Taining

A component site of the China Danxia World Heritage property, with Dajin Lake's 'Danxia on water' and the cliff-alcove Ganlu Temple, bamboo rafting on Shangqing Stream, Zhaixia Grand Canyon and the Ming-dynasty Shangshudi mansions in the old town.

Taining County lies in northwestern Fujian at the northern tip of Sanming, bordering Lichuan in Jiangxi. It is a component site of the China Danxia UNESCO World Natural Heritage property, a UNESCO Global Geopark and a national AAAAA (top-rated) scenic area. Its Danxia landforms are known for canyons, cliff alcoves and lakes, creating the distinctive 'Danxia on water' scenery. Sightseeing centres on three areas: first, Dajin Lake to the southwest, where boats cruise through red-cliffed inlets and you can go ashore to see Ganlu Temple built inside a cliff alcove, or climb Mao'er Mountain for views over the lake; second, Zhaixia Grand Canyon northwest of town, where trails pass collapsed boulders and the Xuantian Gorge; third, Shangqing Stream, Jiulong Pool and Zhuangyuan Rock northeast of town, where bamboo rafts drift through the stream's 'ninety-nine bends'. The county seat, Shancheng Town, is Taining Old Town, a renowned city of the Song era, with the Ming-dynasty Shangshudi mansion complex, Shangshu Lane, Zhuangyuan Street and Red Army Street; the Ming-Qing Garden on the eastern outskirts gathers relocated historic buildings. Spring (Mar–May) and autumn (Sep–Nov) are the best seasons, summer is good for rafting and cooling off, and rafting may be suspended in the rainy season. Getting there: Taining Station on the Xiangtang–Putian Railway connects to Fuzhou and Nanchang, and scenic-area shuttles run from town to each site; the nearest airports are Sanming Shaxian Airport and Wuyishan Airport. Allow 2–3 days, stay near the old town, and try local specialities such as leicha (pounded tea), rice cakes and Taining stone frog.

Top sights

• Dajin Lake – A “floating Danxia” wonder, with boats gliding between red cliff fjords. It is the core of the Taining section of China’s Danxia World Heri…
• Ganlu Rock Temple – An ancient Song-dynasty temple built inside a Danxia rock cave, its wooden halls suspended on a single central pillar. It is Dajin Lake’s m…
• Shangqing Stream – Bamboo rafting down a stream through a Danxia gorge, with 99 bends and 88 rapids, red cliffs, secluded valleys and hanging vines on both ba…
• Zhaixia Grand Canyon – A natural museum of Danxia landforms and ancient geological structures, with collapsed boulders, Xuantian Gorge and a barrier lake revealed…
• Shangshudi Ming Residence – Residence of Li Chunye, Minister of War in the Ming dynasty, and one of the best-preserved Ming residential complexes in the Jiangnan regio…
• Taining Old Town – “An Ancient Town of the Han and Tang, a Famed City of the Song,” where Shangshu Lane, Zhuangyuan Street and Red Army Street connect Ming an…
• Jiulong Pool – A cluster of deep pools in a Danxia canyon; riding a bamboo raft or small boat into the narrow gorge is known as the “Water Sky Slit of Dan…
• Zhuangyuan Rock – The youthful study site of Zou Yinglong, a Southern Song zhuangyuan (top-ranking scholar); a study hall sits inside a Danxia rock cavity, a…
• Maoer Mountain – A Danxia peak on the southern stretch of Dajin Lake; the summit viewing platform overlooks the winding bays and a panorama of Danxia island…
• Ming-Qing Garden – A garden-style museum gathering Ming and Qing ancient buildings from Fujian and Jiangxi, with a concentration of fine wood and stone carvin…
• Yuhua Cave – Fujian’s largest limestone cave, about 6 km long, with stalactites in striking forms; Xu Xiake made a special trip to visit it.
• Tianjie Mountain – The limestone mountain that Yuhua Cave sits in, where strange rocks, ancient vines and forest trails link up with the cave to form a single…
• Longqishan National Nature Reserve – A primeval forest reserve in northwestern Fujian, where the Longtan waterfall cluster, ancient Japanese cedar groves and a nature museum ar…
• Yuhuadong Culture Town – A cultural district combining the Jiangle County Museum, the Yang Shi Memorial Hall and a dining street, a good place to learn about the Ne…
• Jiangle Old Town & Sanhua Bridge – The old urban district along the Jin Stream; Sanhua Bridge spans both banks, and at the foot of Feng Mountain to the north lie Yang Shi’s h…
• Changkou Village – A traditional village of more than 700 years beside the Jin Stream, a National Civilized Village noted for its green waters, ancient campho…
• Jiaohu Village – A mountain-lake village in Nankou Town, where the Yang clan ancestral hall, a Soviet Area culture museum and lakeside campsites combine his…

Where to eat

• Xiangwei Tofu Feast · Heritage Restaurant – A longtime restaurant on Zuosheng Road beside Taining's old town, listed as a lunch stop on Sanming's official food map…
• Yulaoda Organic Fish Restaurant (Old Town Third-Generation Heritage Branch) – A long-established fish restaurant beside Taining's Old Town, famous for its one-fish-many-ways dishes and fish-head wh…
• Shangqing Youjiang Tofu Feast – A tofu-feast restaurant themed on Shangqing Township's Youjiang tofu. Freshly fried crispy tofu and stone-ground soy mi…

Itineraries

• Wuyi Mountain and Taining Danxia – A northern Fujian route through two World Heritage Danxia landscapes, linking Wuyi Mountain's tea gardens and bamboo ra…