Fujian Cultural and Scenic Tour
5-Day Xiamen, Tulou and Wuyi Mountain Tour
Take time out for a rich five-day cultural and scenic tour in Fujian. You will see two World Heritage sites - Tianluokeng tulou cluster (Hakka Earthen Building) and Wuyishan Mountain. Enjoy beautiful Gulangyu Island, see the tulou, one of China's communal residence treasures, discover the mysterious and interesting ancient Fujian culture and the Danxia Landform of Wuyishan (Mount Wuyi), and float down Jiuqu Stream (Nine Twists River).
Highlights
- See the Tulou World Cultural Heritage site.
- Visit beautiful Gulangyu Island and Xiamen.
- Have a sea food lunch.
- Hike on Wuyi Mountain, the World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, to learn ancient Fujian culture, and see Danxia Landform around Wuyi Mountains.
- Float down the Nine Twisted River (Jiuqu Stream).
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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The tour was of The Greta Wall of China
The tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history more
Mar 2024, Alice W
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Beautiful Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful guide, whose praises we can not sing loudly enough, was compassionate, caring, and overall endearing! His sense of ease and familiarity with each sight, which were unfamiliar wonders to us, provided a sense of peacefulness that facilitated full enjoyment - helped too by his punctuality and attention to detail. more
Feb 2024, apisn2023
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The Highlights and High Life of Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful tour guide, made our entire trip an absolute joy for us as he was extraordinarily caring, considerate, and generous. Having had the pleasure of taking in the sights of Beijing previously with another lovely guide, Angela, it was spectacular not only to show the family how fantastic the city is but also how high the quality of services provided by China Highlights are. Each day unveiled a new treasure, helpfully detailed by Ethan, and punctuated by delicious and varied local food. Our driver, Mr. Chen, was also a delight, and was equally as key to the overall experience as he was both attentive and almost mystically punctual! more
Feb 2024, Apis
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Great Time in Beijing
Our 4-day experience in Beijing was unforgettable. Our guide, Selinda, opened the doors to the city's millennia-old history and culture with her knowledge, kindness, and courtesy. We discovered magnificent places, tasted delicious food, and stayed in clean hotels, all accompanied by safe and reliable transportation service. We recommend traveling with China Highlights. more
Feb 2024, Nicola B
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3rd time the charm, is being charmed for the 3rd time.
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan Mueller
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3rd time the charm, is charmed for the 3rd time
The sites stay the same but each time we have done this tour, the tour guides manage to make it feel like it is the first time you are experiencing it. And, with the constant renovations, this time we were able to see previous areas that were unavailable the last time we came. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan M
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Great trip and experience!
From beginning to end, China Highlights was very courteous, responsive and attentive in planning and executing a great trip!Aspects and execution of the trip was as discussed and was an overall great experience. Our guide, Michael, was very kind and knowledgeable throughout the tour and would address all questions and help us take lots of photos. Would definitely travel with China Highlights again! more
Feb 2024, Karol
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3rd the charm is charmed for the 3rd time
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, jkjmueller
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1 Day in Beijing
Nice views, Not too much people, Jessi (guide ) so friendly and she have a great service & she knows the answer of all your questions more
Feb 2024, Fernando J
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Fabulous day!
Jesse He ,she is a nice tourist guide patience and take good care for us. We had a wonderful time in Beijing,we did the forbidden city and greatwall We love everything ! more
Feb 2024, Charon R
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Private trip in Beijing and Luoyang
We spent 3 days in Beijing with Helen as our guide. We went to TianAnMen, Forbidden City and MuTianYu Great Wall to name a few. Helen took great care of us and is very attentive as I travel with my 60+ years old parents, from asking whether we need restroom breaks to making sure that our lunch were all according to our dietary needs more
Jan 2024, Iriana Iriana
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An excellent day with Linda
Linda (Ling ling)is a great tour guide,provide a lot of knowledge and history of the great wall,and took us to taste very delicious food too,we had a very good time with her!highly recommend her! more
Jan 2024, Angeline Lim
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Great time in Beijing with Bruce
We stayed in Beijing for three days altogether. We went to the summer palace. the Tian'an'men square, the Forbidden City,the Temple of heaven and the Great Wall. Our tour guide Bruce is very friendly and speaks English fluently. He explained every scenic spot to us patiently and humorously. my family are very satisfied with his service. more
Jan 2024, Mayra C
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Bucket List Trip to China
My first stop in China was Beijing. Ethan was my guide there. Daily, they would pick me up and take me to the spots on the itinerary. He helped me plan outside activities like a Chinese acrobat show. He even walked me to my seat in my theater so I could easily find my correct chair. What was most helpful was Ethan waiting with me at the train station and even helping me on to my seat and giving the train attendant my meal order. Very little English was spoken by the train attendant. more
Jan 2024, Megan Sandbothe
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Great Wall at Jinshanling
We went to the Great Wall at Jinshanling which is a very beautiful place which is not that busy. In fact most of the time it felt like we were alone on the wall.The tourguide (Jack) was very knowledgeable and very friendly.A big thumbs up more
Jan 2024, Onno
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Private trip in Beijing and Luoyang
We spent 3 days in Beijing with Helen as our guide. We went to TianAnMen, Forbidden City and MuTianYu Great Wall to name a few. Helen took great care of us and is very attentive as I travel with my 60+ years old parents, from asking whether we need restroom breaks to making sure that our lunch were all according to our dietary needs. We had great 3 days in Beijing.We also visited Luoyang. Our travel advisor arranged a Business class seat for our high speed train to Luoyang. We were picked up at the station by our guide in Luoyang, Lisa. We then visited Dengfeng to see Songyang academy, shaolin temple, Luoyang grottoes. She also took care of us very well and very knowledgeable about the history. more
Jan 2024, lriana lriana
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Beijing 2024
We traveled to Beijing with China Highlights in January 2024. Our tour guide Ethan was organized and knowledgeable which made our trip seamless and very interesting!! He helpfully suggested additional activities if we had time in the evenings and assisted us in booking tickets for them. Visiting the Mutianyu Great wall of China was a big highlight of our time in Beijing! more
Jan 2024, Lydia
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Beijing 2024
We traveled to Beijing with China Highlights in January 2024. Our tour guide Ethan was organized and knowledgeable which made our trip seamless and very interesting!! He helpfully suggested additional activities if we had time in the evenings and assisted us in booking tickets for them. Visiting the Mutianyu Great wall of China was a big highlight of our time in Beijing more
Jan 2024, Explore49612084715
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Beijing
Fantastic couple days in Beijing. Thank you to my guide Mark who eloquently relayed stories about China history and culture. more
Jan 2024, Steve P
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Jack is an excellent guide
Jack is an excellent guide, very patient, punctual, wonderful command of english. I recommend him any day. more
Jan 2024, Brahma
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Suggested Itinerary
Your knowledgeable guide and driver will meet you outside of the airport or railway station. They will transfer you directly to the hotel in Xiamen. You can have a rest in the hotel or explore on your own. Ask your private guide for tips.
Acommadation
Stay overnight in Xiamen
Days Hotel & Suites Mingfa Xiamen (4-star)
Pan Pacific Xiamen (5-star)
You will spend a whole day discovering Xiamen — the most leisurely city in China — and Gulangyu Island.
Your Xiamen discovery will start with a visit of South Putuo Temple, first built in the Tang Dynasty (618—907). It is famous for its collection of Buddhist cultural relics, such as a Burmese jade carving of the Buddha, and some important Buddhist texts. Climbing up Wulao Peak, you can enjoy a bird's eye-view of Xiamen University and Xiamen Port.
Have a sea food lunch near the Gulangyu Island.
Then you will head to Gulangyu Island. On your way to Gulangyu Island, you will stop off to visit Hulishan Fortress, with architecture mainly integrating the styles of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and built in 1891. Hulishan Fortress is famous for having both the biggest and smallest cannons in the world. There are many ancient military structures and weapons, such as the emplacement, the barracks, the castle, the trench, double-edged swords, and firelocks.
You will take a 10-minute ferry to the island. Have a leisurely stroll around Gulangyu Island to appreciate old consulates, churches and other European-style buildings, which were built by colonists in the early 20th century. Browse the boutiques to pick up an interesting souvenir, such as a hand-drawn map or a handicraft. You will visit two attractions on the island: Sunlight Rock Park and Shuzhuang Garden and take electromobiles.
Good to know:
- If you want to spend the night on Gulangyu, you can notice your travel advisor.
- During the high season, you may have to wait 10 to 20 minutes to board a ferry.
Acommadation
Days Hotel & Suites Mingfa Xiamen (4-star)
Pan Pacific Xiamen (5-star)
After breakfast in Xiamen, you will be transferred to the Tinluokeng tulou in Nanjing County, which takes about three hours. Lunch in Tianluokeng.
Located in Shangban Village, Shuyang Town, Tianluokeng Tulou, composed primarily of four round and one rectangular earthen buildings, is one of the most magnificent and well-preserved Hakka castles. The village is also listed as one of the 'Famous Historic Cultural Villages in China' for its special culture and architecture.
Then, you will head west towards Taxia Village which is a distinctive Hakka village located in the valley of Nanjing County. It was built in 1426 during the Ming Dynasty by the Zhang family, and many famous overseas Chinese people can trace their history to this village. It is listed as one of the 15 most beautiful villages in China.
Hakka people were from the central plain area of China, where is the cradle of Chinese civilization. They value family unity, so Hakka people build their big tulou houses for the whole family living together. They also value Ba Gua which is the most holy culture symbol in ancient China, so Hakka people build tulou based on the complex Ba Gua which guides them in choosing where to build tulou and many other aspects. Ba Gua also affects all Chinese people today on policy, culture, architecture, phylosophy and so on.
After your Tulou clusters discovery, you will be transferred back to Xiamen in order to prepare for the next tour to Wuyi Mountain.
Good to Know: From April to November, you may pick tea in a local tea plantation and may take them home with you. You may also taste the red tea that has already been prepared by the local farmers.
Acommadation
Days Hotel & Suites Mingfa Xiamen (4-star)
Pan Pacific Xiamen (5-star)
Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the railway station in Xiamen. It takes about 3 hours to get to Wuyishan City by high speed train. From Wuyishan Bei Railway Station to Wuyishan Scenic Area takes about 20 minutes' drive. Ticket price is included. Lunch in Wuyishan.
The scenery around Wuyi Mountain is surprisingly amazing and spectacular. On the first day in Wuyishan, you will visit Tianyou Peak and learn Taoist culture. Wuyishan is an important Taoist resort. Taoism is a Chinese religion which has influenced China for over 1,800 years.
Wuyi Mountain is also the home to Da Hung Pao which is one of Top Ten Famous Tea in China. This high-quality oolong tea enjoys a high reputation, so many visitors to Wuyi Mountain will buy some.
Accommadation
Stay overnight in Wuyishan Scenic Area: Wuyi Mountain Saecy Hotel (4-star)
Wuyi Mountain Yeohwa Resort (5-star) (It is the best hotel on Wuyishan directly facing Tianyou Peak.)
Transportation from Xiamen to Wuyishan
High Speed Train (second class seat) (4-star)
High Speed Train (first class seat) (5-star)
After breakfast, you will take a boat cruise down Jiuqu Stream to view the elegant scenery, consisting of towering mountains, verdant plants, blue skies, and clear water. The Danxia landform by the river is a highlight of Mount Wuyi. Due to many painters and poets having visited Mount Wuyi throughout history for inspiration, there are many inscriptions on Mount Wuyi.
You can see some hanging coffins which enjoys a history of over 3,000 thousand years. Wuyishan hanging coffins are the oldest hanging coffin in China. How they hang on the cliff is still a mystery. Hanging coffin is a representative of ancient Fujian culture.
Song Ancient Street and Wuyi Palace is near the terminal of Jiuqu Stream.
After lunch you will be transferred to Xiamei Ancient Village, which will take you back in time to the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. Most of the buildings are very well preserved and feature brick, wood, and stone sculptures, and the village is part of the Wuyi World Cultural Heritage site. You will take a walk there.
Your guide will confirm your return trip and escort you to the airport on time. You will be accompanied to find the correct check-in desk and your guide will make sure everything goes smoothly before saying goodbye.
Trip Notes
2. Customize Your Tour
This tour is very flexible. You can make any changes to the itinerary according to your requirements and interests.
You can choose to take flight after 18:00 from Xiamen to Wuyishan on the third day after visiting Chengqilou. The flight takes about 1 hour. And stay overnight in Wuyishan Scenic Area. In this case, you will have more time to visit Wuyi Mountain the next day.
We are happy to arrange your hotels on Gulangyu Island or in the tulou if you want to stay overnight in those places. Stay overnight in original tulou, you can feel the simple Hakka atmosphere and hospitality of Hakka people. The condition of original tulou accommadation is limited and we can also arrange you star-rated hotel about 20 minute's drive from tulou.
We can also just arrange hotels and flights for you if you have your own plan.
If you want to see a sunrise or sunset, just tell your trip advisor.
3. Recommended Extension Tour
If you are a fan of China's mountains or are fond of ancient villages and natural scenery, a 3-Day Essence of Huangshan Tour is recommended. It only takes about 80 minutes to travel from Wuyishan to Huangshan. You will hike on the Yellow Mountains to see the sunrise, and walk around Hong Village and Tunxi Old Street to see the Hui-style architecture.
4. Options to Enrich the Tour
Chengqilou
Located in Gaobei Village, about five kilometers from the Hongkeng Tulou, Chengqilou is the largest earthen building. It is almost 300 years old and is comprised of four concentric circular buildings. This Tulou has 400 rooms altogether and used to house 80 families, totaling more than 600 people in its prosperous days. The locals call Chengqilou the "Tulou King".
Hongkeng Tulou
In Hongkeng Village, you will see 100 round and square earthen buildings, scattered by the streams and near the mountains. They look like emerging mushrooms or flying saucers, and caused an interesting misconception during the Cold War (1947–1991): Western countries believed that these buildings were China's nuclear missile silos.
Stroll through the village and see the unique, well-kept tulou. Experience the local people's lifestyle and unfold the reasons why the Hakka people built their apartment buildings in this fortress style.
Chuxi Tulou
The Chuxi Tulou in Chuxi Village consist of five round buildings and many square buildings. Three massive round buildings and one square building are situated near the river and are hidden among the deep mountains and lush vegetation like treasure waiting to be discovered. A visit to the local primary school during the school day is also possible.
Yunshuiyao Ancient Village
The old name was Changhai and it is a beautiful village with old houses and 1,000-year-old banyan trees. See the most relaxed lifestyle of the local people and the beautiful scenery. Yunshuiyao Ancient Village was used as the location for a famous Chinese movie called "Yunshuiyao". There are two beautiful earthen buildings in the village. One is called Hegui, which is the tallest earthen building in the Nanjing area; the other one is called Huaiyuan, a round earthen building.
Tour Price
Price includes: