Nanxi River
楠溪江
Clear, pastoral scenery in Yongjia County. Enjoy bamboo-raft rides past Lion Rock and visit Song and Yuan dynasty villages such as Cangpo, Furong, and Linkeng for a slow-paced rural trip in southern Zhejiang.
The Nanxi River flows through Yongjia County, north of Wenzhou. It is about 140 km long and is known for its clear water, unusual rocks, many waterfalls, ancient villages, and beautiful forested sandbars. The water is so clear you can see the bottom, and both banks are lined with pebble beaches and sandbars covered in trees.
The main activities are: (1) Lion Rock bamboo rafting, a roughly 1-hour float downstream past Lion Rock and the sandbar forests, about 80 to 100 yuan per person. (2) Ancient villages: Cangpo Village, laid out in the Southern Song “Four Treasures of the Study” pattern; Furong Village, with walls arranged in a “Seven Stars and Eight Dippers” pattern; Lishui Street in Yantou town, with riverside arcades and snacks; and, farther up the valley, Linkeng Village, which still preserves its original appearance. (3) Water play: in summer, swim and camp in the shallows around Yantou and Lion Rock.
Getting there: it's about 1 hour's drive from downtown Wenzhou to Yantou town, the gateway to the river. There are also buses from Yongjia bus station. From Yandang Mountain to Yantou takes about 1.5 hours. Plan for 1 to 1.5 days and stay in Yantou or a village guesthouse.
Note: rafting depends on water levels, and it stops after heavy rain in the rainy season. Village tickets cost about 20 to 30 yuan for Cangpo and Furong and about 50 yuan for Linkeng. In summer, watch out for sunburn and drowning risks: the water in the sandbar areas may look gentle, but there are deep pools.
Opening hours
All day (bamboo rafts about 08:00–16:30)
Nearby sights
- Yantou Lishui Street
- Furong Ancient Village
- Lion Rock, Nanxi River
- Cangpo Ancient Village
- Linkeng Ancient Village
- Shiweiyan (Stone Mast Rock)
- Jiangxin Island
- Shuomen Ancient Port Site