Fujian · China
Longyan travel guide
Longyan is a city in Fujian, China, home to about 2,724,000 people.
- Best months
- October and November
- Nearest airport
- LCX71 km · Liancheng Guanzhishan Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Longyan
Longyan is a prefecture-level city in south-western Fujian Province, China, bordering Guangdong to the south and Jiangxi to the west.
Longyan is a small city by Chinese standards (about 2.5 million) in Fujian. Most visitors end up here passing through to see the Hakka earth houses in Yongding County. Tourist infrastructure is minimal, and there are no large tour buses. An afternoon in Longyan can provide a glimpse of life in a growing, non-coastal city. Do not expect any English to be spoken. The prefecture consists of: Xinluo District 新罗区, Yongding District 永定区, Zhangping City 漳平市, Changting County 长汀县, Shanghang County 上杭县, Wuping County 武平县, and Liancheng County 连城县.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Longyan
See
The best-known tourist attraction in the area are the Fujian Tulou earth houses (土楼 tǔlóu), often round, of the Hakka people (客家人 kèjiārén). These houses are on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Hakka means "guest"; they arrived in the area (western Fujian and Eastern Guangdong) as refugees from one of Northern China's wars several hundred years ago and still have their own dialect and customs. These houses are quite large, holding an extended family, and built to be easily defended. There are none in the city itself, but there are thousands in villages to the West. Hotels can arrange a car or van to visit these places (¥200-300/day).
- Mount Guanzhi National Geopark
- Longyan Museum
Do
- Tianzi Hot Spring Resort
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Longyan to stay in
There are hotels in Longyan and the nearby city of Yongding. There is a number of cheap hotels just opposite the train station, any of the buildings with red or blue signs on top. Price ¥40-60 for a double. Many tulou offer accommodation to tourists, ranging from very simple (plain rooms, no bathroom) to beautifully decorated rooms with airconditioning and private bathrooms. See Fujian Tulou for detailed information.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Longyan
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Longyan are October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; June is the wettest, with about 296 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Longyan: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Liancheng Guanzhishan Airport (LCX), about 71 km from the city centre in a straight line; Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN, 127 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
While there are occasional taxis and motorbikes, they're very irregular. There is a taxi stand at the train station. As everywhere in China, you can use the Didi app (Chinese Uber) to call taxis on the spot. A ride within the city center costs around ¥10. Additionally, there is an excellent public bus system that connects all around the city (fare ¥1, cash accepted, no change given). Any lodging should also be able to arrange a taxi to visit the surrounding villages.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
LCX · Liancheng Guanzhishan Airport
XMN · Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Longyan
Eat
There are casual food stalls and eateries all around the city, serving a variety of regional cuisines but especially focused on Hakka cooking. A large number can be found at the walking street mentioned in the Buy section above. There are also country-restaurants where you can select whichever meats and vegetables look good and they'll stir-fry them in a large amount of oil. Expect to pay around ¥20/meal.
Drink
There is a number of tea farms in the area, and Fujian is well known for its Oolong tea, and to a lesser extent its Iron Guanyin Tea (铁观音茶). Fujian has what might be called a tea-ceremony, where water is poured into a pot full of tea leaves, immediately poured into another pot, and then poured into thimble-sized tea glasses. It's likely any restaurants, lodging, or private residence you enter, will offer you this style of tea. The tea itself varies wildly in both quality and price. Additionally, many private residences will have a large jug of baijiu, with Chinese medicinals steeped inside. Most soft drinks and especially beer will be served room-temperature.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Longyan: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Longyan?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Longyan are October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; June is the wettest, with about 296 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Longyan?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Liancheng Guanzhishan Airport (LCX), about 71 km from the city centre in a straight line; Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN, 127 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Longyan?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Longyan
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.