How to Spend 5 Days in Taining - A Complete Itinerary for Taining

Day 1 | Morning

Dajin Lake

Ticket Price: 163 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 4-5 Hours

Location: Taining, Sanming, Fujian, China, 354400

Dajin Lake is known for its spectacular landscape surrounded by steep red cliffs. It is also home to a number of Buddha sculptures. In addition to its unique landscape, the lake is famous for its cave temples, many of which are very well preserved. One of the most famous is Ganlu Temple, which inspired the design of Todaiji Temple in Japan.

Reviews from Real Guests:

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Day 1 | Afternoon

When time permits after visiting Dajin Lake, don’t forget pay a visit to Zhaixia Grand Canyon.

Zhaixia Grand Canyon

Ticket Price: 55 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 4-5 Hours

Location: Grand Canyon of Shanzhai Village, Shancheng Town, Taining County, Sanming City

Zhaixia Grand Canyon is in Zhaixia Village, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) northwest of Taining County. It is connected by three canyons, shaped like a triangle and a golden dragon lying in the mountains, so it is also called Golden Dragon Valley. With typical red walls, caves, lane valleys, line valleys and barrier lakes, Zhaixia Grand Canyon is an excellent place to view the Danxia landform.

Day 1 | Evening

Don’t forget to book Muvi Hotel in advance, because all the tourists head to Zhaixia Grand Canyon love staying at it.

Muvi Hotel

The Muvi Hotel is one of the newest hotels in Taining, having opened in 2021.

The hotel is conveniently located a short 4km drive from Taining Railway Station. This hotel is located near many of Taining's attractions including Dream Back To Taining, Shangshu Mansion and Taininghongjun Street.

At the end of a busy day, travelers can unwind and relax in the hotel or go out and enjoy the city. This Taining hotel offers parking on site.

Germaphobes can rest easy - the level of cleanliness is highly rated at this hotel. For guests traveling with families, this hotel is consistently one of the most popular choices.

Day 2 | Morning

Shangqing Rivulet

Ticket Price: 95 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2.5-3 Hours

Location: Northeast of Taining County, Sanming City, upstream of Jinhu

Shangqing Rivulet is scenic and quiet. The Chongji-Changxing section of the rivulet is located in among tall mountains and deep canyons, with streams squeezed by red cliffs into bending curves. The waterway is very narrow and only two boats can pass through at the same time. People are rarely seen around the rivulet. It is a heavily forested place and for dozens of kilometers the surrounding regions have retained their primitive state. Shangqing Rivulet now offers bamboo rafting throughout a year.

Day 2 | Afternoon

Having the chance to enjoy the charming Shangqing Rivulet, Nine Dragon Pond next to it is another great place that you will never want to miss!

Nine Dragon Pond

Opening Hours: 8:00-16:00

Ticket Price: 110 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-1 Hours

Location: Taining, Sanming, Fujian, China

Previously known as Huanglonggang, the Nine Dragon Pond gained its name as nine dragon-like winding mountain streams flow into the pond. The scenic spot belongs to Danxia Lake formed by Danxia landform, with the width ranging from 1-100 meters and 18 meters in depth. Danxia Lake boasts over 40 attractions such as Yinglong Gorge, the Deep and Secluded Valley and Water Lane, Orangutan View Pond, Nimianren, Yulong Cliff and Guidie Rock and over 20 onshore attractions such as Nine Dragon Pond, Fengdong Stone, Genbao Stone and Tiandiyuan.

Day 2 | Evening

Looking for a bed nearby after finishing your journey at Nine Dragon Pond? Plum Garden International Hotel is one of your top choices.

Plum Garden International Hotel

The Plum Garden International Hotel (Sanming Meiyuan Guoji Dajiudian) is located in the commercial area of Sanming City. The high-rise serves as a landmark in the city. It takes 10 minutes by car to reach downtown Sanming or the Sanming Railway Station.

Free parking is offered as well as complimentary Wi-Fi in the public area.

Guests can sample authentic Chinese and Western cuisine at the on-site restaurants or enjoy themselves at the coffee house or the teahouse.

The meeting room is also available for guests. Guests may look for fun or rejuvenation at the chess room, the fitness room or in the sauna.

Day 3 | Morning

Number One Scholar Rock

Ticket Price: 40 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: Within Taining County, Northwest Fujian, Sanming CityWithin Taining County, Northwest Fujian, Sanming City

The Number One Scholar Rock got its name from Zou Yinglong who used to study here as a young man and then scored the highest in the national exam. As a result, a lot of folklore came into being, and later generations regarded it as a place to encourage their children to study hard. The Number One Scholar Rock Scenic Area is divided into the Number One Scholar Valley, the Gourd Sky, the Bird Chirping Stream, and other areas. There are also scenic spots such as the Five Tiger Jumping up the Mountain that looks like five heads hopping up at the same time, the Number One Scholar Valley that features near-100 meter cliffs on both sides, and the Yue Wang Platform where the King of Yue legendarily shot the sky.

Day 3 | Afternoon

Mao'er Mountain National Forest Park nearby is the top choice before you leave Number One Scholar Rock and hit the road.

Mao'er Mountain National Forest Park

Ticket Price: 40 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: Taining County 354400, ChinaTaining, Sanming, Fujian, China

Mao'er Mountain National Forest Park is a splendid pearl along the Dajin Lake tourism route. Its main scenic areas include Jinmao Mountain Scenic Area, Heming Mountain Scenic Area, Huangjia Lake Scenic Area and Ping Lake Scenic Area. The park is rich in tourism resources, with lush forests and abundant species variety. The peaks and cascading springs formed by Danxia landforms are utterly spectacular. Jinmao Mountain's central scenic area contains Shuiyueyanyun, Dongtian Wonder, Guangtai Moonlight and other scenery. The main peak is like a resting cat squatting on of the mountain, very peculiar.

Day 3 | Evening

For convenient access to more popular attractions, Yanjiang International Hotel is the best places.

Yanjiang International Hotel

The Yanjiang International Hotel (Yanjiang Guoji Jiudian) is located in downtown Yong'an opposite the beautiful Guishan Park.

This 26-story building houses a selection of luxurious and comfortable rooms.

The on-site Chinese restaurant mainly serves fine Cantonese, Fujian and Sichuan cuisines as well as quality seafood. Guests can choose from various private dining rooms. In addition, a Western restaurant offers Western-style snacks and comprehensive buffets. There is also a Japanese restaurant serving authentic Japanese cuisine like the classic Teppanyaki.

Business travelers can use the hotel's function hall which can accommodate 380 people and supports multilingual simultaneous translation. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including lighting and digital conference systems, it is an ideal place for academic exchanges, forum lectures, press releases and large banquets.

During leisure time, guests can play a game of billiards, ping pong, socialize at the night club or head over to the sauna for a bath or wet and dry steam services.

Day 4 | Morning

Ganluyan Temple

Opening Hours: Open from 8:00am-6:00pm

Ticket Price: 80 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-1 Hours

Location: West of Golden Lake, Taining County 354400, China

The Ganluyan Temple is hidden in the deep gorge of red rocks. A red rock on the left is like a big bell, and the one on the right is like a giant drum. There are three ancient pines in front of the bell and drum stone, and the inscription on the mountain gate of the rock temple is inscribed with a poem by Zou Shu, a scholar of the Song Dynasty, praising the architectural features and scenery of the temple. Ganluyan is a natural cave with a narrow inner and an outer opening, about 80 meters high and 30 meters deep. The upper and lower layers of the cave are conglomerate, and the middle layer is sandstone. The seepage spring water is filtered through the rock layers, and it is sweet and sweet like nectar, so the temple is called Ganluyan Temple. The temple was built in the 16th year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1146 AD). The upper part of the cave is more than 30 meters wide, but the lower part is only more than 10 meters wide. , which is also the magical place of the Rock Temple. A pillar fell to the ground, and four pavilions were built on it. The whole layered pavilions with double eaves and Xieshan include the upper hall, mirage pavilion, Guanyin pavilion, Nan'an pavilion and other buildings, all supported by a column, and there are no tiles on the top. If it is called "Hangkong Temple", "Feilai Temple" and "Dumu Temple", it is worthy of its name. All the buildings of the temple are made of wood, connected by T-shaped arches without a single iron nail. It is a rare ancient wooden building complex in southern my country. According to research, in the 12th century, the Japanese Master Chongyuan went to Fujian for investigation. After returning to China, he used a large number of "insert arches" in the construction of the world-famous Todaiji Temple in Nara, and sampled the T-shaped arch of Ganluyan. In the 1950s, Ganluyan Temple was listed as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, and the Beijing Institute of Architecture specially sent people to investigate, and published the photos of the temple in the "People's Pictorial". In the early 1960s, a fire broke out in the temple and the building was burnt down. The existing temple was rebuilt according to the original architectural style.

Day 4 | Afternoon

Taining Ancient City nearby is the top choice before you leave Ganluyan Temple and hit the road.

Taining Ancient City

Opening Hours: Open from 8:00am-6:00pm

Ticket Price: Free

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-3 Hours

Location: Bincheng Town, Taining County 354400, China

Taining Ancient City is located at the gate of Taining County at the southern foot of Wuyi Mountain, with Dajin Lake in the south, Tuer Ridge in the east, and tourism with Fujian characteristics. It covers an area of 226.5 square kilometers. There are 1 neighborhood committees and 172 villager groups, and the total population of the town is 39,300.

Day 4 | Evening

Don’t forget to book Hua Zi Hotel in advance, because all the tourists head to Taining Ancient City love staying at it.

Hua Zi Hotel

The Hua Zi Hotel is one of the newest hotels in Taining, having been renovated in 2022.

Taining Railway Station is located approximately 6km away from this hotel. This hotel is located near many of Taining's attractions including Shangshu Mansion, ShangShu Xiang and Taininghongjun Street.

After a long day of sightseeing, guests can retire to the comfort of the hotel. Guests of this Taining hotel can make use of the parking facilities.

There's never a dull moment at this hotel, our guests indicate that the facilities are excellent. This hotel is particularly popular with those traveling with families.

Day 5 | Morning

Taining Danxia Landform

Recommended Length of Stay: 2.0-3.0 Hours

Location: Taining County, Fujian Province

Taining Danxia is an important part of the world natural heritage - China Danxia. Taining Danxia is located in Taining County, a well-known tourist county in Fujian Province. It consists of two major areas, Jinhu Lake and Shangqingxi, with a total area of 234.88 square kilometers, of which the core area is 110.87 square kilometers. On August 2, 2010, "China Danxia" was officially included in the "World Heritage List", becoming the eighth world natural heritage and the 40th world heritage in China. "China Danxia" consists of six nominated sites: Taining in Fujian, Langshan in Hunan, Danxia Mountain in Guangdong, Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi, Jianglang Mountain in Zhejiang and Chishui in Guizhou.

Day 5 | Afternoon

After finishing the tour at Taining Danxia Landform, you can head to Tiantaiyan Temple, the most worth visiting place around the corner.

Tiantaiyan Temple

Ticket Price: Free

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-1 Hours

Location: West of Tanning County, Taining County 354400, China

Li Jiayan was formerly known as "Tiantai Rock". In the late Ming Dynasty, Li Chunye studied hard here. Later, he became the minister of military affairs and the prince's master, so later generations called this place "Li Jiayan". And Tiantaiyan Temple is where he meditated and read, so it is also called "Lijiayan Temple". Going up 500 meters along an old stone step from the bottom of the mountain, there is a rock trough corridor hanging on the cliff. The opening of the rock trough faces outward, and two layers of iron and wood railings are built on the periphery to facilitate walking; at the end is the roof. Rock Temple. Before entering the rock temple, walk through a half-meter-wide stone-cut path. In front of the stone gate, there is a couplet written "with a sense of prosperity and greatness, and you can go up to nine days to embrace the bright moon", and horizontally criticize "to swallow the world". This is the "Snow Cave", that is, the stone house where Li Chunye studied in the past, and now it is a small Buddha hall. The building connected to the snow cave is Tiantai Rock Temple, with the Buddhist hall in the middle, the auxiliary room on the left, and the meditation room on the right.

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.