Ningde & Sandu'ao

In Sandu'ao, a world-class deep-water harbour, tens of thousands of fish-farm rafts form a "fishing city on the sea" – combine it with Huotong Ancient Town, Zhiti Mountain and seafood from the "Home of Large Yellow Croaker".

Ningde, in northeastern Fujian, is the main city of eastern Fujian. Its central district, Jiaocheng, faces Sandu'ao Bay, and the Hefei–Fuzhou high-speed railway and the Wenzhou–Fuzhou railway meet here – about 30 minutes by high-speed train from Fuzhou and about 4 hours from Shanghai. Sandu'ao is a world-class natural deep-water harbour; tens of thousands of net-pen fish-farm rafts in the bay form a "fishing city on the sea", China's largest base for farming large yellow croaker. Boats from Sandu Town or other piers along the coast tour the rafts and stop at Doumao Island, and Sandu Island still has the late-Qing Fuhai Customs House. To the north, the Huotong River valley is home to the historic town of Huotong, the Sui-dynasty Huang Ju irrigation works and Huazang Temple on Zhiti Mountain; in the city you'll find East Lake Wetland, Nan'an Park, Nanji Mountain and the Ningde Museum. Day trips can extend north to the glacial potholes of Baiyun Mountain, Liancun village and the tea village of Tanyang in Fu'an, or west to Cuiping Lake and Linshui Palace in Gutian. The climate is warm and humid; Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov are best, and raft boat tours may be suspended during the summer–autumn typhoon season. Allow 3 days: one on the water at Sandu'ao, one for Huotong and Zhiti Mountain, and one for Fu'an or Gutian. The Xiapu mudflats, Taimu Mountain, Pingnan and Zhouning are covered as separate destinations.

Top sights

• Sandu'ao Floating Fishing Town – A “floating fishing town” linked by tens of thousands of net cages and fish rafts, and China's largest large yellow croaker farming base.
• Huotong Ancient Town – A national historic and cultural town where the Huotong thread lion, Sui-dynasty water conservancy, and the Taoist culture of Huotong Mount…
• Doumao (Doumu) Islet – A granite islet in eastern Sanduao Bay, where wave-carved rocks and fish farms make it a classic stop on a boat tour of the bay.
• Sandu Island & Fuhai Customs Site – The site of Fuhai Customs, which opened in 1899, where Western-style buildings such as the former Commissioner’s office recall Sanduao’s tr…
• Huangju Irrigation System – Irrigation channels and tunnels cut in the Sui dynasty by Huang Ju, still watering the Huotong plain and listed as a World Irrigation Herit…
• Zhitishan Huazang Temple – A thousand-year-old temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Tianguan, hidden among forests on the south bank of the Huotong Stream, near 1,000…
• Shangjinbei Village – A mountain village in the She ethnic township of Jinhan, known for an ancient tomb linked to speculation about the fate of the Jianwen Empe…
• Nanji Mountain Park – A hillside park on the edge of Jiaocheng urban area, where waterfalls, ancient trails and the Denglong Jing archway come together; a local…
• Ningde East Lake Wetland Park – A lake wetland in the heart of Ningde, with a ring path linking to the South Bank Park, good for city night views and watching egrets.
• Jiaocheng South Bank Park – A waterfront park on the south shore of East Lake with wide lawns, boardwalks and open lake views, ideal for a stroll or watching the sunse…
• Ningde Museum – A citywide museum covering eastern Fujian’s history, She ethnic silver jewelry and clothing, revolutionary heritage, and maritime fishing c…
• Baiyunshan, Fu'an – Part of the Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark, famous for its dense clusters of glacial potholes in the granite streambed.
• Liancun Village – The hometown of Xue Lingzhi, the first jinshi scholar of eastern Fujian in the Tang dynasty, with intact ancient fortifications, old offici…
• Tanyang Village – The birthplace of Tanyang Gongfu black tea, an old tea village surrounded by tea gardens, where you can visit tea factories and see the tea…
• Cuiping Lake – A large artificial lake formed by the Gutian Reservoir, with islands scattered across the water. The ring road is ideal for a self-drive to…
• Gutian Linshui Temple – The ancestral temple of the Chen Jinggu (Linshui Madam) faith, an important shrine where worshippers from Fujian and Taiwan, China come to…

Itineraries

• Eastern Fujian Coast & Mountain Villages Loop – A mountain-and-sea loop from Sandu'ao to Mount Taimu, Xiapu, and up to the ancient villages of Zhouning and Pingnan