Ninghua Ancient Town
宁化古城
An ancient fortified town in the upper Fen River valley, a frontier stronghold between the Song and Liao, with surviving city wall sections and the nearby Ninghua Thousand Buddha Cave.
Ninghua Ancient Town lies in the valley of the Fen River in the southern part of Ningwu County. It was first built in the Northern Song dynasty as a frontier fortress during the standoff with the Liao. It later became an important post-road hub during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Parts of the city walls, gates, and old-street houses survive, and the layout of the old town is still recognizable. On the cliffs above the Fen River nearby is the Ninghua Wanfo Cave (Thousand Buddha Cave), with rock-cut remains from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang. The old town is an open village that visitors can explore freely, making it well suited to those interested in historic architecture and history. It is about 20 km from Dongzhai and can be visited together with the Fen River source and Leiming Temple on the same route.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Source of the Fen River (Leiming Temple)
- Luya Mountain
- Malun Grassland
- Heyeping Subalpine Meadow
- Wanghuagou Hanging Village
- Ningwu Tianchi Lake (Mayinghai)
- Shimen Hanging Coffins
- Wannian Ice Cave