Wuyi Mountains: an action-packed day

Following Xiamen (B on map), our next stop was 武夷山, or the Wuyi Mountains (C on map). 

We arrived at the train station of 武夷山, Wu Yi Shan (yes, there's a train station thus named) in the evening after a 4-6 hours train ride from Xiamen. Located at the northern border of the Fujian Province, Wu Yi Shan is considered to be slightly further inland than where we originally were (Xiamen).

This place is known for its impressive mountain range, and is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for both its natural and cultural heritage (mainly tea cultivation and appreciation).

Unlike Xiamen, there weren't too many people tourists around during the time we were there. We learnt from our hired driver that the peak season would begin in 1-2 months' time; I thought we were fairly lucky to have the quiet mountains to ourselves during our 2-night stay here.

We retired to our beds early on the first night since it was already dark when our driver finally managed to find the secluded motel that we made a reservation with.

It was going to be a long day after we rose next morning.

We kickstarted the next day with breakfast at a dumpling store after telling our driver to bring us to where the locals would eat their breakfasts.

He was more than happy to oblige to our request.

Dumplings it was for breakfast.

And some soya milk to wash the dumplings down.

The dumplings were made on the spot; the kneading, folding and filling of dough skin with meat-filling took place at the back while the frying of dumplings in a shallow pan took place at the front of the shop; everything done in clear view of the patrons.

It was a simple but satisfying meal.

I later came to learn that the cuisine in this part of China focuses on the freshness of ingredients used rather than additional enhancing of flavours. Our driver/guide explained to us over lunch that ingredients used in the cooking here are constantly changing with the seasons so as to ensure optimum flavours and freshness when it's finally presented on diners' plates. 

Post-breakfast, our driver/guide brought us to see some waterfalls at a nature reserve.

A fair bit of walking was involved here; though not exactly strenuous, I found myself breaking out in sweat after a good 15 minutes of walking on inclined grounds, despite the shady and cool relief provided by all that trees in there.
(but then again, I need to disclaim that I start perspiring rather easily)


The first of a few waterfalls we'd come to see.

And here are my partners in crime pictured:

Aud, Stella and Sharri

Sights on the way to the top (lots of water and greenery):

Stella requested for a picture at this little 'hut', and of course I was more than happy to oblige:

Definitely one of the cutest, and most helpful and most innocent person I had the chance to know while in HK last year.

After going upwards for about 45 minutes, we arrived at the designated top-most area for visitors. Apart from two middle-aged ladies peddling tea and small souvenir items, there wasn't really anything much else (e.g. spectacular landscape views!).

Though mildly disappointed at the lack of mind-blowing lowland views, I did enjoy the little break we took up there; marveling at our lush surroundings and being grateful for the calmness offered.

View of the top:

Water curtains.

Coming down was much faster and less tiring than going up. 

The idyllic view that greeted us when we got back to the entrance of the nature reserve where our driver was waiting.

We passed by countless tea cultivation grounds; the views of the numerous but neat rows of tea plants were simply beautiful.

Our driver made us get a ticket each that included admission to a few spots and some activities; one of which was the flying fox (at another nature reserve). To get to the flying fox start point, we had to take a 20-minute uphill walk, again. I learnt that it's called 滑索 in Chinese.

Must be one of the most scenic flying foxes I've been on in my life.

If memory doesn't fail me, this was the place where we did the flying fox...
and some scary bungee thing that you'll see in the following few pictures.

It looks pretty harmless from the pictures you see here; judging from my clueless smile in the first picture, but in all honesty, that has got to be one of the scariest experiences of my life.

In order to catapult the unknowing 'victim' into the air, a man would hold on to straps dangling from the safety harness the victim's wearing, jump on the trampoline a few times before pulling you downwards as hard as possible and finally releasing his grip on those harness straps.

Not exactly for the weak-hearted.

What the 'ordeal' felt like:
I felt my heart coming up to my mouth as I screamed my lungs out.
As I was launched into the sky, it felt like the safety ropes snapped and the metal structure holding the ropes and me down got uprooted somehow. It's amazing the amount of thoughts that go through one's mind at moments of impending death. In that few milli-seconds where I was traveling upwards at the speed of light, I cursed myself for agreeing to go on this bungee thing despite a serious lack of safety considerations, got emotional when I thought about how lucky I have been in my life, before pleading silently to be spared from death at such a young age.

Thank goodness the whole thing didn't last for more than 2-3 seconds; the upward launch, that is.

Can't help but be so grateful to be alive when I was finally making my way back down phew.

Thank you but I think I'll stick to the flying fox for now.

A mini waterfall we passed by on the way to the second flying fox venue.

Another scenic ride down.

After all the heart-pumping action, we went water-rafting in the mountainous streams.
It was safe/easy enough for us to launch and manoeuvre our own tubes with an oar each; and the entire experience lasted for about 30 minutes or so.

To calm our nerves from the flurry of activities that afternoon, our driver finally brought us to take a look at the famous peaks of Wuyi Mountains (but not before a claustrophobic walk to see a famous crack in some big rocks that reveal a sliver of the sky - appropriately named 一線天):

霸王峰, or Tyrant's Peak.
(I think)

And this is 玉女峰, or Jade Maiden Peak. Wuyi Mountains' most iconic peak.

The scene was quite difficult to capture with the sun setting just behind those peaks.

Can't really be seen here but there were some families on holiday taking leisure walks on those stones by the river, as well as a couple taking bridal shots.

Our driver told us some interesting myths/fairytales related to the few peaks but I can't really recall them now anymore.

We ended our day by getting some smoked goose (a local specialty) for dinner, and also some yummy tea biscuits to bring back to our friends in Hong Kong. Our driver agreed to send us to the train station the next morning so that we could catch our train to Fuzhou, our transit stop on the way to Beijing.

I really enjoyed our short stay here at 武夷山.
The air's great, and the people hospitable; I miss hearing our driver call us 小姑娘 (as opposed to just 姑娘 in other cities in China that we had been to) - that somehow adds a degree of innocence to the way the locals here perceive people and life in general.

I remember having a conversation with our driver about costs of living in the different places we were from and he was appalled at how costly it is to reside in Singapore; expressing content for the simplicity that he's experienced here for all his life.
That was a nice moment.

Anyhow, we arrived in Fuzhou (福州) after some hours of traveling on the train.
Stella arranged for us to meet up with some of her high school friends, before Sharri and I made our ways to Beijing, and Aud and her head back to HK.

Taking a walk along 南後街 in Fuzhou, a shopping street that still retains traditional architecture from a great many centuries back (yes we were walking on the same streets as the ancient Chinese!) despite the modern goods that are being sold here. There was a very Chinese-looking Starbucks on the left side of the street.

Stella and her wonderful high-school friends.

A visit to Fuzhou (福州) would not be complete without trying the famous Fuzhou fishballs.

This meat-filling was very well-seasoned and that was the best Fuzhou fishball I had in my 23 years of living (well, comparing to the bland-tasting ones we have here in Singapore...).