A friend inquired about interesting places in Jiangxi, seeking to learn more. I responded, ‘There are far too many!’ Mount Lu in Jiujiang, Longhu Mountain in Yingtan, Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, the rapeseed flowers in Wuyuan, the porcelain capital Jingdezhen, and now, I am thrilled to introduce to you the ‘Jiangnan Song City, Cradle of the Hakka’, which is also the second-largest city in Jiangxi, Ganzhou! This winter, I spent a week traversing Ganzhou, and I am here to share with you the beautiful mountains and waters, the remnants of ancient charm, and the modern vitality of the Hakka cradle, the delightful Ganzhou. When traveling in Ganzhou, one must start with the area known as the Jiangnan Song City, the city center of Ganzhou. Should you arrive in Ganzhou and ask the locals for the most famous and recommended scenic spot, it would undoubtedly be the renowned Ba Jing Tai, located at the confluence of the Gan River, Zhang River, and Gong River. Ba Jing Tai is situated on the ancient city wall in the northeast corner of the old city of Ganzhou. It was built during the Northern Song Dynasty’s Jia You era, named after the prefect Kong Zonghan, who built the platform and later created the ‘Qianzhou Ba Jing Tu’ (Map of Eight Scenic Spots of Qianzhou), from which Su Shi was requested to write poetry. Ascending Ba Jing Tai allows one to take in all eight scenic views of Ganzhou, as if one were truly immersed in the scene, hence the name. Here, there is also a remnant of a Song Dynasty city brick, and as you stroll along the city wall, quietly seeking the traces and inscriptions left by ancient celebrities in Ganzhou, you will find this to be an ancient city full of life and profound historical accumulation. ‘One Ganzhou city, half of Song Dynasty history.’ Ganzhou, also known as ‘Qianzhou,’ the southern gateway of Jiangxi, is one of the 36 major cities of the Song Dynasty, ‘holding the key to the Wu Ling Mountains and controlling the strategic pass between Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hunan,’ has always been a strategic location ‘connecting the south and north, calling the east and responding to the west, pacifying the Baiyue in the south, and looking north to the Central Plains.’ The three rivers flow day and night, and the eight scenes are vigorous through the years. High-rise buildings are lined up among the clouds, and long bridges float on the water. —— Guo Moruo ‘Climbing the Ba Jing Tai in Ganzhou City’ Ganzhou, where the Gong River, Gan River, and Zhang River converge, was once a prosperous Jiangnan city during the Song Dynasty, ranking among the top thirty states in the country. It now appears too low-key. The ancient city wall of Ganzhou, which began construction in the Han Dynasty, has a history of two thousand years. It has been continuously repaired and reinforced over more than 900 years through the Southern Song Dynasty, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods, forming a city wall about 13 miles in circumference, tall and majestic, reflecting the intelligence and superb architectural skills of ancient Chinese laborers. The well-preserved ancient city wall, built during the Northern Song Dynasty’s Jia You era, is the largest existing city wall in Jiangnan and one of the few Northern Song Dynasty brick walls in the country. The city wall is on average 7 meters high, stretching 3.6 kilometers from the east gate to the west gate, with battlements, cannon towers, horse faces, and city gates all well-preserved. Next to the Jianchun Gate of the ancient city wall, there is also a must-visit spot in Ganzhou, the Ganzhou Ancient Floating Bridge. This floating bridge, about 400 meters long, connects the two ends of the Gong River and is made up of more than 100 small boat planks tied together with ropes. It was first built during the Song Dynasty’s Qian Dao era and has a history of more than 800 years.
The entire pontoon bridge is divided into 33 groups and connected by cables. Then it is fixed on the river surface with steel cables and anchors. The neat array still looks very spectacular. There are many boats moored beside the pontoon bridge. This is the famous fisherman on the river beside the pontoon bridge. It is not a fisherman like a restaurant. Instead, it is a fisherman who makes, processes and sells fresh fish caught from the three rivers. It also reveals the strong fireworks and humanistic colors of Ganzhou again. Rows of large and small dried fish, various dried small fish and shrimps are neatly stacked and waiting for the attention of customers. Some tourist souvenirs are also sold together. It looks very pleasing. The busy fisherwoman boss is scaling a freshly caught big carp. Asked a question and said that these are all fish catches supplied to restaurants by the river. Looking at this lively big carp in the Ganjiang River, I can’t help but feel greedy. Fishermen families have lived on boats and made a living by fishing for generations. This scene is also rare for me from the north. But in the watery south, it should be a common scene. Not far from the ancient city wall, you come to the ‘Jiangnan Song City’ starting from the Junmen Tower. Ganzhou is the best-preserved Northern Song city in China today. Especially, it is a waterfront city with the most cultural relics of the Song Dynasty. Entering the ancient city of Ganzhou is like being in a ‘Song City Museum’, so it has the reputation of ‘Jiangnan Song City’. In Jiangnan Song City, you can visit the ancient city, live on Song Street, cross Song bridges, view eight scenic spots, wear Song costumes, wander between heaven and earth, and enjoy the steaming small city life and sigh with joy at the worldly fireworks. Jiangnan Song City has multiple night tour routes with rich visiting and experiencing projects. The core highlights include historical and humanistic landscapes such as Yugu Terrace and Song City Wall, cultural performances such as soldiers’ patrols and hydrangea marriage recruitment, intangible cultural heritage experiences such as Gannan tea-picking opera, Hakka Lei Cha tea, and making Huangyuan rice cakes. There are also technological cultural tourism products such as the 3D projection show at Junmen Tower and the laser water dance show. You have to wait until night to see the famous night view of Jiangnan Song City. So first, continue to stroll in the old city. Walking casually, I entered Zao’er Alley. Several children also passed by in front of me on their bicycles. The ancient street and the young descendants have a sense of contrast between different times and spaces. Zao’er Alley is located in the east of Ganzhou urban area. It is the eastern section of Yin Street in Song Dynasty Ganzhou. It is 227 meters long. Zao’er Alley is connected to Heping Road in the southwest, Lihepu Street in the northeast, and Laogu Alley in the middle. There are Gannan Hakka architecture, central Jiangxi patio architecture, Huizhou architecture, and Western architecture. Zao’er Alley is a typical representative of many historical and cultural streets and alleys preserved in Ganzhou. In the Ming Dynasty, it was called Jiangjia Alley. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, many yamen servants lived here. And the unified clothing worn by yamen servants is black, called blackish. So some people call them black servants. The place where they live is called ‘Black Servants Alley’.
Later, the homophonic transformation became ‘Zao’er Lane’. Recalling the prosperity of the past, and witnessing the current decay, Zao’er Lane has become dilapidated over the vicissitudes of time and urgently needs protection. As an essential spot to visit in the ancient city of Ganzhou, we hope that Zao’er Lane will be quickly renovated and restored to its former glory! On a rainy night in Ganzhou. Jiangnan Song Town | Time-traveling through the blurred light and shadow back to the Song Dynasty. The current ancient city of Ganzhou, once known as Qizhou Song Town, began in the Sui Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty, with a history of over two thousand years. It is also the poetic Jiangnan described by Su Dongpo and Xin Qiji, where Huizhou architecture blends with the Gannan Hakka style, and the restored streets recreate the prosperity of that era. Because it was a rainy night, there were indeed few people around, but it is said that the ancient city is usually bustling and a must-visit spot for photos. Tang and Song poetry floats in the air, in this colorful and dazzling night… After a day of wandering, I was quite hungry, and it just so happened that the restaurant reputed to be the best in Ganzhou was right here, so I hurried to check it out. Ganzhou Tourism and Gastronomy Card | Hakka Courtyard. Intangible Cultural Heritage of Southern Gan Hakka Cuisine is located at Yugu Terrace in Jiangnan Song Town, Ganzhou’s gastronomic card, where many intangible heritages of Southern Gan and Hakka dishes can be tasted. To summarize first, the dishes from Ganzhou are simple in appearance, rich in flavor, and quite spicy. The spiciness is subtle and understated, much like the city of Ganzhou itself, small but full of energy! Ganzhou is one of the birthplaces of Hakka food culture, which originates from the Central Plains, and the dishes show the genes of Northern Chinese cuisine. It is the result of the integration of Central Plains traditional culture with the indigenous culture of Ganzhou, beginning in the Jin Dynasty and maturing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Dishes such as Banded Hui Chang Dried Tofu, Xingguo Mixed Fish Shreds, Ningdu Three Cup Chicken, Dingnan Sour Wine Local Duck, Ganzhou Stir-fried Fish, Nankang Lotus Wrap, Casserole Beef Brisket, Crispy Lamb Chops, Sauerkraut Stir-fried Qing Slices, Fine Cured Meat Platter, Chive Stir-fried Bean Cake, Stir-fried Bean Curd Skin, Country Fried Tofu, Fried Assorted Dishes, Wine Pepper Purple Sweet Potato, Organic Sweetheart Vegetables, Ruijin Beef Soup, Hakka Glutinous Rice Cake, and Shicheng Taro Dumplings are particularly numerous, especially the Ningdu Three Cup Chicken in the picture above, which should not be missed. The Hakka Courtyard, covering an area of 5,000 square meters, is a typical Song Dynasty decoration style. The process of ordering dishes is a bit like an ancient market, where you leave the sign of the stall that looks delicious. The steaming heat, the bustling scene, warms up this winter night. The next day, the scene was a bustling red, with drums, gongs, and firecrackers, not far from the urban area of Ganzhou City, in Ganchun Hakka Cultural City, the opening ceremony of a large-scale cultural and tourism consumption festival to celebrate the Hakka New Year in Ganzhou was being held with great enthusiasm. Today’s Hakka Cultural City has almost gathered all the food and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions from Ganzhou city and county. We decided to first feel the atmosphere here, and then head to the vast landscapes and countryside of Ganzhou city and county to experience the strong Hakka New Year customs… Hakka Cultural City is located in the southeast of Ganchun city, adjacent to the winding Gong River, overlooking the famous peak of Gannan, and is a blessed land with the spirit of heaven and earth. It is the first comprehensive Hakka culture-themed museum in Jiangxi Province.
The park is designed with an external square and an internal circle, with the entire architectural style not only adhering to traditional cultural architectural concepts but also incorporating rich local cultural characteristics. It integrates sacrificial ceremonies, cultural exhibitions, commercial activities, and leisure entertainment, making it the largest and most comprehensive Hakka cultural architectural complex in the country. It can be regarded as a focal point of Hakka culture, a ‘Grand View Garden’ for showcasing Hakka culture, and a ‘spiritual home’ for the Hakka people. Here, you can not only prepare for the New Year’s goods but also experience many interesting traditional intangible cultural heritages, such as Huangyuan rice cake, Yangbu tofu skin, and Shaban board duck, which are traditional intangible cultural skills of southern Jiangxi. It’s truly eye-opening with various delicious and beautiful things that make me almost unable to move my legs. In addition to the wonderful intangible cultural heritage, which is the historical essence left by our ancestors, Ganzhou has never lacked innovative creations. The first national high-tech theme park of red culture – Fantawild Oriental Heritage, you must come and enjoy it. Fantawild Oriental Heritage in Ganzhou is a poem of the great journey of national rejuvenation. Here, red culture is made ‘dazzling’ with a visually impactful feast. In this place, ‘visitors’ become ‘participants’, ‘appreciators’ become ‘comprehenders’, and ‘transmitters’ become ‘inheritors’. The atmosphere is enthusiastic, and it is very touching to watch! Here, you can see the grand view of the ‘Garden of All Gardens’ in the ‘Old Summer Palace’; follow the Zhiyuan ship in ‘Zhiyuan Zhiyuan’; witness the great changes and take-off after the establishment of New China in ‘Songs of the Years’; overlook the famous mountains and rivers of the motherland in ‘Flying’ and witness the great achievements made by New China in rapid development; experience a thrilling journey of simulating the take-off and landing of a fighter jet on the ‘Liaoning Ship’ in ‘Eagle Strike Sky’. Don’t miss the super large three-dimensional giant screen cinema ‘Oriental Heritage’, which takes China’s struggle journey as the narrative thread, showing the whole process of China’s progress from an agricultural country to an industrialized power in modern times, and panoramically displaying the twists and turns of China’s rise in modern times, the exploration and practice after liberation, and the earth-shaking achievements made since the reform and opening up. Both our parents and our generation can find their own shadows in life here, and children can understand through this performance that our country is becoming stronger and stronger, which is very, very good. The popular large dome cinema ‘Flying’ takes us to ‘soar’ over the land of China, overlooking the famous mountains and rivers of the motherland, appreciating the magnificent natural scenery, flying over the Three Gorges Dam, the Beipanjiang Bridge and other super projects, and appreciating the brilliant achievements brought by the rapid development of New China, which is spectacular and shocking. There are also many exciting projects such as ‘Breakthrough’, ‘Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan’, ‘Heroines’, waiting for you to experience. I won’t ‘spoil’ too much, in short, you can have a great time in Oriental Heritage, and you will be shocked by various things.
Here are more than ten large indoor high-tech theme projects exclusively created by Fantawild and more than twenty outdoor amusement projects. There are also multiple themed blocks such as Hong Kong Street, Shanghai Street, Beiping Street, and Ruijin Street that restore the social features and cultural customs of different periods in modern China. In addition, there are hundreds of characteristic leisure landscapes, themed restaurants, and stores. It offers a one-stop experience for eating, drinking, and having fun. It’s really great. Reluctantly coming out of Fantawild Oriental Heritage, we then step into the azure Polar Ocean World. I feel that children in Ganzhou are very lucky to have such a great place for parent-child outings. The beautiful and fun Polar Ocean World! Seriously, I have visited many large and small similar polar aquariums at home and abroad. Honestly, many are not as good as the one here in Ganzhou. Do the aquariums you usually visit have simultaneous collective leaps of four dolphins performing multiple times? Are there various fancy performances of sea lions in the water? Is the mermaid show long? Is the glass of the aquarium in the venue always kept clean? Many that I have seen cannot achieve this, but here, all are achieved. There are nine exhibition areas, three performances, and five interactions: Amazon rainforest area, intertidal zone area, marine coral reef fish area, fierce shark area, submarine tunnel area, polar animal area, dreamy jellyfish area, popular science exhibition and experience area, etc.; there are Dolphin Bay Theater, Beluga Love Theater, and Mermaid Theater, highlighting the performances of sea lions, dolphins, belugas, mermaids, and Russian underwater ballet. It’s very wonderful. Although there is a gap in scale compared to aquariums in first-tier cities, it is enough for children to experience the various beauties of the ocean world. I really think this place is good. For a trip to Ganzhou, it’s worth checking in! We spent two full days playing in downtown Ganzhou. It’s time to soothe our eyes and slow down our steps. Go to nature and go to the countryside. We are going to walk more in the beautiful countryside in the counties of Ganzhou to feel the beauty of Ganzhou with beautiful mountains and clear waters. The first stop of beautiful countryside is落地 at Qiaoxin Town in Longnan. Qiaoxin Town is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. It is located at the northeastern foot of Jiangxi Jiulian Mountain, a national-level nature reserve and national forest park. The town takes ‘piety’ culture as the theme and takes unique ecological agriculture as the foundation. Combined with rich resources of mountains, waters, tea, and bamboo, it has created a leisure and vacation experience base integrating natural scenery, rural scenery, Hakka folk customs, and piety tea culture. It is a tourism town integrating agriculture and tourism. Hakka people live here in clusters. It is said that Wang Yangming also cultivated himself, educated the local people, and taught his philosophy here. When we arrived, it was after rain. The mountains were filled with mist and the air was extremely fresh. This environment is really like cultivating immortality. Walking in Baixiang Valley of Qiaoxin Town, old jars of Qiaojiu are placed all over the mountains and plains. It’s really spectacular. Baixiang Valley of Qiaojiu Manor, which gives a new feeling to the sauce-flavor liquor culture, combines traditional brewing techniques with modern display methods. It’s so stylish. Looking at it really makes people happy.
A picturesque scene in the rain, with an ethereal mist surrounding the place, making it seem like a fairyland on earth. Here, there is an old wine bank where precious wines are aged over time and brought out to share with family and friends during special occasions, enhancing the bonds of friendship and joy. This creative concept is truly wonderful, and I am tempted to purchase a cask of aged wine to store here. In addition to fine wines, the Qiánxīn Town offers a variety of folk heritage displays, such as the aromatic clay-oven chicken processing, grinding soybeans to make tofu and bean curd skin, traditional rice wine production, and making glutinous rice cakes. Visitors to the town can not only admire the beautiful natural scenery but also taste and experience the heritage of local snacks and delicacies, which is truly amazing. Not only are there local specialty snacks, but a grand feast also awaits us in the dense bamboo forest at night. Qiánxīn Town · Bamboo Forest Banquet Encounter features pollution-free, healthy ingredients and locally unique seasonal fruits and vegetables from Longnan, cooked with care by skilled chefs, allowing us to enjoy the delicious food in the embrace of nature, inheriting ancient craftsmanship, each dish is exceptionally flavorful. Recommended dishes include a long list such as Stewed Lingzhi with Bamboo, Braised Dried Beans, Stir-fried Smoked Bacon with Winter Bamboo Shoots, Spicy White Fish, Fresh Mushroom Stuffed with Shrimp, Phoenix Eye Pearls, Broth Bean Curd Skin, Beef Feet Pot, Flavored Goose, Field Frog Roasted Chicken Treasure, Sweet Bean Lily Stir-fry, Stir-fried Mountain Asparagus, Shredded Bamboo Mixed Vegetables, Tea Fragrance Crispy Bone, Braised Pork Belly, Fresh Chicken Feet Braised Pork, Lotus Root Tip Stir-fried Beef, Steamed Duck, Beef Offal Pot, Black Rice Noodle Stir-fried Chicken Offal, Sour Jujube Cake, Bean Cake, and Bamboo Tube Rice. These distinctive Hakka dishes are worth savoring. The dining concept hidden among the lush bamboo forest is also praiseworthy. The ancient stone steps, dense bamboo forest, and the winding paths full of poetic charm, all possess an ancient style with a touch of time-traveling. The second stop in the beautiful countryside is still in Longnan, Dongkeng Village Zhixi Valley. It is evident that Zhixi Valley has fully developed the village’s unique traditional culture and ancient craftsmanship, utilizing the existing landscape resources to create a circular rural revitalization experience tour themed around ‘Paper and Artisan (Papermaking Workshop), Bamboo and Companion (Bamboo Weaving Workshop), Tea and Rest (Featured Homestay), Ecological Agriculture, Red Station’. The impression is particularly deep with the homestay built around tea culture, the leisurely courtyard scenery, and the drizzling rain, which adds more than a touch of artistic temperament. The buildings, with bamboo, gray tiles, and rammed earth walls, also inherit ancient methods, finding a connection between modernity and nature. It is a must to meet in the countryside, in such a beautiful and comfortable place. With the homestay ‘one industry driving multiple industries’, it has cultivated featured homestay products such as ‘Homestay + Camping’, ‘Homestay + Leisure Picking’, ‘Homestay + Parent-Child Research Learning’, ‘Homestay + Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience’, giving Zhixi Valley its own characteristics and making us feel reluctant to leave.
The third stop of beautiful countryside is Huanghuawan Shared Village. At the entrance of the village is a pool of water. Beside the water, there is a tie-dyeing studio and a teahouse. There are many comfortable leisure spaces. They are all started and run by young people who have returned to their hometowns or those who have an obsession with the countryside. The atmosphere is very natural and simple. The materials and selections are all from the countryside. There is a feeling of being self-sufficient. Huanghuawan can be called another representative village for rural tourism in southern Jiangxi. After walking around these rural tourism areas in southern Jiangxi, I get a lot of freshness. Although there is no particularly innovative concept, it may be due to the mentality of the initiators. Each one reveals a sense of seclusion like a paradise. The shopkeepers or managers are all friendly and talkative, very kind. When chatting, there is a strong sense of belonging in their words. Each of these villages distributed in the valleys has its own characteristics. It can be seen that the government has made great efforts to support and actively create. It feels really good! Huanghuawan Shared Village is located in Huanghua Group, Liantang Village, Dujiang Town. It has been rated as ‘the most beautiful countryside in southern Jiangxi’ and ‘the new eight scenic spots of the most beautiful countryside in Longnan’. It is a village that realizes nostalgia created by Dujiang Town for people from all walks of life. Here you can experience the joys of childhood. Taking the river embankment as the axis, a fishbone-shaped pattern of southern residence and northern scenery is formed. Along the south side of the river embankment, courtyard gates, cultural signs, courtyards, houses, etc. appear scattered and intermittently. Along the north side of the river embankment, there are shade trees, observation decks, riverside paths, rest chairs, fitness points, small landscape nodes, etc. It has become a cultural landscape belt with light luxury leisure and seclusion by the river. The creative owner of the teahouse has written and painted the southern Jiangxi dialect on the stone wall, attracting our group to read it one after another. Some very funny words translated made everyone laugh so hard that their stomachs hurt. Making a cup of tea and painting a fan, in this pleasant time, we don’t want to leave. However, we are still attracted by the legendary ‘ground tea’ and come to the fourth stop of beautiful countryside, the millennium-old ancient village, Yaxi. Yaxi Ancient Village is located in Longyuanba, Quannan County, Ganzhou. The village was built in the Ming Dynasty, and all the villagers are surnamed Chen. The most magnificent and famous buildings in Yaxi Ancient Village are two Hakka enclosed houses built in the Qing Dynasty, which are composed of Fuxing Enclosure and Yafeng Enclosure, with a total floor area of about 1010 square meters. Our ground tea experience is also carried out here. Fuxing Enclosure with red lanterns hanging high gives a strong festive atmosphere. Fuxing Enclosure was built in the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty (1856). It is a square rammed earth brick wall structure building with three floors and 17 rooms on each floor. With upturned eaves and simple shapes, it gives people a very solid feeling. The rectangular ‘mouth’-shaped earth enclosure has four gun corners. Along the central axis of the enclosed house from south to north are courtyard, building gate, entrance hall, circular corridor, patio, and hall. The patio is tall and thin in proportion. There are inner circular corridors on the second floor and above. The design is compact and unique.
There is a Hakka Folk Custom Museum in the enclosure, which centrally displays traditional Hakka intangible cultural heritage, wedding banquets, marriage customs, festivals and other traditional customs. Of course, taking photos here is also excellent and very photogenic. Next, we must definitely focus on introducing Lei Cha, which is known as one of the ‘living fossils of Chinese tea culture’. As a precious wealth left by the Hakka people during their migration from the Central Plains to the south, one can now see the complete production process in Yaxi Ancient Village. Lei Cha originated in the Northern Song Dynasty and has a history of thousands of years. From material selection, production to brewing, it all has unique characteristics. ‘Lei’ means grinding. Lei Cha is a healthy tea drink made by putting raw materials such as tea leaves, sesame seeds, and peanuts into a mortar and grinding them before brewing with boiling water. We tried it. Honestly, for those tasting it for the first time, this taste is really not something that can be easily endured. Yaxi Ancient Village still retains distinctive Hakka culture. The Hakka Folk Custom Museum built in the ancient village showcases Hakka traditional customs such as marriage, folk songs, and festivals. For the last stop of the beautiful countryside, let’s leave it to Dayu Yashan. What impressed me the most in Dayu Yashan is still maintaining a leisurely mood at all times. Here, there are many distinctive homestays surrounded by greenery. There are also large-scale hotel clusters on the mountain. Here, you can experience the fun of farming and picking, feel the natural and comfortable environment, and eat fresh and authentic ingredients. It is located in the world-recognized golden ecological zone at 25 degrees north latitude. The forest coverage rate is as high as 92.6%. The air, water, and soil environmental quality all reach the national first-class standards. It is a national 4A-level tourist scenic spot, Jiangxi’s first 5A-level rural tourist spot, and a characteristic town for sports and leisure in China. What impressed me deeply is still having a happy little winter barbecue with my friends at night. It can completely reflect the completely relaxed and leisure state in Yashan. Drink and chat freely without restraint. Let all troubles disappear with the swaying of the suspension bridge and the flying colored ribbons. The profound history of Ganzhou is not only in the Song City remains in the urban area. There are also many historical and cultural landscapes in various places in Ganzhou that should not be missed. The unique representative of Hakka residential culture is none other than the ‘Hakka enclosed houses’. Follow us to visit the Guinness – the world’s largest square Hakka enclosed house, Guanxi New Enclosure in Ganzhou. Guanxi New Enclosure is a comprehensive display of Hakka enclosed house culture. It is the most complete, largest-scale, and most functionally complete Hakka square residential building found and preserved in China so far. It is also a typical representative of the so-called ‘nine wells (buildings) and eighteen halls’ in traditional residential buildings in southern Jiangxi. The Hakka enclosed houses in southern Jiangxi, together with the quadrangles in Beijing, the cave dwellings in Shaanxi, the stilted houses in Guangxi, and the ‘one seal’ in Yunnan, are collectively known as the ‘five characteristic traditional residential buildings in China’ by the architectural academia at home and abroad.
The Guanxi Xinwei, built in the third year of the Jiaqing era during the Qing Dynasty, was constructed by the distinguished Guanxi gentleman Xu Mingjun. To distinguish it from the older residence, it was named ‘Xinwei’, meaning ‘new enclosure’. The enclosure’s walls were built using rammed earth, with four corners each adorned with a watchtower, and numerous gun ports and plum blossom-shaped loopholes on the walls, making the entire defensive system extremely robust. The main structure of the enclosure comprises 124 rooms of varying sizes, divided into lower hall, front hall, middle hall, and upper hall, integrating the functions of a home, ancestral hall, and fortress. In front of the main hall of Guanxi Xinwei, there is a pair of stone lions, with the male lion on the left roaring fiercely and the female lion on the right dignified and serene; the cylindrical stone carvings on the door frame depict the Qian and Kun hexagrams from the I Ching, and the stone pedestals under the hall’s dozen large wooden pillars are all engraved with various patterns and texts. The side yards and rooms are decorated with numerous wooden carvings of dragons, tigers, qilin, and phoenixes. Currently, in the main hall of Xinwei, two elderly people display the unique intangible cultural heritage handicrafts of Southern Jiangxi, which is quite interesting. Strolling through this vast space, one can easily imagine the former owner’s life was incredibly brilliant and dazzling, leaving behind such exquisite architecture and concepts. Even as the vicissitudes of time have passed, the traces left behind are truly awe-inspiring. In the blink of an eye, standing atop the Yunkuo Mountain, one finds the undulating An yuan San Bai Mountains. ‘We must protect the source of the Dongjiang River,’ a phrase spoken by Premier Zhou. Ganzhou An yuan San Bai Mountains | A single Dongjiang River flows to Hong Kong. As the source of water for Hong Kong, the San Bai Mountains are the most famous tourist and resort area in An yuan, with the first waterfall of the Dongjiang, a glass suspension bridge, boundless landscapes, and a sea of greenery… Located at the junction of Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces, the San Bai Mountains are part of the eastern section of the Wuyi Mountain range and the northern slope of its eastern extension, serving as the watershed between the Ganjiang River of the Yangtze River system and the Dongjiang River of the Pearl River system. The majestic Fuzhengtang Waterfall is known as the ‘First Waterfall of the Dongjiang’, the rugged Hanfengtan is called the ‘First Beach of the Dongjiang’, Dongfeng Lake with its green mountains and deep reflections; the Nine Bends and Eighteen Beaches are densely connected, changing with every step, the Zhiyinquan with its towering cliffs and dual waterfalls, truly a unique view in the world; the Three-tiered Yaochi with its three waterfalls and three pools, far from the mundane world, is a true fairyland. The San Bai Mountains, with its five major scenic areas including Fuzhaotang, Butterfly Grand Canyon (Jiuqu Creek), Dongfeng Lake, Yangtian Lake, and Jianfengbi, integrate the four natural wonders of mountain terrain, forest sea, waterfalls, and hot springs. The mountains, waters, forests, and rocks are all beautiful, with a primitive, simple, and serene charm. The poetic imagery of high mountains giving birth to a flat lake is truly beautiful and can only be seen after a considerable cable car ride, isn’t it magical? As the most famous resort in An yuan, the San Bai Mountains offer more than just beautiful mountains, rivers, and lakes. After a tiring hike, one can quickly reach the hot springs of the Requan River Tang Valley at the foot of the mountain for a steaming hot spa experience.
The lush green mountains of Southern Jiangxi, paired with the warm and unrestrained hot springs, make this winter moment excessively blissful. There’s an unmissable fairyland mountain in Southern Jiangxi, Tianlong Mountain in Quannan, where even Wang Yangming, a famous philosopher from the Ming Dynasty, climbed and left behind poetic verses. Named for its towering peaks resembling a dragon soaring into the sky, Tianlong Mountain boasts treacherous terrain, peculiar and varied landscapes, cliffs rising abruptly, and three sides with sheer cliffs and jagged rocks. The mountain also has a connection with Jin Yong’s novel ‘Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils’. When Wang Yangming, a philosopher of the Ming Dynasty, climbed Tianlong Mountain and saw the peculiar rocks, he improvised a poem: ‘Tianlong Mountain peaks reach into the clouds, Taojiang River meanders around the mountains, the four seasons never fade the color of youth, and the land of outstanding people produces heroes’. From afar, Tianlong Mountain’s main peak is located in the center of peaks resembling lotus petals, and because of the sudden rise of dangerous peaks, jagged rocks, and its resemblance to a dragon about to soar, it is named ‘Tianlong Mountain’. The most recent internet sensation, however, is the sculpture named ‘Hand of the Earth’. At a height of 186 meters from the valley floor, standing in the palm of the giant hand allows one to overlook the vast expanse of ravines and enjoy the scenery of the mountains and forests. Sea of clouds | Zen temple | Mountain peak | Buddha’s hand | Mian Mountain, these are the fairyland appearances of Tianlong Mountain as we visited. The home of a world champion rock climber is also in Ganzhou. So, besides mountains, water, and history, there are many more fun things to do in Ganzhou. Ganzhou’s new internet-famous check-in spot | A rock climbing world champion | A professional rock climbing town, China (Quannan) Rock Climbing Town, is the hometown of rock climbing world champion Zhong Qixin. With rock climbing as the theme, it has concentrated on creating a rock climbing hotel, Yanyu restaurant, rock climbing training base, water sports, outdoor expansion, and various exciting and thrilling formats. Isn’t it exciting? In this immersive sports and entertainment venue, professionalism is evident in the fun, and I highly recommend it for families with boys. You can play for at least two to three days without getting bored! The rock climbing training base here is divided into outdoor and water rock climbing. The outdoor rock climbing covers an area of about 4000 square meters, with climbing walls divided into difficulty paths, speed paths, and bouldering, all built according to international rock climbing competition standards. The Energy Building, combining rock climbing element style themes, is an integrated building that integrates dining, drinking, playing, and entertainment. It includes a buffet restaurant, supermarket, constant temperature surfing pool, coffee and tea bar, VR technology 3D experience hall, multifunctional classroom, children’s indoor climbing garden, children’s playground, high configuration, high appearance, large space, and a dozen kinds of entertainment facilities, allowing children to climb, crawl, slide, and run here unrestrainedly, just for one word, excitement… Is there anything more thrilling than rock climbing? Of course, there is, at least for me, that is driving to the wilderness to wave the outdoor off-road park, where there are my favorite off-road motorcycles and muddy ADV tracks.
The red soil of southern Jiangxi is not only suitable for growing delicious navel oranges but also perfect for riding a dirt bike through the muddy jungle after the rain. I had a great time riding an off-road bike, which was very easy to operate. The four-wheel off-road motorcycle effortlessly crushed the slippery muddy forest paths, crossing puddles, climbing hills, and descending steep slopes. Fully equipped, I felt a bit cool and handsome, and I had a lot of fun. In addition to the off-road motorcycle adventure, there are also ADV all-terrain vehicle race tracks for more in-depth off-road experiences. In the pristine forests of southern Jiangxi, one can find the thrill of the wild. It’s just great… After the excitement, let’s stay in the valley’s starry RV campground, with bonfires, barbecues, insect chirping, and bird singing, integrating into nature again, waiting for a date with the vast starry sky. It’s quite a dilemma deciding which RV to stay in, as too many choices can also be a hassle, haha. An immersive journey back to nature, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, and experiencing a retreat to the countryside, all can be realized in Ganzhou. Do you like such a Ganzhou?
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