2025-12-19 Taining

 Three areas in one day....

An early start, as Toby's mum wanted to visit one of her relatives in Taining, so Penny, Pippa and I had a walk around the riverbank and had a coffee before we met up again with Ms Tang, our tour guide for the day.

Our first visit was to the Ming and Qing Garden Museum, about 7 km from the centre of Taining.  This attraction is a private collection museum that focuses heavily on collecting and displaying ancient Chinese buildings, architectural components, and wood carvings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, displaying authentic Ming Dynasty dwellings and Qing Dynasty Hui-style buildings and includes numerous precious wood carvings, wooden gatehouses, and ancestral halls.

Somewhat overwhelming, with so many large and immensely valuable items in one place - luckily, many of the exhibits had a short explanation in English, otherwise it would have been impossible to keep up with Ms Tang's explanations being translated by Toby or Pippa.

A lunch back in town, another feast at a Tofu Banquet Restaurant, then back in the cars to the Zhaxia Grand Canyon - as the brochure says:

"Zhaixia Grand Canyon is located in the Zhaixia Village, 15 kilometers northwest of Taining County. It consists of three canyons connected end to end, including Xuan Gorge, Tongtian Gorge, and Yitian Gorge. What is amazing is that the three gorges are in the same area, but they have different geomorphological features. It is shaped like a triangle and a golden dragon crouching in the mountains, so it is also known as the Golden Dragon Valley. With typical red walls, caves, lane valleys, line valleys, and barrier lakes, the Zhaixia Grand Canyon is a great place to view the Danxia landform"

We walked some distance here, and climbed up and down steep stairways - Isaac managing everything as long as he was fueled by sugar, and the promise of a water slide!  At the top of our last climb for the day was a waterslide that snaked and looped for maybe 500m, back towards the exit to the park.  While not exactly in keeping with the otherwise natural beauty, it was a fun way to shorten the walk, which Pippa, Isaac and I took advantage of.

By the time we got back to the entrance it was getting late in the afternoon.  Isaac had a bad experience with a rooster at the village at the entrance, and after he was soothed, we headed off in the darkening sky to Jiulongtan.  The brochure says:

"Jiulongtan is located in the northern core area of the Taining Scenic Tourist Area, about 15 kilometers away from Taining County. Jiulongtan is a Danxia Canyon group in China with the highest density and complexity. It is a typical area of youth development of Danxia landform in Taining, with diverse changes in lakes, streams, mountains, valleys, rocks, peaks, and gullies. It is known as the "miniature pearl of the Taining Danxia landscape". Jiulongtan is also a paradise for plant and animal growth. It is located in the subtropical monsoon humid climate, with four distinct seasons, abundant sunshine, and abundant rainfall."

The attraction for us was the night boat ride in the flooded canyons.  This was a magical experience, as we were the only ones on the water, and it was silent and the reflections in the still water was incredible.  Very disneyland, with coloured lights, lightshows and music, it could have been kitsch, but did work for us being so quiet.  It might have been a very different experience in peak season - the boatman said that they get 3000 people a night then!

Back to Taining for a latish dinner at a farm-style restaurant (delicious), then back to the guesthouse to bed.

Building site next to our guesthouse with traditional bamboo scaffolding

Bridge near our guesthouse in the morning mist - it rose quickly and we had a warm 24 deg day

Taining, with autumn colours still evident. The river is low as they are buidling a new bridge downriver.

Morning fan dance exercises

Morning sword exercises

Bonsai trees at the Ming and Qing Garden

Incredible detailed wood carving - from a single trunk of phoebe wood

Fish hoping for a feed

Ms Tang explaining about this wooden screen

Another member of the Isaac Fan Club

Front of the opera house relocated to the Ming and Qing Garden - rich families had their own opera houses within their mansions

Chicken Claw Fungus at lunch, very tasty with an interesting texture

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Waterslide, Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon

Zhaxia Canyon



Coloured lights alongside Jiulongtan Gorge

Laser lightshow, Jiulongtan

Laser lightshow, Jiulongtan

Laser lightshow in tunnel, Jiulongtan

 Jiulongtan



Jiulongtan

Jiulongtan

On the way home, Jiulongtan


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