and slow tour. 🌾 Sitting on the veranda of the ancient house, listening to the wind blowing through the rice waves At this moment, I understand what it means to have "long years in the mountains, and a distant heart is naturally biased."