Delicious, Beautiful, and Even More Fun! This Hot Summer, Gutian, Fujian is Really Popping

Delicious, beautiful, and even more fun! In the sweltering summer vacation, where to escape the heat? Come to Huangtian Town in Gutian, Fujian, to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the Min River in northern Fujian, taste the edible raw horse-hoof bamboo shoots, admire the earthy oil paintings created by local village artists, and visit the world-renowned rural former residence museum 'Land of the Golden Wing'. It's not only delicious and beautiful, but also fun! On July 20, the 3rd Horse-Hoof Bamboo Shoot Harvest and Peasant Oil Painting Culture Festival opened in Huangtian Town, Gutian County. Thousands of people, including fresh bamboo shoot purchasers from Fuzhou, Nanping, Gutian and other places, fresh shoot processors, oil painting and photography enthusiasts, gathered in this beautiful town along the Min River to taste the mountain forest treasure—horse-hoof bamboo shoots, and appreciate the folk art of peasant oil paintings, sharing a feast for the senses in this charming rural area.

Lu Deliang, Secretary of the Huangtian Town Party Committee, introduced the two name cards: 'horse-hoof bamboo shoots' and 'peasant oil paintings'. He extended an invitation to friends from all walks of life: 'Come to Huangtian to see the Golden Wing, cruise the Min River, appreciate oil paintings, and taste horse-hoof bamboo shoots.' He invited everyone to experience the unique local customs and culture through the crisp sweetness of the bamboo shoots and the rustic charm of the oil paintings.

So what are the highlights of Huangtian? Let us give you a preview. First stop: Huangtian Horse-Hoof Bamboo Shoots. Huangtian Town is located at the westernmost end of Gutian County, Ningde, Fujian, along the Min River. With an average annual temperature of around 20°C, frost-free and humid, it provides an ideal growing environment for horse-hoof bamboo shoots, resulting in the famous Huangtian horse-hoof bamboo shoots known for their white flesh, crisp texture, and refreshing sweetness. Not only are they of excellent quality and taste, but the production season runs from April to November. Fresh horse-hoof bamboo shoots from Huangtian are best eaten raw. When served cold, they taste similar to water chestnuts; after blanching, they have the sweetness and crunch of water bamboo and jicama. Not only are they delicious, but they are also rich in 18 essential amino acids, soluble sugars, protein, organic matter, various vitamins, and phosphorus, iron, calcium, ascorbic acid, etc., making them a Grade A green food. The most popular home cooking methods for Huangtian horse-hoof bamboo shoots are poaching and stir-frying, which seem light but offer a surprising flavor.

Second stop: The Golden Wing House. A five-minute drive from Gutian North Railway Station takes you to the 'Golden Wing House' nestled in green hills. Covering 280 mu (about 46 acres), the Golden Wing House is the former residence of Mr. Lin Yaohua, an anthropologist, ethnologist, and sociologist. The large-scale building with exquisite wood carvings features the architectural characteristics of central Fujian from the Qing Dynasty. It is the prototype of Huang Village in 'The Golden Wing' and serves as a teaching and research base for anthropology and sociology at over 20 prestigious universities, including Peking University and Tsinghua University. It is praised as a unique 'walking classroom' in the form of a village house.

Third stop: Shuangkeng Peasant Oil Painting Village. The oil painting industry in Shuangkeng Village of Huangtian Town is quite large, with over 300 professional oil painting practitioners and annual sales exceeding 40 million yuan. By building oil painting exhibition halls, creation bases, oil painting parks, and an oil painting street, the distinctive peasant oil paintings not only beautify the village but also enrich the villagers. Whether it's themed murals or small artworks in farmers' homes, each oil painting is created by farmers who hold a paintbrush in one hand and farm tools in the other, thus carrying a rustic and earthy charm. When many mundane scenes of production and life are presented on canvas in intense or quiet ways, they instantly become highly evocative.

There are also local delicacies like peaches, oil plums, glutinous rice cakes, and tofu pudding. But the must-try is still the crispy and sweet horse-hoof bamboo shoots. Beautiful and sweet, come to Gutian! Pack your backpack for a spontaneous trip. See the Golden Wing, cruise the Min River, appreciate oil paintings, and taste horse-hoof bamboo shoots. Be an urban adventurer with both food and knowledge!