Jingning She Ethnic County
China's only She autonomous county, with the distinctive charms of Dajun She Village, Yunzhong Daji and Caoyutang Forest, plus Huiming tea and She song and dance.
Jingning She Autonomous County lies in southwestern Zhejiang, in the south of Lishui. It is China's only She autonomous county and the only ethnic autonomous county in East China. The county is mountainous and densely forested, with a relatively high average elevation. The county seat, Hexi, sits in the Hexi River valley, surrounded by She villages such as Dajun, Dongnong and Huimingsi; Huiming tea and the She "Sanyuesan" (Third Day of the Third Lunar Month) festival are its best-known cultural calling cards.
Areas to explore: ① The county seat — the China She Museum, Jingning Confucian Temple and the covered-bridge park along the Hexi River, with Dongnong She Village on the outskirts; ② Dajun Township in the north — Dajun Ancient Village, the 4A-rated "Window on China's She Homeland", where you can watch She song and dance and ride bamboo rafts; ③ Around Chimu Mountain — the tea gardens of Huimingsi Village, hiking on Chimu Mountain and Caoyutang National Forest Park; ④ The central and southern highlands — the 4A-rated Yunzhong Daji and Shisi Temple, the Dongkeng covered bridges and Luxi Gorge, and the Wangdongyang alpine wetland in the Shangbiao forest area to the south; ⑤ The east — boat trips and lakeside guesthouses at Qianxia Lake.
Seasons: around Sanyuesan (the third day of the third lunar month), the county seat and She villages hold song festivals, ancestral rites and other events — the most ethnically distinctive time to visit. Apr–May brings azaleas and spring tea; in summer the highland villages and forest parks are good for escaping the heat; Oct–Nov offers autumn colors and ripening rice terraces. Getting there: the Jingning–Wencheng Expressway connects the county seat with Lishui and Wenzhou, and buses from Lishui Station take about 1.5 hours; Jingning Station on the Quzhou–Ningde Railway also has train service. Sights are spread out along mountain roads, so driving is recommended. Allow 2–3 days: 1 day for the county seat and Dajun, 1 day for Daji and Caoyutang, plus an extra day for Qianxia Lake or Wangdongyang. Note: festival dates follow the lunar calendar and change each year; check with the scenic areas for ticket prices, rafting and performance times. Watch for rockfall and flash floods in the mountains during the rainy season.
Top sights
- Dajun Village (Window of She Ethnic Region) – A 4A-rated scenic area: a centuries-old village beside a stream, where a Tang-era camphor tree, ancient covered bridges and She ethnic song…
- Yunzhong Daji Scenic Area – A high-altitude ancient village scenic area rated 4A at about 1,000 metres above sea level, with Xuehua Waterfall, a thousand-year-old Cryp…
- Shisi Temple – An ancient temple from the Song and Yuan dynasties in Daji Township, its main hall retaining Yuan-era timber structures and its bell tower…
- China She Ethnic Museum – A 3A-rated museum on the banks of the Hexi River in the county seat, systematically presenting the history, costumes, colored sashes, silve…
- Caoyutang National Forest Park – A national forest park at the southern foot of Chimu Mountain, famous for its cryptomeria forests, alpine wetlands and cool climate, with n…
- Luxi Gorge – A pristine gorge about 40 km long in southeastern Jingning, with green mountains on both sides and deeply cut streams, known as the “First…
- Huimingsi Village & Chimu Mountain – The original home of Huiming tea and the earliest settlement of the She people in Jingning, a She village at about 630 meters surrounded by…
- Dongnong She Village – A She ethnic village in Hexi Subdistrict, preserving She traditions such as vernacular houses, mountain songs and colorful sash weaving. It…
- Jingning Confucian Temple – A Qing-dynasty Confucian Temple in the county seat. The Great成 Hall (Dacheng Hall) and the semicircular pond are well preserved, making it…
- Dongkeng Covered Bridges – Two historic covered bridges over a stream in Dongkeng Town, with well-preserved timber bridge houses. They are part of the 'Chuzhou Covere…
- Qianxia Lake – A large artificial lake formed by the Tankeng Reservoir, with a thousand islands and gorges, open lake and mountain scenery. Visitors can t…
- Wangdongyang Alpine Wetland – The largest alpine wetland in East China, a provincial nature reserve with distinctive wetland meadows and cloud scenery. Suitable for hiki…
Where to eat
- Shexiang Hongbin Hotel Restaurant – A five-star hotel restaurant recognized as the birthplace of Zhejiang's 'Hundred Counties, Thousand Bowls' initiative…
- Shexiang Meiji Private Kitchen – A long-established She ethnic restaurant on Tongnong Street that has reportedly operated for over a decade. Black rice…
- Jingning Xiaozao · She Village Snacks – A She snack shop on the North Ring Road food street where tofu mother, black rice, Yingchuan rice sheets and Qianxia fi…
Itineraries
- Lishui, Xiandu, Songyang & Yunhe Loop – A road trip through Lishui's countryside: morning mist in Xiandu, Guyan, Songyang's ancient villages, Yunhe Rice Terrac…