Ningdu

Cuiwei Peak, hailed as the "foremost Danxia peak", bristles with sheer cliffs, while the Ningdu Uprising site and the revolutionary sites at Xiaobu recall the Central Soviet Area years, all steeped in Hakka culture.

Ningdu County lies in southeastern Jiangxi Province at the northern tip of Ganzhou, on the upper Meijiang River. The county town, Meijiang Town, is about 160 km from Ganzhou and is served by the Nanchang–Ganzhou high-speed railway and the Jinan–Guangzhou Expressway; you can drive or take the high-speed train to Ganzhou and transfer. Ningdu is an important Hakka heartland, a core area of the former Central Soviet Area, and one of the "all-red counties" of the revolutionary era. Its main attractions fall into three groups. First, Danxia landforms: northwest of the county town, the red cliffs of Cuiwei Peak rise sheer; in the late Ming the "Nine Scholars of Yitang" taught on its summit, and it reopened in October 2025 after upgrades. Second, revolutionary sites: the county town has the former headquarters of the Ningdu Uprising and the county museum, Xiaobu in the north has the former site of the CPC Central Bureau of the Soviet Area, and Xiaoyuan Village in Dongshanba has the site of the Ningdu Conference. Third, Hakka villages and countryside: Donglong Ancient Village is a Famous Historical and Cultural Village of China, and Mount Lingyun in the north is good for hiking and seas of clouds. The climate is warm and humid; Mar–May and Sep–Nov are best, while summer is hot and rainy. Allow 2 days: one for Cuiwei Peak and the county town, and one for Xiaobu, the Ningdu Conference site or Donglong Ancient Village. Sights are spread out and public transport is sparse, so driving is best. Local specialties include Ningdu meatballs, three-cup chicken and braised eel casserole. Tongtianzhai in Shicheng and Ruijin are covered as separate destinations.

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