May Day Fuding Three-Day Trip: Between Mountains and Sea, a Dream Garden

📍 Edinburgh · 👁 3988 reads · ❤️ 29 likes

In the second year after graduation, we finally met up during the May Day holiday. With five days off, being able to spend three days together was already very satisfying.

We were in Fujian and Zhejiang, so we chose Fuding, which is located in between, as our destination. We picked the famous Mount Taimu and Dayushan Island, not far from Taimu Town. Mount Taimu has a railway station, but fewer trains pass through compared to Fuding Station. However, for visiting the Mount Taimu scenic area, it's more convenient to go directly to Taimu Mountain Railway Station. After finally confirming the duty schedule, we started buying tickets, trying to get trains with similar arrival times—it was very hard to secure seats through the waitlist. Although we stood the whole way, thinking about meeting up made the two to three hours pass quickly. Around 11:30, we met at the entrance of Taimu Mountain Railway Station. Even though we hadn't seen each other for a long time, we still felt so familiar.

From Taimu Mountain Railway Station, there is a direct minibus to the Mount Taimu Tourist Distribution Center, costing only 5 yuan per person. It also passes by the Taimu Town bus station, and buses run frequently, very convenient. We took the bus to the distribution center, arriving in about half an hour. At the distribution center, we bought tickets for 140 yuan each. After checking tickets, we boarded the scenic area's shuttle bus, which took us directly to the mountainside in about 20 minutes. The mountain roads were winding, but the scenery was beautiful. We checked into a hotel on the mountainside. There were supermarkets and snack stalls around, quite convenient, but the prices were also very high.

We set off in the morning, but spent half the day on the bus, so we could only start sightseeing in the afternoon. I missed the days in college when we could go to farther places without being constrained by public holidays. We used to take sleeper trains, departing at night and arriving the next morning, giving us a full day to explore. After a short rest and a simple lunch, we started climbing around 2:30.

Mount Taimu is a well-developed scenic area with plenty of signs and route maps to guide us. Fuding Peak is probably the highest point. If time allowed, we could go from Yingxian Terrace up to Xiangshan Temple and Jiuli Lake, then loop back from Fuding Peak. But we didn't have that much time; in one afternoon, we only made it to Yipianwa before turning back.

Our route: Couple Peak → Yingxian Terrace (the area with concentrated strange rocks) → Lanxi Ravine → Yixiantian (One Line Sky) → Yipianwa → Tongtian Cave → South Heavenly Gate → Qixing Cave → Guanhai Boardwalk (return)

On the first day of May Day, there weren't too many tourists, so the walk wasn't crowded. The mountain paths were well-maintained without particularly steep sections, making it relatively easy. Towering ancient trees lined the path, lush and green. There were many strange rocks, each given beautiful names and stories, with photos at lookout points to help our imagination align with the given associations.

Mount Taimu's most famous feature is probably Yixiantian (One Line Sky), so there was a long queue in front of it. We didn't want to waste time waiting, so we took a different route up. Actually, there are many similar crevice landscapes, so there's no need to fixate on one and jostle with the crowd.

Yipianwa is a must-visit spot. The Taimu Sacred Hall is magnificent, and the Yipianwa Zen Temple is resplendent.

Further on is Tongtian Cave, a long crevice path where we had to use both hands and feet near the end. Emerging from it gave a feeling of sudden openness.

On the way back, we took the Guanhai Boardwalk, which was very easy to walk and offered stunning views, as if we were on a cliff by the sea.

Around 5:30 PM, we walked back to the hotel and had dinner. The small shops here were relatively expensive, and the food was average. We didn't get to taste authentic Fuding snacks; they were similar to Fuding sliced pork and honey-glazed chicken wings found elsewhere.

There was a slight temperature difference at night in the mountains, but it wasn't cold. As it got dark, we went out for a walk. We originally wanted to go down to the square below, but the road was too dark, so we only walked a short distance before stopping. On the pitch-black mountain path, looking up, the sky was full of stars. This was the first time I saw the Big Dipper so clearly.

The next morning, we explored another route on Mount Taimu: Guoxing Temple and Longtan Lake. The path was relatively flat at first, with beautiful scenery. Maybe because it was the second day of May Day, there were many more tourists than the previous day.

We passed a Tang Dynasty stone pagoda, the Lengjia Pagoda, which is a provincial cultural relic. Climbing up gave a close-up view with fine details.

First, we saw the newly built Guoxing Temple, and next to it was an emerald green lake, stunningly beautiful.

Going around to the front, we saw a large area of ruins. The green moss on the column bases painted a historical picture.

Longtan Lake is a deep, green pool surrounded by trees, clear and flawless.

As time was getting late, we turned back. We could walk past the Guoxing Temple ruins to the temple entrance and then return the same way.

Around 11:00, we returned to the hotel, packed up, and prepared to go to Dayushan Island. To get there, we first needed to go to Yujing Pier.

We took the scenic area shuttle back to the tourist distribution center, but there were no direct buses to Yujing Pier. We had to take a taxi to Taimu Mountain Bus Station, which was just a few minutes away. The bus station had buses to various towns. After waiting for quite a while, we finally got a bus to Yujing Pier. When we arrived, there were many self-driving cars parked there. We bought ferry tickets at 95 yuan per person, round trip, and boarded the boat to Yushan Island. As we boarded, the staff asked if we needed plastic bags and whether anyone was returning the same day. We were puzzled until the boat started moving, then we understood—it was extremely bumpy. Usually, sightseeing boats provide a calm view of the sea, but this boat pitched up and down in the waves. No wonder they offered plastic bags; it was so nauseating that we wanted to throw up. And the ride was long, about half an hour, making it quite an ordeal. When we finally docked, it felt like being reborn.

After disembarking, we went straight to the tourist distribution center. We first went to check into our hotel, which was in a central area with many restaurants and guesthouses. After resting, it was around 2:30. We had a simple lunch, then went to the distribution center to buy tickets for Tianhu (Heavenly Lake). The tickets we bought online for Yushan Island were actually just for Tianhu; entering the island itself didn't require a ticket. We queued up and boarded a minibus to Tianhu. The road was winding, and we arrived at the scenic spot around 3 or 4 PM.

The Tianhu scenic area is large, with several smaller attractions and signs along the way. The main highlight is Tianhu Grassland. At the entrance, there was a large tea plantation with terraced fields.

Walking along the mountain paths, we were surrounded by lush green trees and grass, fresh and pleasant.

Tianhu Grassland gave a pure feeling. Stairs led down to the clear blue lake. The wind was strong that day, messing up our hair and blowing our clothes, but I couldn't stop taking photos.

Around 5:00, we walked back to the drop-off point and took the scenic shuttle back to the distribution center. There were many seafood and snack shops there. We had dinner and brought a tripod to take photos of the stars. We took a walk around the pier but didn't see any stars, so we set up the tripod for a selfie—a set of photos we really, really liked.

Besides Tianhu, the island also has some village attractions. I checked online and found that there is a ring-road bus connecting the villages, stopping at each. For the third day, we planned to visit one or two villages. However, due to time constraints and the distance, we only chose the more famous Dongjiao Village with its glass walkway. At the distribution center, we bought tickets for 5 yuan each, and once enough people gathered, we set off for Dongjiao Village. Online, there was a bus schedule saying it was a loop route, but it wasn't actually; the route wasn't a loop, and the schedule wasn't reliable. Whether you could get on depended on waiting. There were stops at each point where you could get off or buy a ticket back to the distribution center. But on the way back, the bus was very crowded. Seats were limited, and standing was not allowed, so many buses passed without us being able to squeeze on.

We arrived at Dongjiao Village around 10:00 and climbed a short way to the glass walkway. It wasn't long and didn't offer much to see—just the sea and fishing boats.

After leaving the glass walkway, we felt there wasn't much to explore, but we had no time for other attractions, so we just wandered around the village. Unexpectedly, this small fishing village was quite charming. Walking through the alleys, we saw traditional seaside houses with unique characteristics. The waves, pier, and fishing boats slowed down the pace of time. Before we knew it, it was past 11:00, so we had to return to the stop and wait for the bus.

Although we arrived early at the stop, three buses passed by without us being able to get on. Some tourists who had flights or trains to catch started to get restless; there were more tourists during the May Day holiday. Around 12:00, we returned to the hotel, grabbed our luggage, and went to the pier. Fortunately, there were many return boats. The wind was lighter than the day before, so the boat wasn't as bumpy, but still quite shaky. At the pier, I suddenly received an urgent work call. I had to open Word on the boat and edit while feeling dizzy.

After half an hour, we arrived at Yujing Pier. From there, we needed to take a bus back to Taimu Mountain Bus Station. There was no ticket office; we just waited by the roadside and got on any bus heading to the town. Eventually, we reached Taimu Mountain Bus Station, then took a taxi to Taimu Mountain Railway Station. We made it in time, and even browsed the shops near the station, buying some Fuding white tea.

Waiting at the station, I took out my laptop to transfer photos, and we looked at them together. Her train left a few dozen minutes before mine, and soon her gate opened for boarding. I bent down to put the laptop into my suitcase and zipped it up, intending to see her off. But when I looked up, she was already far away, having passed through the gate. In that moment, I felt an indescribable emotion, just like at graduation. Life truly is like the stars Orion and Scorpius—one rises as the other sets. After checking in and boarding, I saw the two diverging arrows on the platform. We had met here, spent three dreamlike days, and now we were going left and right, back to reality.

On the high-speed train, I continued dealing with work and was blamed for a problem. When I got off the train at the station, I couldn't hold back my tears. Since starting work, leaving home is no longer carefree; work follows everywhere. It's not just a backpack and a go; the laptop must always be in the suitcase. Fortunately, I still had the holiday to travel and have a brief reunion. At thirty, the one who accompanies you to see the world is still the sister you had at twenty—that is also a very beautiful thing.

Travel Diary Table of Contents

1. Day 1: Main Tour of Mount Taimu: Famous Mountain, Strange Rocks, Sea of Clouds and Stars

2. Day 2: Morning Visit to Ancient Temple, Evening Visit to Fairy Island

3. Day 3: Leisurely Half-Day in a Fishing Village

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