Shortly after the Spring Festival, the western Fujian region, known as the “Ancestral Home of the Hakka People,” welcomes another significant traditional festival — the Lantern Festival. Each year, the diverse folk activities of the Hakka Lantern Festival in western Fujian attract domestic and international tourists, travel enthusiasts, and photography lovers from far and wide to celebrate the “Chinese Hakka Carnival” together with the local Hakka community. This year, the Longyan Guanzhai Secret Valley Baixiang Resort Hotel, nestled at the foot of Guanzhai Mountain — revered as the No. 1 Sacred Mountain of the Hakka people — has specially curated a range of activities including Hakka Lei Cha (pounded tea) making, glutinous rice cake pounding, Hakka hotpot, and an exhibition of Hakka customs and culture. These offerings allow visitors to immerse themselves in the traditions of an 800-year-old Central Plains Lantern Festival, enriching their experience of Hakka Lantern Festival folklore.
Hakka Folk Traditions Attract Visitors from Far and Wide
In Gutan Town, Liancheng County, Longyan, families assemble prepared dragon heads, dragon waists, dragon tails, and dragon pearls to get ready for the annual Lantern Festival dragon parade. The Gutan Dragon Parade tradition dates back to the Ming Dynasty and has a history of over 400 years, symbolizing prayers for favorable weather and abundant harvests. Reporters observed that the streets and alleys of Gutan were filled with more backpackers wielding “long guns and short cannons” (cameras). Upon inquiry, it turned out they were travel enthusiasts from across the country who had made a special trip to Liancheng for the Lantern Festival. Travel enthusiast “Uncle Xiaoda” told reporters, “Among China’s Lantern Festival traditions, few are as lively as those in Liancheng. The entire village, regardless of age or gender, takes part — it’s incredibly vibrant. Events like ‘Ancient Processions and Dragon Parades’ are truly awe-inspiring.”
During the Lantern Festival, hotel chefs teach guests how to make tangyuan (sweet dumplings) step by step
It is reported that during the Year of the Sheep Lantern Festival, Fujian’s Liancheng attracted tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists. In the future, the hotel will continue to present the unique charm of Hakka traditional folklore to visitors from around the world through an increasing variety of formats. It is believed that the traditional folk culture of the Hakka people in western Fujian will become known to more and more people.
About Longyan Guanzhai Secret Valley Baixiang Resort Hotel
She is the pinnacle of oxygen-rich living — enjoy China’s highest forest coverage
She is the mysterious summit — explore millennia of Hakka legendary cultural heritage
She is a hidden realm — trace the retreats of historical figures and scholars
Longyan Guanzhai Secret Valley is located at the valley foot of Guanzhai Mountain, a national key scenic spot and one of the first batch of 4A-level tourist attractions in Liancheng. It is not only the area in western Fujian with the richest and most concentrated rare plant species, but also one of the best-preserved secluded retreats spanning nearly a thousand years. Developed over ten years by Xiamen Xiangye Group, Guanzhai Secret Valley has accumulated abundant resort resources and gradually become a premium boutique hotel renowned among high-end circles.
The resort hotel garden spans over 400 acres, integrating mountains, lakes, forests, streams, and valleys, with Hakka tulou (earthen buildings) and forest cabins dotting the landscape. The pristine natural environment blends seamlessly with the profound and unadorned Hakka culture, giving rise to hundreds of distinctive mountain-and-water Hakka vacation experiences. The endless delights of nature, leisure, entertainment, and wellness are simply irresistible. Guanzhai Secret Valley has also been praised by connoisseurs as “Hakka life painted in a landscape.”
About Xiangye Group
Xiangye Group (formerly Xiamen International Airport Group) is a large-scale state-owned enterprise group with cross-regional and diversified operations. It owns 40 wholly-owned or controlling subsidiaries, with businesses covering airports, docks, intercity passenger transport, hotels, exhibitions, e-commerce, logistics services, portside commercial real estate, food, advertising and media, intelligent technology, and floral technology. It is one of China’s Top 500 Service Enterprises.
The group focuses on developing related industries led by passenger and cargo services, deeply developing and rationally allocating resources, and striving to build four major business sectors: Yuanxiang Airports, Baixiang Hotels, Wanxiang Logistics, and Zhaoxiang Real Estate. With innovative systems and steady management, its various businesses are gradually establishing leading positions in their respective industries and regions.
Adhering to the corporate philosophy of “Pursuing Excellence and Contributing to Society,” the group provides high-quality products and continuously appreciating value to society, shaping a healthy, outstanding, and socially responsible enterprise. It is committed to becoming a driving force in the advancement of modern service industries led by passenger and cargo flows.
For more information, please visit www.iport.com.cn.