Bamboo rafts
With the current.
Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rolf Müller (User:Rolfmueller) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0 · 江上清风1961 — CC BY 3.0 · 江上清风1961 — CC BY 3.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 3.0
The heart of the Wuyi Mountains and their loveliest sight, a clear river winding between red Danxia cliffs in nine successive bends, covering about 9.5 kilometres between Xingcun and Wuyi Palace although the two are barely 5 kilometres apart as the crow flies, which is why the Chinese long described the place as «red hills and green waters». The bends were traditionally counted upstream from Wuyi Palace, the first beside it, the second below Jade Maiden Peak, the emblem of the mountains, and the sixth at Tianyou Peak; the Song philosopher Zhu Xi wrote his famous «Nine Bends Boat Song» here, and he taught at an academy he founded by the fifth bend. Visitors ride bamboo rafts poled by boatmen, drifting with the current from the ninth bend down to the first beneath cliffs and peaks, and in clefts high in the rock they can spot the remains of ancient cliff burials attributed to the region's early people; the area has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1999. The raft costs CNY 130 and is booked separately, while entry to the main area has been free since 2025 with booking, together with the compulsory park bus at CNY 70 for one day, per visitor guides. Book the raft early on holidays, and trips may stop when the water runs high.
With the current.
At the second bend.
In the rock clefts.
Raft pier at Xingcun, Wuyishan scenic area, Fujian
The raft trip costs CNY 130, booked separately, and takes about an hour and a half from the ninth bend to the first, per visitor guides.
Fujian cooking uses a lot of pork, so always ask about ingredients, and look in the resort town for noodle shops run by Hui Muslims under the halal sign.