For the holiday, take the kids out to have some fun in the mountains and fields 鈥?wander beneath the shade of ancient banyan trees that are a thousand years old, stroll along ancient bridges and streams, see the waterfalls of Nankun Mountain, and soak in a forest hot spring. We have put together a "Longmen Family Adventure Route" with 6 stops linked together, from ancient banyan trees to hot springs, with joy at every stop.
Stop 01: Millennium Ancient Banyan Post Station
The first stop is to see a tree that has lived for a thousand years. In Zhongxin Village, Mazha Town, Longmen County, the millennium ancient banyan stands quietly at the village entrance, with a thick trunk, a canopy like a cover, and aerial roots hanging down like a giant open umbrella, gathering all the passage of time into its shade. This ancient banyan was planted in the fourth year of Jingde in the Northern Song Dynasty and is a national first-class protected ancient tree. Under the ancient banyan, Mo Yan once left an inscription: "Under the ancient banyan, beside the Ao Stream, everyone can write an article." The Millennium Ancient Banyan Post Station, themed around "a bosom friend who understands the music of the qin," is located under the tree. The old buildings have been transformed into a bookstore, tea drinks, and specialty product displays, linking together a touch of rustic elegance. Children run around the big tree while adults sit down to have a cup of tea, and time suddenly slows down. Next to the post station, there is also a literary maze hidden away. Along the winding little paths, literary imagery, poetry, allusions, and elegant gatherings are scattered across more than a dozen corners. Turn a corner and you come face to face with a line of poetry or a story. Adults look slowly while children run happily. Literature does not have to be solemn and stiff; hidden in a maze, it becomes a playmate that brings surprises at every step.
Stop 02: Shisanba Post Station
After seeing the ancient banyan, drive along the road for about 15 minutes to reach the second stop, Shisanba Post Station. It is surrounded by water on three sides and embraced by bamboo groves, with nearby ancient bridges and historic sites such as Nantan Arch Bridge and Laozutang Bridge. Lean on the railing to look at the water, and when the wind blows, the bamboo groves rustle as if greeting you. The post station is built beside the water, with tea drinks, light meals, and creative exhibitions all blended into this green landscape.
Stop 03: Nankun Mountain
After seeing the ancient bridges and streams, continue deeper into the mountains. The third stop is the highlight of this route. Nankun Mountain is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a provincial-level tourist resort, with a forest coverage rate as high as 96.93%. The air is filled with the sweetness of negative oxygen ions, making it a veritable natural oxygen bar. The Small Jiuzhaigou Stone River Wonder in Nankun Mountain is a signature landscape, where stream water flows among fantastic rocks, with layers of stone and the murmuring sound of water, ding-dong, ding-dong. The natural stream valley and stone beach carved by nature over hundreds of millions of years are Nankun Mountain's most pristine water-play treasure. In autumn, the stream water is clear and transparent, with scattered fantastic rocks throughout the forest, and continuous shallow flats and quiet clear pools. Chuanlong Waterfall has five levels and a flow length of nearly one kilometer. On the stone cliff there is a "Waterfall Viewing Pavilion," and on the steep cliff is an inscription by Qin Esheng reading "Chuanlong Gorge." It is an excellent spot for photographing the spectacular waterfall. At night, stay at the Crosswaters Ecolodge, China's first top-tier ecological resort, one of National Geographic's "Top 50 Ecolodges in the World," and the only ecological resort in China to receive this honor. After dusk, everything is dark all around, and from afar the bamboo bridge lights are as bright as day, as if one might encounter Yu Jiaolong in the same Nankun Mountain. The Litin Resort Hotel is a very popular family resort hotel in Longmen and is very suitable for bringing children. Litin is close to the Stone River Wonder, just a few minutes' walk away, so after playing in the water you can bring the children back to rest.
Stop 04: Xiangxi Fort
The next morning, set off from Nankun Mountain and drive about 30 minutes straight to Xiangxi Fort. Xiangxi Fort is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and is known as "the first ancient fort in South China" and "Guangdong's Little Lijiang." Take a bamboo raft down the Xiangxi River, with green bamboo forests on both banks, clear river water, and a gentle breeze on your face. Here, you can escape the noise of the city and place yourself among the long-lost blue sky, clear water, and green fields, enjoying bright sunshine and fresh air.
Stop 05: Yonghan Cat Town
After touring the ancient fort, drive about 30 minutes to Yonghan Town to meet a group of "cat stars." Walk onto Zenglong Road and look up 鈥?rooftops, wall edges, and the upper floors of milk tea shops are crouched over with all kinds of "leopard cat" sculptures. Some are lying down stretching lazily, some are reaching out their paws to grab milk tea cups, charmingly naive. Walk along and count cats all the way; as you count, you start laughing all the way. This creative block, known for its "cat-seeking journey," is an IP image created by Yonghan Town inspired by the national second-class protected animal, the leopard cat, from Nankun Mountain, and it is now one of the most popular check-in spots locally.
Stop 06: Nankun Mountain Yunding Hot Spring Resort
After counting cats, the last stop is just an 8-minute drive away at Nankun Mountain Yunding Hot Spring Resort, a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a China five-star hot spring. The hot spring water is rich in dozens of beneficial minerals such as silicic acid, fluoride, radon, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. These minerals have a positive effect on human health. The hot spring area has 128 hot spring pools scattered throughout, including hydrotherapy SPA, Chinese herbal medicinal baths, private garden pools, and sea-sky hot spring pools, allowing you to fully enjoy the pleasure of soaking. There is also a special children's fun hot spring area 鈥?children play happily while adults relax in the soak. In the evening, soak in the warm spring water, and the tiredness of the day is softened by the steam.
Longmen Food Recommendations
Besides seeing the scenery, do not forget to taste these authentic local delicacies one by one. Play along the way and eat along the way, letting your taste buds travel too. Bamboo tube rice uses fresh bamboo tubes as a "pot," stuffed with glutinous rice and cured meat, then cooked over a wood fire. The rice absorbs the fragrance of bamboo and the richness of the oil, with each grain distinct, and at the bottom there is a layer of crispy scorched rice that becomes more fragrant the more you chew. Bamboo tube chicken uses local bearded chicken stuffed into bamboo tubes and cooked over a wood fire, with the chicken tender and juicy. Bamboo tube meatballs are bouncy and chewy, and children cannot stop eating one after another. While the daylight is just right, take your children and set off toward the mountains and fields of Longmen.