Ningde Travel Guide: Don’t Stop Me, I’m Heading to This Seaside Garden! It’s So Beautiful!
🌊Ningde Travel Guide: Don’t Stop Me, I’m Heading to This Seaside Garden! It’s So Beautiful!
Step into a Real-Life Seaside Utopia
While Dongji Island in Zhejiang and Xiamen in Fujian have become synonymous with bustling crowds, Ningde, a low-key treasure in eastern Fujian, is quietly becoming a new secret seaside garden with its stunning reefs and islands, dreamy European-style castles, and vast meadows where sea and sky meet! This is not just simple blue sea and sky; it’s a grand natural oil painting: crescent-shaped golden beaches embrace clear blue waters, billion-year-old wind-carved reefs look like alien artifacts, meadow islands where seabirds circle resemble floating fairylands, and white castles perched on cliffs outline the skyline... Don’t stop me, I’m definitely rushing to Ningde, this hidden “seaside garden” treasure!
1. Must-Visit Core Attractions: Fall into a Mountain-Sea Fairy Tale
1. Xiapu: The Magician of Light and Shadow
* 📍Location: Coastal towns of Xiapu County, Ningde City
* 🚌 Transportation:
* Self-drive: Direct highway access to Xiapu toll station from Fuzhou/Wenzhou (about 2-3 hours), highly recommended! Photography spots are scattered and remote.
* High-speed train + car rental: Take the high-speed train to “Xiapu Station,” then rent a car or join a carpool (about 300-500 RMB/day, flexible for sunrise needs)
* 📸 Stunning Photo Spots:
* 📍Huazhu Village (free): Sunrise holy land! Overlooking the fishing village with bamboo poles and sails intertwined, morning mist creates an ink-wash painting effect (arrive before 4:30 AM).
* 📍Dongbi Village (free): Golden sunset! Light bridges, fishing boats, and seaweed racks arranged beautifully; watch the orange glow dye the sea and sky from the viewing boardwalk. (Recommended to stay in Dongbi homestays for easy shooting)
* 📍Xiaohao Beach (free): The magician of colorful tidal flats; when the tide recedes, the flowing sand patterns shimmer in warm golden tones under sunlight, great shots both with and against the light.
* 📍Sijie Archipelago (group tour): Wild island secret! Requires chartering a speedboat (about 300-500 RMB/person), weaving through strange peaks and rocks, encountering the seabird kingdom on Hongjie Island and cliff meadows on Dongjie Island.
* 📌 Tips:
* Accommodation: Popular homestays like “Shijianhai” and “Yiqiyi Su” in Dongbi Village offer window views; budget travelers can stay in county hotels (about 1 hour travel).
* Weather: Best photos in spring and autumn on clear days; watch for typhoons in summer.
* Gear: Telephoto lens (70-200mm essential), tripod, non-slip hiking shoes (reefs are slippery), mosquito repellent.
2. Taishan Island: The Last Romantic Pearl of the East China Sea
* 📍Location: Shacheng Town, Fuding City, Ningde
* 🚢 Transportation:
* 🚢 Ferry: The only way!
* Shacheng Port → Taishan Island (about 1.5-2 hours)
* Ticket: 130 RMB/person (round trip)
* Schedule strictly tide-dependent; check “Fuding Taishan Island Tourism” WeChat official account in advance! Only operates on weekends, with extra trips in peak season.
* 🌋 Core Highlights:
* 📸 Umbrella Reef (free): Giant reef sculpted by waves, shaped like an umbrella standing in the blue sea; walk close during low tide.
* 💀 One Line Sky (free): Natural sea erosion fissure; pass through a narrow corridor to a sudden open view facing crashing waves.
* 🕊 Sea-view Boardwalk (free): Red-painted path along the cliff edge, walking feels like on clouds; perfect for sunrise and sea fishing.
* 🌃 Starry Campground (camping fee 20-50 RMB): Far from light pollution, the Milky Way cascades clearly.
* 📌 Tips:
* Accommodation: Only a few simple fishermen’s guesthouses on the island (100-300 RMB/night), bring your own toiletries.
* Food: Book seafood meals at fishermen’s guesthouses (80-150 RMB per person); supplies are scarce, bring snacks.
* ⚠ Note: Wear non-slip shoes! Keep warm in strong winds, bring seasickness and emergency medicine.
3. Doumao Island: The Blue and White Sanctuary on the Cliff
* 📍Location: Sanduao, Jiaocheng District, Ningde City
* 🚌 Transportation:
* From city center:
* Drive to “Jiaotou Pier” → Take boat (speedboat 25 RMB/person one way, 15 minutes)
* Bus from Jiaocheng North Station → Jiaotou Pier (about 1 hour)
* 🏰 Core Experiences:
* 📸 Reef Caves (free): Natural sea erosion caves called “Doumu Maze,” explore inside to experience changing light and shadow (bring a flashlight).
* 🕌 Blue and White Castle (free): Blue-domed white-walled buildings halfway up the mountain, overlooking Sanduao sea area, easily shoot “Fujian Santorini” style photos.
* 🚶 Seaside Boardwalk (free): One-hour hiking trail around the island, enjoy strange reefs, fishing rafts, and distant mountain landscapes.
* 🎫 Admission: Island attractions are free, only boat tickets charged.
* 📌 Tips:
* Half-day tour is enough, can combine with Sanduao military port sightseeing.
* Best photo times: morning for castle with front light, afternoon for reef silhouettes with backlight.
4. Yushan Island: Ten Thousand Acres of Meadows Floating on the Sea
* 📍Location: Yushan Town, Fuding City, Ningde
* 🚢 Transportation:
* Yujing Pier/Sansha Pier → Yushan Island (about 30 minutes)
* Ticket: 100 RMB/person (round trip)
* 🌿 Core Experiences:
* 🌾 Tianhu Grassland (includes ticket + shuttle): A must-visit! Take the shuttle to Tianhu Mountain summit (40 RMB/person), see Swan Lake and tea mountains surrounded by vast meadows, walking here feels like a fairyland grassland on the sea.
* 🌅 Moon Bay Beach (free): Less crowded golden sandy beach with clean water, excellent for camping, stargazing, and sunrise.
* ⛺️ Easy Hiking: Large and small Tianhu loop hike (about 2 hours), experience mountain-sea meadow layers from different angles.
* 📌 Tips:
* Few accommodation options on the island; Tianhu tent camp (300-500 RMB/tent) offers great stargazing, or stay in homestays near the pier (200-400 RMB).
* Last shuttle at 17:00, plan hikes early.
2. Food Radar: A Seafood Lover’s Paradise!
* 🦀 Must-try local flavors:
* Erdu Clams (Xiapu): Steamed with garlic vinegar, fresh and juicy! Most authentic at Sansha Town stalls.
* Large Yellow Croaker (Ningde): Whole fish feast (steamed, braised, chopped chili) 80-150 RMB per person, freshly caught and cooked on Sanduao fishing rafts!
* Fuding Pork Slices (Fuding City): Chewy sour and spicy soup, street stalls start at 7 RMB, pairs perfectly with honey-glazed chicken wings.
* Mindong Thick Soup (Xiapu): Seafood stew, 15 RMB, warms the stomach and fills you up.
3. Babysitter-Level Transportation Guide
Departure Point Recommended Method Key Tips
Fuzhou/Wenzhou Self-drive most flexible Shenhai Expressway Xiapu exit, islands scattered 1-3h drive
Shanghai/Hangzhou High-speed train + local car rental Pick up rental at Ningde or Xiapu station, about 200 RMB/day
Xiamen Direction High-speed train direct + car rental Rent car after arriving at Xiapu station (400-600 RMB/day)
⚠ Inter-island Transport Strict ferry schedules! Check official accounts/port notices in advance, allow queue time
4. Pitfall Avoidance Guide
1. 📅 Best Season: May to October (Xiapu tidal flats have the best light and shadow, meadows are green), avoid typhoon season in July-August!
2. ⏰ Itinerary Planning:
* Essential 4 days: Xiapu 2 days (sunrise, sunset + Sijie Archipelago) → Yushan Island 1 day → Doumao Island half day + return
* In-depth 6 days: + Overnight on Taishan Island (requires separate 2 days)
3. 🏡 Accommodation Tips:
* Dongbi Village, Xiapu: Seaview homestays 500-1500 RMB (book 1 month in advance)
* Outer islands: Bring sleeping bag liners, mosquito repellent, power banks
4. 📸 Photography Safety:
* Don’t risk stepping back near cliffs for shots, tides change quickly, stay away from reef areas
5. 💊 Essentials: High SPF sunscreen, non-slip shoes, seasickness medicine, stomach medicine, cash (weak signal on islands)
Ningde, a Journey Where the Soul is Left on the Reefs
When the first ray of morning light ignites the fishing nets of Xiapu, when the mist over Swan Lake brushes the grass waves of Yushan Island, when the sunset on Taishan Island tempers Umbrella Reef into golden red... Ningde, this filter-free seaside garden, is more than just a trip; it’s a ritual where soul dances with mountains and sea. Its beauty is primal and majestic, a symphony of reefs and vast blue waves, an impressionist painting of tidal flats and dawn and dusk light. Every salty sea breeze is filled with the tension of freedom; every whistle of returning boats soothes the weariness of the city.
Maybe the journey is bumpy and winding, maybe island supplies are simple, but when you stand at the blue and white castle on Doumao Island, embracing the endlessly stretching sea horizon, or quietly wait for fishing lights to ignite at dusk in Dongbi Village—that heart-stirring thrill will make you shout loudly: Ningde, no matter how far, it’s worth it! This hidden seaside garden will become the brightest pearl in your memory box.
🌅 Set off now, entrust your soul to Ningde’s sea corners, and wait for the mountains and sea to crown you!