Walk the Red Army Route in Fujian's Highest Mountain Village, Eat Red Army Food, and Recall the Past

Zhouning is a poetic landscape of mountains and waters, as well as a red memory full of passionate times. Zhouning is not far from Xiamen—just over 400 kilometers, about a 5-hour drive. Currently, the high-speed rail only reaches Fu'an, from where you take a nearly one-hour bus ride to Zhouning County. Since it belongs to Ningde, it is naturally not far from Ningde and Fuzhou.

Zhouning County has 6 towns and 3 townships, with over a hundred administrative villages, each different and unique. Pick a weekend to join the Village Run and explore Zhouning. From September 12 to September 13, the Red Tourism Village Run was held in Zhouning. As a representative of the eastern Fujian red mountain-sea recreation area, Zhouning is also the first stop of the Red Tourism Village Run series. Here there are not only natural landscapes but also red tourism routes.

[Village Run Route]

The starting point of this Village Run is Wuboyang Village, about 20 kilometers from Zhouning County. From Wuboyang, Xiayang Village, and Bapu Village to Houyang Village (Colorful Village), the total distance is 10 kilometers. Passing by an ancient temple (Shoufeng Temple, built during the Qianlong era), wheat fields, bamboo groves, a covered bridge... the scenery is nonstop beautiful. It allows people to enjoy fresh air during exercise and appreciate natural scenery—multiple benefits at once.

Zhouning is one of the birthplaces of Fujian's covered bridges. At 7.5 kilometers along the Village Run is Denglong Bridge in Bapu Village. Its appearance clearly shows it is an ancient bridge.

[Exploring Ziyun Village]

The day after the Village Run, we participated in a red tour. The destination was Ziyun Village, the highest in Fujian Province, 13 kilometers from the county seat, with beautiful natural scenery and an ideal summer escape. It is said that due to year-round clouds and mist, the sunlight shifts into purple hues, hence the name. Ziyun Village not only has unique scenery but also many stories of the War of Resistance.

In the morning, we arrived at Ziyun Village by car. In the drizzling rain, Ziyun Village took on a mysterious air. The mottled mud walls and scattered black tiles appeared tranquil and warm. The old houses bear traces of time; if you listen closely, they seem to silently tell the history of Ziyun Village.

The mystery of Ziyun Village was quietly unveiled before us, like a story told by the locals. There is much history here, especially stories from the War of Resistance period. We stood under the party flag, listening to locals recount tales from that time. The stories seemed to transport us back to those days—tense, worried, and sad. Here lie martyrs' graves, the Grape Yang Battle, a stele commemorating the founding of the Zhoudun Central County Committee, and red sites such as the former residences of martyrs Chen Nailan and Zheng Foqian. Without experiencing storms, how can you see a rainbow? It was the efforts of our predecessors that brought today's happy life.

Following the locals, we walked the path the Red Army once walked, picked the Red Army vegetables they once ate, recalled the past, and felt the hardships of those early days.

With bitterness comes sweetness. Walking to the hillside, we saw peach trees full of fruit. The tempting aroma was calling us. Here you can not only enjoy the scenery and hear stories but also pick high-mountain peaches yourself. Peaches picked by your own hands are always the sweetest. Moreover, the peaches on the high mountains are not only sweet but also juicy. After picking, my companions couldn't resist washing them with spring water and biting right in. The deliciousness was truly satisfying.

In front of Ziyun Village, there is another beautiful sight not to be missed: a pond full of lotus flowers. Amid the green mountains and clear waters, they are extraordinarily enchanting—beautiful beyond words. Doesn't such scenery make you want to stay?

Actually, Ziyun Village has more scenic spots, but due to the rain making the roads slippery, we had to leave the unexplored ones for another visit. Some spots are still under development. Next time, on a clear day, I'll come again to explore the beauty of Ziyun Village.

Of course, when you come to the village, you must not miss the village flavors. The countryside dishes have local characteristics—vegetables grown in their own fields, chickens and ducks raised by locals... The freshness and sweetness are something you won't find in the city.

A local specialty of Zhouning is potato cake. It is said that the potatoes from Ziyun Village are the best because of the high altitude. The potatoes deep in the mountains absorb the fresh air. Indeed, they are exceptional. The potato cake here is not made with added starch; reportedly, the high-altitude potatoes have high starch content. Just slice them, gently flatten, and they won't fall apart. Fry them directly—the texture is chewy, Q-soft, and bouncy—amazing!

Konjac (devil's tongue)—I always thought only Sichuan had it. But in Ziyun, I learned that konjac is also a local specialty here. The konjac seedlings look like small trees. The konjac must go through various processes to become the konjac blocks we eat. Here, konjac is mostly stir-fried.

There are also fish from the stream, ducks raised by locals, red rice grown by locals... Each flavor has its unique village character.

Finally, we had a plate of Red Army vegetables we picked ourselves. Bitter with astringency, astringent with sweetness, fresh, refreshing, cool and tender. It has a unique fragrance. Cooked the modern way, it's not unpleasant at all—actually very delicious.

This weekend was different. Joining the Village Run not only gave me a taste of the red heritage but also helped me understand the local customs and delve into the local culture.