Ancient Village of Chenqiao

Ancient Village of Chenqiao

The Ancient Village of Chenqiao is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Chenqiao Village is a generous gift from nature, boasting magnificent sunrises, sea of clouds, and starry skies, as well as imposing cliffs, caves, and canyons. It also preserves millennia-old streets, covered bridges, and folk traditions. However, due to its remote location and inconvenient transportation, it has long remained “a hidden gem untold.”

In recent years, with increased investment, efforts have been made to build mountain roads, renovate dwellings, establish visitor centers, and construct waterfront boardwalks... Continuously improving the tourism infrastructure, the village is attracting more and more visitors from afar. This long-lost pearl is gradually coming into the world’s view and regaining its former glory.

Visitors who have been to Chenqiao speak highly of it. With its overlapping peaks, rugged rocks, and steep cliffs, Chenqiao is hailed by tourists as “the most precipitous peak under heaven.” Its well-preserved natural ecology and breathtaking scenery have earned it the nickname “Xishuangbanna of Fujian” among hikers.

The towering peak is surrounded by overlapping mountains and crisscrossing valleys. Rising abruptly from two gorges, when viewed from above, the endless mountain ranges stretch as far as the eye can see. At dawn, wisps of mist rise from the mountains, gradually forming ribbons that coil around the hillsides, rush through the bends, and surge forward in a race. These ribbons merge into rivers of cloud, which then blend into the boundless sea of clouds. The peaks emerge and submerge within this ocean of white, their tips barely visible. At daybreak, the dark greens of the peaks contrast sharply with the bright whites of the clouds, resembling a grand woodblock painting.

Chenqiao Village is situated in a remote, high-altitude area surrounded by cliffs. Locals joke that if a basket rolls down the hillside, it’s harder to retrieve than to make a new one. The village has always suffered from a severe shortage of water, making it difficult to sustain life, and thus few outsiders ever came. After the reform and opening-up, villagers gradually left to seek opportunities elsewhere or relocated to towns, leaving behind only about 30 elderly, women, and children in what was once a thousand-strong community. The village fell into decline, with dilapidated houses and overgrown paths, on the verge of becoming a true shell of its former self—an abandoned village fading into history. To prevent the disappearance of this once-beloved ancient settlement, local leaders initiated a crowdfunding campaign. The villagers contributed labor to build nearly 10,000 meters of cement boardwalks along the cliffs, three scenic reservoirs, sixteen pavilions, restored historic residences, and planted over 20,000 precious trees, including yews, red maples, cherry blossoms, and osmanthus.

Address: Chenqiao Village, Limen Township, Zhouning County, Ningde City, Fujian Province

Type: Geological Landscape & Rural

Ticket Information:

No admission fee.

Source: Fujian Provincial Tourism Development Committee

Chenqiao Village: A rural administrative village with its committee based in Chenqiao Natural Village; it is classified as a revolutionary base area village. A junior cooperative was established here in 1955, changed to a brigade committee in 1959, and became a village committee in 1981. Originally comprising two natural villages—Chenqiao and Xiaping—it now consists solely of Chenqiao.

Chenqiao Village was formerly known as Zhangjiaqiao and Chenjiaqiao. It was primarily inhabited by families surnamed Zhang and Chen, but later renamed “Chenqiao” due to the larger Chen population. Historically governed under Ningde County, it was once called “Qiao Lou Zhong of the Eighteenth District of Ningde County.” The founding ancestor, Chen Jiugong, migrated from Dongshan Village in Lidun to Chenqiao during the late Southern Song Dynasty.

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