During the holiday, take the kids out to play in the mountains and fields 鈥?wander beneath the shade of thousand-year-old banyan trees, 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 Travel Route" connecting 6 stops, from ancient banyan trees to hot springs, with joy at every stop.
Stop 1: The Thousand-Year-Old Banyan Tree Station
The first stop is to see a tree that has lived for a thousand years. In Zhongxin Village, Mazha Town, Longmen County, a thousand-year-old banyan tree stands quietly at the village entrance. Its trunk is thick and sturdy, its canopy spreads like a cover, and its aerial roots hang down like a large open umbrella, gathering all the passage of time into its shade. This ancient banyan was planted in the fourth year of the Jingde era of 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 Thousand-Year-Old Banyan Station, themed around "a listener who understands the music," sits right beneath the tree. A bookstore, tea drinks, and specialty product displays renovated from old buildings weave together a rustic and elegant countryside charm. Children run around the big tree while adults sit down for a cup of tea, and time suddenly slows down. Next to the station, there is also a literary maze hidden away. Along its winding little paths lie literary images, with poetry, allusions, and elegant gatherings 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 can look slowly while children run happily. Literature does not need to be formal; hidden in a maze, it becomes a playmate full of surprises at every step.
Stop 2: Shisanba Station
After seeing the ancient banyan, drive along the road for about 15 minutes to reach the second stop, Shisanba Station. It is surrounded by water on three sides and bordered by bamboo groves, with nearby ancient bridges and historic sites such as Nantan Arch Bridge and Laozutang Bridge. Lean on the railing and watch the water; when the wind blows, the bamboo rustles as if greeting you. The station is built by the water, integrating tea drinks, light meals, and creative exhibitions into this green landscape.
Stop 3: 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. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a provincial-level tourist resort, with a forest coverage rate of 96.93%. The air is filled with the sweetness of negative oxygen ions, making it a true natural oxygen bar. The Stone River Wonder is a landmark landscape of Nankun Mountain. Streams flow among remarkable stones, with rocks layered one upon another and the sound of water murmuring and tinkling. This natural stream valley and stone beach carved by nature over hundreds of millions of years is Nankun Mountain's most pristine water-play treasure. In autumn, the stream water is clear and transparent, with scattered strange rocks throughout the forest and stretches of shallow shoals and quiet pools. The Chuanlong Waterfall has five tiers and a flow length of nearly one thousand meters. On the stone cliff there is a "Waterfall Viewing Pavilion," and the cliff face bears 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. This is China's first top-tier ecological resort, one of the "Top 50 Global Eco-Resorts" selected by National Geographic in the United States, and the only ecological resort in China to receive this honor. After dusk, all around is pitch black, and from afar the bamboo bridge lights shine like daylight, as if one might encounter Yu Jiaolong there too. The nearby Litin Resort Hotel on Nankun Mountain is a highly 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, making it convenient to bring the children back to rest after playing in the water.
Stop 4: Xiangxi Fort
Early the next morning, depart 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 "the Little Li River of Guangdong." 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 amid long-lost blue skies, clear waters, and green fields, enjoying bright sunshine and fresh air.
Stop 5: 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 filled with all kinds of "leopard cat" sculptures. Some lie stretched out lazily, while others reach out their paws as if trying to hook a milk tea cup, all endearingly clumsy. As you walk along, you count cats, and before you know it, you are 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. It is now one of the hottest check-in spots in the area.
Stop 6: 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. It is 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 distributed in a scattered layout, including hydrotherapy SPA, Chinese herbal medicinal bath pools, private garden pools, and sea-and-sky hot spring pools, allowing you to fully enjoy the pleasure of soaking. There is also a dedicated children's fun hot spring area 鈥?children play happily while adults relax in the springs. In the evening, soak in the warm water, and the fatigue of the day is softened by the steam.
Longmen Food Recommendations
Besides sightseeing, do not forget to taste all these authentic local delicacies one by one. Travel and eat along the way, and let 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 bamboo fragrance and the rich oil aroma, 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, making the chicken tender and juicy. Bamboo tube meatballs are springy and chewy, and children cannot stop eating them one after another. While the daylight is still bright, take your children and set off toward the mountains and fields of Longmen! 🌳♨️