Taining Scenic Tourist Area is located in Taining County, Sanming City, Fujian Province. Seven scenic spots have been developed in the scenic spot, including Dajin Lake, Shangqingxi, Zhuangyuanyan, Maoer Mountain, Jiulongtan, Zhaixia Grand Canyon, and Taining Ancient City. With Danxia on water, canyon community, cave wonders, and primitive ecology as the main landscape features, it integrates singularity, diversity, leisure, and culture. With typical youth Danxia landform as the main body, with volcanic rocks, granite, tectonic landforms, and other geological relics, it is a comprehensive geopark. National AAAAA Tourist Attraction, National Key Scenic Area, National Forest Park.
Must-see Attractions
Jiulongtan
Jiulongtan is located in the northern core area of the Taining Scenic Tourist Area, about 15 kilometers away from Taining County. Jiulongtan is a Danxia Canyon group in China with the highest density and complexity. It is a typical area of youth development of Danxia landform in Taining, with diverse changes in lakes, streams, mountains, valleys, rocks, peaks, and gullies. It is known as the "miniature pearl of the Taining Danxia landscape". Jiulongtan is also a paradise for plant and animal growth. It is located in the subtropical monsoon humid climate, with four distinct seasons, abundant sunshine, and abundant rainfall.
Location: Chongji Village, Shangqing Township, Taining County
Ticket price: CNY65
Floating tickets ( Land tour + bamboo raft or inflatable boat): CNY95
Opening time: May 1st-October 31st 8:00-15:30
November 1st-April 30th 8:30-15:00
Dajin Lake (Grand Golden Lake)
The Dajin Lake is shaped like a circular arc and has a scenic area of 136 square kilometers, with a water area of 38 square kilometers. It extends a length of 62 kilometers from Taining County to the power station dam, earning it the nickname "hundred mile Golden Lake". The Dajin Lake Geopark mainly consists of a Danxia landform landscape. Following investigation and certification by 63 well-known geological experts at home and abroad, it has been confirmed that the Danxia landform on Dajin Lake is the most complete, abundant, and extensive, as well as the highest altitude Danxia landform in the world.
Dajin Lake also features a rare "rock cave culture". There were as many as 130 temples, each built within a unique cave, and more than 70 of them are still preserved. Among these, Ganlu Temple is particularly famous, which is built on the rocks more than 80 meters high.
Location: Taining County, Sanming City
Ticket price: Scenic ticket CNY80, boat ticket CNY75
Opening Time: 7:00-15:30 in summer, 7:30-14:00 in winter
Best time to visit: from April to October is the best time to visit there. But in July and October, there are often typhoons and storm.
Shangqing Stream
Shangqingxi is located in the northeast of Taining, at the upper reaches of the Golden Lake. It stretches for over 50 kilometers, with the 15 km section from Chongji to Changxing in a deep mountain canyon area. The stream is curved, and the water surface is no more than 20 meters wide. The thick forest on both sides remains in its original natural state. You can float on a bamboo raft and experience the feeling of entering an isolated wonderland.
Location: Northeast of Taining County, Sanming City
Ticket price: CNY95
Opening time: 7:30-16:00 in summer, 08:30-15:00 in winter
Best time to visit: June to October
Recommended sightseeing time: June to October
Zhaixia Great Canyon
Zhaixia Grand Canyon is located in the Zhaixia Village, 15 kilometers northwest of Taining County. It consists of three canyons connected end to end, including Xuan Gorge, Tongtian Gorge, and Yitian Gorge. What is amazing is that the three gorges are in the same area, but they have different geomorphological features. It is shaped like a triangle and a golden dragon crouching in the mountains, so it is also known as the Golden Dragon Valley. With typical red walls, caves, lane valleys, line valleys, and barrier lakes, the Zhaixia Grand Canyon is a great place to view the Danxia landform.
Location: Zhaixia Village, Shancheng Town, Taining County, Sanming City
Opening time: 08:00-17:00
Recommended sightseeing time: 4-5 hour
Ticket Price: CNY50
Taining Ancient City
The Taining Ancient City covers an area of 226.5 square kilometers. It preserves the best Ming Dynasty residential buildings in the south of Jiangnan, including the national key cultural relics protection unit -- Shangshudi complex. The city also features buildings from the early Ming Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, spanning 500 years. It is the best-preserved Ming Dynasty folk house group in the Jiangnan area of China. Visitors can explore historic ancient city buildings, listen to the Merlin opera, drink tea, enjoy lanterns, and taste local food.
Location: Zhuangyuan Street, Shancheng Town, Taining County, Sanming City
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-3 hour
Ticket Price: Free
Opening time: 08:00-17:30
Best Time to Visit
Peak season: May to October
Because the area's main attraction is the unique geological features of the cliffs and canyons, it is ideal to visit any time of year. If you are interested in hiking or exploring the area in greater depth, then the timing of your visit will depend more on weather conditions. The rainy season lasts from May to early August. The scenery in winter is also beautiful, but the mountains are cold. The temperature is lower than in the city, so bring warm clothes.
Travel Tips
Location: Taining County, Sanming City, Fujian Province
Scenic Spot Level: National AAAAA Tourist Attraction
Opening Time: 08:00~18:00
Best Time to Travel: March to May, September to November
Transportation: Nearby airports in Wuyishan, Fuzhou, and Xiamen. It takes 2-4 hours to drive from these three cities, and Wuyishan City is much closer than the other two.
