Situated east of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, west of Ganzhou of Guangxi Province, south of Meizhou of Guangdong Province and north of Sanming of Fujian, Longyan City is only 142 kilometers (88 miles) away from Xiamen thus is the nearest coastal city close to Xiamen. Because of its location in the western part of Fujian, which is called 'Min' for short, Longyan City is also named 'Min Xi', meaning the 'western Fujian'.
Longyan is a piece of land with profound history and brilliant culture. Also it locates the headstream of three rivers within the region of Fujian, namely Min River, Jiujiang River and Tingjiang River. Here used to be the paradise of the ancient 'Min' people and is the ancestral home of the Hakkas. In Chinese history, many ancient celebrities including politicians and poets like Zhang Jiuling, Li Gang, Zhu Xi, Wen Tianxiang, Xu Xiake and Ji Xiaolan were attracted to travel here.
As for the geographical features, the city is 192 kilometers (119 miles) long from east to west and is 182 kilometers (113 miles) long from north to south. It covers an area of 19,050 square kilometers (7,3355 square miles) , occupying 15.7 percent of the total area of the provincial area. The mountain area covers an area of over 15,000 square kilometers (5,792 square miles) while the plains cover 985 square kilometers (380 square miles).
The climate type of Longyan is subtropical marine monsoon climate. The annual temperature is between 18.7 degrees Centigrade (65.5°F) and 21 degrees Centigrade (70°F). The average amount of precipitation is between 1031 and 1369 millimeters. The hours of sunshine is between 1804 hours and 2060. The rainfall is sufficient and the climate of the whole year is mild and comfortable.
Especially, Longyan is a well known tourist area with abundant tourist resources. Within this region, there are three four-A tourist sites: the Earth Towers of the Hakkas in Yongding, the Guanzhi Mountain and the Longkong Cave. Also there are three national forest parks, namely Longyan National Forest Park, the Shanghang West Putuo National Forest Park and Zhangping Tiantai National Forest Park. Two state reserves within here are Mount Meihua (plum blossom) and Mount Liangye. Known as the ancestral home of the Hakkas, the historical and cultural town, Changting, was regarded as the capital of the Hakkas and the Tingjiang River was considered as the mother river of the Hakkas.
Among the eight top tourist brands in Fujian, there are two in Longyan. One is the Hakkas' culture of the western Fujian which is represented by the Earth Towers of the Hakkas in Yongding, and the other is the red soil regional culture represented by the site where the Gutian Congress was held.
Hereunder is a summary list of attractions in Longyan: the Earth Towers in Yongding, Mount Guanzhi in Liancheng, the Mount Tiangong, the folk houses in Peitian, the site of the Gutian Congress, the Longkong Cave, Yongfu Flower Town, Changting Ancient Town, Mount Meihua Tiger Park, Mount Seven Peak, Motuo Village, Yundingshan Tea Garden, Longyan National Forest Park, Mount Ziyun, Mount Liangye Natural Reserve and Chuxi Earth Towers.
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What to see: Yongding Earth Towers
