Guanmi Village

Guanmi Village

Guanmi Village in Lifang Township is located at the northern foot of the Wuyi Mountains in the southwestern part of Guangze County, 35 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Honglu Village in Yanshan Town, Shaowu City to the east, Zengpai Village in Lifang Township to the west, Guanzhuang Village and Changyuan Village in Lifang Township to the south, and Shicheng Village in Lifang Township to the north, covering an area of 35.31 square kilometers. The village has 6 natural villages, 9 villager groups, and a population of 1,560 spread across 417 households. The upper reaches of the Xixi River, a tributary of the Min River’s headstream, the Futun River, flow through the entire area. The banks are covered with lush vegetation and abundant natural resources, producing renowned crops such as yellow-fleshed pears, bamboo, and tea.

At the end of Guanmi Village lies a rolling expanse of greenery. The hills are covered with over 2,000 acres of tea plantations, while the flatlands are planted with more than 1,000 acres and tens of thousands of pear trees—these are the widely celebrated Guanmi yellow-fleshed pears. Between the Spring Equinox and Qingming Festival each year, thousands of acres of pear blossoms bloom simultaneously, transforming the area into a sea of snow-white flowers overnight. The tea leaves here naturally absorb the fragrance of the pear blossoms. Brewing a cup of tea releases a fragrant blend of floral, fruity, and tea aromas. Coupled with the surrounding greenery, one can’t help but be reminded of the village’s name, “Heavenly Mountain.” The ten-mile-long valley of the river, the narrow and winding Changyuan Gorge, allows visitors to take bamboo rafts through bamboo forests and orchards. The Dagang Mountain, home to tens of thousands of acres of pristine ecological forest, holds countless natural beauties bestowed upon Guanmi. The charm of Guanmi has been widely recognized—it has been honored as a “National Eco-Village” and one of the “Top Ten Charming Villages of Haixi.” On September 25, 2014, it officially passed the evaluation for a three-star Beautiful Village in Nanping City and was also named an Excellent Model Beautiful Village in Fujian Province.

The Xixi River, the upper reaches of the Futun River which is the headstream of the Min River, was once a vital waterway decades ago when transportation was limited. Back then, bamboo from the mountains was tied into rafts and sent downstream by the hundreds and thousands to Fuzhou for sale. Over time, bamboo roots left along the riverbanks grew into dense bamboo groves, bordered by seemingly endless reed marshes. The milk-white, pink, and crimson reed flowers sway in the wind, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Along both sides of the Xixi River, residences and docks are lined up in rows. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, this area has been an important hub for water transport, fostering a thriving community. The clear and gentle waters of the Xixi River flow slowly, and standing majestically against the current is the famous Lion Mountain. Shaped like a lion, with its steep southern cliffs resembling the lion’s head, a concave midsection like its waist, the mountain encircles the water while the water reflects the mountain. Occasional bamboo rafts used for fishing glide by, creating a picturesque scene like a fine traditional Chinese landscape painting.

Source: Fujian Provincial Tourism Development Commission