Thirty-Eight Hundred Steps

　　Located 7 kilometers from the suburbs of Nanping, it is a highlight of the Mangdang Mountain Scenic Area. The Thirty-Eight Hundred Steps site boasts a rich cultural heritage and numerous historical relics. Since ancient times, there has been a saying: “Thirty-Eight Hundred Steps, every step yields gold.” Legend has it that Huang Chao, leader of the peasant uprising during the Tang Dynasty, once set up camp here. Famous Northern Song general Yang Bamei, national hero Wen Tianxiang, and Zheng Chenggong fought battles here, leaving behind relics such as ancient fortresses and General’s Bridge, along with beautiful legends. Republic of China President Cao Kun and the first Governor of Fujian Province, General Sa Zhenbing, inspected the area and left behind precious cultural artifacts such as the “Yisheng Zaidu” (Righteous Fame Fills the Land) stele and the “Yiwen Xuanzhao” (Righteous Inquiry Proclaimed) plaque.

　　 The scenery of Thirty-Eight Hundred Steps is enchanting, with winding paths, numerous ancient and famous trees, and abundant biodiversity. It is a renowned site for type specimens and an important germplasm resource bank, home to as many as 4,267 species—more than three times the number found in Europe. The scenic area is also a natural oxygen bar, with an average of over 30,000 negative oxygen ions. There are many attractions within Thirty-Eight Hundred Steps, especially the graceful Twin Dragons Waterfall, the magical Giant Camphor Tree, and the mysterious Day-Open-Night-Close Rock, all of which spark the imagination.

　　Currently, the scenic area features the three-star rural tourism establishment Nanping Shuanglong Mountain Villa. It offers more than 20 distinctive tourism activities such as outdoor adventure, flower viewing, waterfall appreciation, barbecuing, hiking, fruit picking, swinging, children’s water play areas, making glutinous rice cakes, and collecting snails—allowing visitors to experience a completely different, pristine ecotourism charm from urban life.