4-Day Nanyang Tour | Classic Combo of Wolonggang and Danjiang Grand View Garden・Suitable for All Groups
Nanyang, the ancient capital of Chu and Han under the Funiu Mountains, features the Three Kingdoms history of Wolonggang, the vast waters of Danjiang Grand View Garden, and the primeval forest of Baotianman. Take elders to the Medical Sage Temple to seek traditional Chinese medicine wisdom, accompany children to explore prehistoric mysteries at the Dinosaur Relics Park. Here, every day offers a profound dialogue between history and nature.
🗓️Itinerary Overview
D1: Arrive in Nanyang → Wolonggang Cultural Park → Nanyang Prefecture Office → Meicheng Park
D2: Danjiang Grand View Garden → Xiangyan Temple
D3: Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park → Laojieling
D4: Medical Sage Temple → Baihe National Wetland Park → Return
🐉Day 1: Tracing the Three Kingdoms · Exploring the Prefecture Office
📍Wolonggang Cultural Park (4A, ticket 60 RMB)
Highlights: The reclusive farmland of Zhuge Liang, with the Wuhou Shrine featuring the “Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage” sculpture, Zhuge Well, and the powerful “Memorial on the Expedition” stele. Elders can listen to the “Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats” story, children can adventure in the “Bagua Formation” maze (free). The park is filled with ancient cypress trees, perfect for a leisurely stroll.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00, recommended 9:00-11:30
💰Cost: Adults 60 RMB, free for seniors over 60, free for children under 1.4 meters
📸Photo Spot: Wuhou Shrine main gate (under the plaque “The Place of the Three Visits by Emperor Zhaolie of Han,” perfect for family photos)
💡Tips: Free guided tours at 10:00/14:00; do not let children climb the stone statues.
📍Nanyang Prefecture Office (4A, ticket 40 RMB)
Highlights: The best-preserved Qing Dynasty prefecture-level government office in China, featuring the “Gong Sheng Ming” plaque and a display of penal instruments. Elders can watch the live “Magistrate’s Case Judgment” performance (11:00), children can experience the “Simulated Court Session” (20 RMB/session), immersing in ancient official culture.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:30-17:30, recommended 14:00-16:00
📍Meicheng Park (Free)
Highlights: A city park along the Baihe River with ancient city wall ruins and a statue of Zhang Zhongjing. Elders can exercise in the fitness area, children can play on slides in the “Children’s Playground,” and the sunset over Baihe River in the evening is stunning.
🕙Best Time: 17:00-19:00
🍜Recommended Dining: “Nanyang Old Restaurant” near the Prefecture Office, must-try Fangcheng stewed noodles (15 RMB/bowl, chewy and flavorful) and Xinye board noodles (12 RMB/bowl), average 25 RMB per person.
🏨Recommended Accommodation: “Nanyang International Hotel” in the city center (3 km from Wolonggang, family rooms available, breakfast included), priced 300-450 RMB/night, convenient transportation.
🌊Day 2: Danjiang Scenic Tour · Ancient Temple Meditation
📍Danjiang Grand View Garden (4A, ticket 65 RMB, sightseeing bus 30 RMB)
Highlights: Asia’s largest artificial freshwater lake, the source of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route, featuring the “South-to-North Water Diversion Memorial Hall” and the “Central Plains Three-faced Buddha” (18 meters tall). Elders can take the sightseeing bus to enjoy lake views, children can play on the “Waterside Beach” (free), and take a boat ride (50 RMB/person) to admire the “Hundred Islands Lake” scenery.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00, recommended 9:00-14:00
📸Photo Spot: Viewing Platform (capture panoramic views of Danjiang with people standing by the railing)
💡Tips: It’s windy by the lake, bring a light jacket; strong UV rays in summer, prepare sun protection.
📍Xiangyan Temple (4A, ticket 60 RMB)
Highlights: A Tang Dynasty ancient temple known as “Ten Thousand Acres of Xiangyan,” featuring a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree (golden in autumn) and the exquisitely carved Five Hundred Arhats Hall. Elders can listen to Buddhist scriptures in the meditation room, children can feed the big turtles in the “Release Pond” (5 RMB/bag of feed). The serene temple is perfect for quiet reflection.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:00-17:30, recommended 15:00-17:00
🦕Day 3: Dinosaur Exploration · Cool Mountain Ridge
📍Xixia Dinosaur Relics Park (5A, ticket 90 RMB)
Highlights: The “Ninth Wonder of the World,” featuring over 1,000 giant dinosaur egg fossils and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs that move and roar. Children can enjoy the “Dinosaur Excavation” experience (30 RMB/session), elders can view the “Dinosaur Extinction” science exhibition, and the 4D cinema (20 RMB/person) is thrilling.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00, recommended 9:00-12:00
📸Photo Spot: Dinosaur Egg Fossil Hall (take photos of children with giant dinosaur egg models)
📍Laojieling (5A, ticket 60 RMB, cable car one-way 70 RMB)
Highlights: The main peak of the Funiu Mountains, with an average summer temperature of 23°C, home to the “First Peak of Central Plains” Jiao Jiao Peak. Elders can take the cable car up the mountain (effort-saving), children can chase butterflies in the “Cloud Top Garden,” and the autumn red leaves covering the mountains are breathtaking.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00, recommended 14:00-17:00
💡Tips: Large temperature difference in the mountains, bring a jacket; a 1 km walk from the cable car station to the summit, elders should walk slowly.
🌿Day 4: Medical Sage Origins · Riverside Finale
📍Medical Sage Temple (4A, ticket 25 RMB)
Highlights: Commemorating the “Medical Sage” Zhang Zhongjing, featuring the “Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases” stele and a Chinese herbal garden with over 100 medicinal plants. Elders can view the “Acupuncture Bronze Man” exhibit, children can play in the “Chinese Medicine Identification” interactive area (free), learning about traditional Chinese medicine culture.
🕙Opening Hours: 8:00-17:30, recommended 9:00-11:00
📸Photo Spot: In front of the Zhang Zhongjing statue (take photos with the “Medical Sage Temple” archway)
📍Baihe National Wetland Park (Free)
Highlights: A park along Nanyang’s “Mother River,” offering bike rentals (30 RMB/hour) and boat rides (40 RMB/hour). Elders can stroll on the “Zhongjing Bridge,” children can skateboard in the “Sports Park,” and the cherry blossoms in spring are incredibly romantic.
🕙Recommended Visit Time: 14:00-16:30
🍜Recommended Dining: “Farmhouse Big Stove” by the Baihe River, must-try Nanyang yellow beef (60 RMB/jin, freshly stewed and fragrant) and steamed dishes (15 RMB/portion), average 50 RMB per person.
✨Nanyang Survival Guide
1️⃣Transportation: From the city to Wolonggang take bus No. 26 (1 RMB), taxi about 10 RMB; to Danjiang Grand View Garden take the tourist shuttle (25 RMB/person, 2 hours), private car round trip 200 RMB; Xixia Dinosaur Park is 2 hours from the city, group tours recommended (including transport and tickets, 180 RMB/person).
2️⃣Clothing: Wear light jackets in spring and autumn (cool mornings and evenings in mountains), short sleeves plus sun protection clothing in summer (strong UV at Danjiang and Laojieling), down jackets and non-slip shoes in winter (snow at Laojieling), bring sports shoes (lots of walking in scenic spots).
3️⃣Taboos: No loud noise or photography inside temples; do not touch fossil exhibits in Dinosaur Relics Park; do not let children go near water alone by Baihe River.
4️⃣Accommodation: Stay in the city for the first two days; for Xixia, stay at Laojieling homestays (200-300 RMB/night, including farmhouse meals), choose rooms with electric kettles for children, and rooms with heating for elders (winter).
🛍️Must-Buy Souvenirs
① Nanyang Yellow Cattle Beef Jerky (40 RMB/bag, firm texture, loved by elders and children)
② Xixia Kiwi Dried Fruit (25 RMB/bag, sweet and sour, no additives)
③ Zhang Zhongjing Chinese Medicine Sachet (30 RMB/each, mosquito repellent and calming, culturally meaningful)
④ Dinosaur Cultural Products (dinosaur egg models 40 RMB/each, archaeology blind boxes 25 RMB/each)
The story of Nanyang is hidden in the thatched cottage of Wolonggang, written on the blue waves of Danjiang, and blended in the aroma of a bowl of stewed noodles. Whether you take your parents to learn health preservation at the Medical Sage Temple, scream with your kids at the Dinosaur Park, or watch the sea of clouds with friends at Laojieling, here you will find unforgettable depth and vitality. If you come to Nanyang, would you first go to Wolonggang to hear about the Three Kingdoms, or explore mysteries at the Dinosaur Park?