Discover Chengdu’s Hidden Gem: Luodai Ancient Town!

As the beginning of spring approaches, the days grow warmer and the spring breeze no longer feels cold. The streets of Chengdu are filled with the essence of springtime. Withered trees sprout new buds and spring flowers are ready to bloom. With the arrival of spring, flowers smile and bring a lively atmosphere to the season.

Embrace the gentle spring breeze and the warm sun. Seize the last moment of the Spring Festival to visit a place with a pleasant climate and seek a scenic spot that can heal the soul. Spend a bustling Lantern Festival in Chengdu’s Luodai Ancient Town. Look at the thousands of lights, which are most soothing to the heart.

Recently, the weather in Chengdu has been favorable, with the sun shining brightly, as if the Spring Festival continues. Time flies, and before we know it, it’s the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It is commonly said that the year truly begins after the celebration of the New Year. Coincidentally, this year’s Lantern Festival falls on a weekend. If you wish to go out but not travel too far, consider visiting Luodai Ancient Town!

Luodai Ancient Town, located in Longquanyi District, Chengdu, is a national historical and cultural town. It is only about 40 minutes’ drive from the city center of Chengdu. This beautiful ancient town is one of the four major ancient towns in Chengdu and is also the largest Hakka gathering place in the western region. From afar, you can admire the undulating hills of Longquan Mountain. Up close, experience the vibrant life of Luodai Ancient Town.

Luodai Ancient Town: The Last ‘Hakka Kingdom’ in Southwest China

Admission: Free
Opening Hours: All day
Address: No. 999 San’e Street, Luodai Town, Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Transportation:
1. By car: Depart from Chengdu via Chengdu Ring Expressway and Chongqing-Chengdu Expressway/Shaanxi-Chengdu Expressway, and arrive at Luodai Ancient Town.
2. By public transport: Take Chengdu Metro Line 4 and get off at Xihe Station, Exit B. Transfer to bus L024 and get off at Luodai Bus Station Center. Walk 263 meters to reach the destination.

Luodai Ancient Town is renowned for being the first Hakka town in Western China. It is the largest Hakka settlement in Sichuan and the entire southwest region. The rich Hakka cultural temperament and vivid Hakka life have formed the ‘East Mountain Hakka’ center in Chengdu. Historically, the policy of ‘Huguang fills Sichuan’ promoted the spread and cultural penetration of Hakka culture in Luodai Ancient Town. Scholars thus consider Luodai Ancient Town as the last ‘Hakka Kingdom’ in Southwest China and a ‘cultural living fossil’ of the Central Plains culture.

It is said that Luodai had streets during the Three Kingdoms period. Later, the town got its name because of a river with water falling from the sky resembling a jade belt, hence ‘Luodai’. With a history of a thousand years, strolling through the ancient streets, the layout of one street and seven alleys has remained unchanged for centuries. Hakka residences are well preserved, especially the ‘four halls and one garden’ of Guangdong Guild Hall, Jiangxi Guild Hall, Huguang Guild Hall, Sichuan North Guild Hall, and Hakka Park, as well as the ancient Ran Deng Temple and Wu Feng Building. All of these are highly ornamental. Each guild hall in Luodai showcases the richness of immigrant culture and the diversity of classical architecture.

In the warm spring sun, the slanting rays shine on the doors of the ancient streets. Red lanterns hang all over the streets, adorning the gray walls and black tiles. Colorful flags flutter in the wind, and the streets are filled with a strong festive atmosphere. Walking through the bustling ancient streets, the sound of people selling goods fills the ears, and all around are lanterns blooming with the new spring. This scene cannot help but amaze, as if the taste of childhood New Year has returned.

Walking on the mottled bluestone streets, watching the coming and going of the crowd, observing the endless stream of tourists in front of the stalls, the bustling scene is infinitely touching. The Hakka dragon dance in Luodai is a major local feature. If you are fortunate enough to witness it, it will surely amaze you. In addition, with the arrival of the Lantern Festival, there are also wonderful Hakka folk performances in the ancient town.Time flies and it’s already the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The common people often say that only after the New Year is the real start of the year. Coincidentally, this year’s Lantern Festival falls on a weekend. If you want to go out but don’t want to travel too far, come and visit Luodai Ancient Town!

Luodai Ancient Town in Chengdu is located in Longquanyi District and is a national historical and cultural town, only about 40 minutes’ drive from the urban area of Chengdu. The beautiful Luodai Ancient Town is one of the four major ancient towns in Chengdu and is also the largest Hakka gathering place in the western region. From afar, you can see the undulating hills of Longquan Mountain, and up close, you can experience the life of Luodai Ancient Town.

**Luodai Ancient Town: The Last ‘Hakka Kingdom’ in Southwest China**

Admission: Free
Opening Hours: All day
Address: No. 999 San’e Street, Luodai Town, Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province

**Transportation**:
1. Self-driving: Depart from Chengdu, via Chengdu Ring Expressway, Chongqing-Chengdu Expressway/Shuncheng Expressway, to Luodai Ancient Town.
2. Public transport: Take Chengdu Metro Line 4 and get off at Xihe Station Exit B, then transfer to L024 and get off at Luodai Bus Terminal Station, walk 263 meters to arrive.

Luodai Ancient Town, known as the first Hakka town in Western China, has a great reputation. It is the largest Hakka settlement in Sichuan and the entire southwestern region. The strong Hakka cultural temperament and the vivid life of the Hakka people have formed the ‘East Mountain Hakka’ center in Chengdu. Historically, the ‘Huguang Fill Sichuan’ movement promoted the spread and penetration of Hakka culture in Luodai Ancient Town, a humanistic phenomenon. Therefore, scholars believe that Luodai Ancient Town is the last ‘Hakka Kingdom’ in Southwest China and a ‘living cultural fossil’ of the Central Plains culture.

It is said that Luodai has been a street since the Three Kingdoms period, and later because there was a river here ‘with water falling from the sky like a jade belt’, hence the name ‘Luodai’. Luodai Ancient Town has a history of thousands of years. Walking through the ancient streets, the layout of one street and seven alleys has not changed for thousands of years, and the Hakka dwellings are well preserved, especially the ‘four halls and one garden’ of Guangdong Hall, Jiangxi Hall, Huguang Hall, Northern Sichuan Hall, and Hakka Park, as well as the ancient temple of Ran Deng and the Wu Feng Tower, which are very ornamental. The Luodai halls showcase the richness of immigrant culture and interpret the diversity of classical architecture.

In the warm spring sun, the slanting sun shines on the doors of the ancient streets. Red lanterns adorn the streets, embellishing the grey walls and black tiles with a festive spirit. Colorful flags flutter in the wind, and the narrow alleys are filled with a rich festive atmosphere. Walking through the bustling ancient streets, the sounds of vendors selling their wares fill the air, surrounded by lanterns reflecting the beauty of the new spring. This scene evokes a sense of wonder, reminiscent of the childhood Lunar New Year celebrations.

Traversing the mottled bluestone streets, observing the crowds and the continuous flow of tourists in front of the stalls, the bustling scene is truly moving. The Hakka dragon dance in Luodai is a significant local feature; witnessing it would undoubtedly leave you in awe. Additionally, with the arrival of the Lantern Festival, there are also a variety of colorful Hakka folk performances in the ancient town.

Under the glow of the setting sun, Luodai Ancient Town exudes a tranquil traditional beauty. Walking on the ancient streets, one can find a variety of snacks such as twisted sugar, syrup fruit, glutinous rice chicken wings, pineapple rice, and more. Among them, the most popular are the Hakka specialties of smoked oil-blanched goose and Luodai’s ‘heartbreaking’ cold jelly noodles.

It is reported that the production process of the oil-blanched goose is complex, requiring seven or eight steps and over ten hours of cooking to create a delicious smoked oil-blanched goose. The ‘heartbreaking’ cold jelly noodles, on the other hand, were created by Hakka immigrants from Guangdong who were reminiscing about their hometown’s cold noodles, hence the name. However, tourists now jest that the ‘heartbreaking’ cold jelly noodles got their name because they are spicy and sour,Admission: Free
Opening Hours: Boke Building 9:00—18:00 (Boke Town is open all day)
Address: No. 999 San’e Street, Luodai Town, Longquanyi District, Chengdu
Transportation:
1. Self-driving: Depart from Chengdu via Chengdu Ring Expressway and Chongqing-Chengdu Expressway/Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway to Boke Building.
2. Public transport: Take Chengdu Metro Line 4 and get off at Xihe Station, Exit B. Transfer to L024 and get off at Luodai Bus Station Center Station. Walk 936 meters to reach.

In Fujian Longyan, there is a divine surrounded building, which is the home of Chun in ‘Big Fish & Begonia’. In Chengdu, there is also a ‘Big Fish & Begonia’, and that is the Boke Building hidden beside Luodai Ancient Town, a ‘circular fortress’ among the mountains. This is the Hakka Tulou, which once guarded the people living inside, sheltering them from wind and rain, just like in the movie where Qiu protects Chun, and Chun protects Peng, a circular Tulou guarding the peace of a Hakka home.

Today, the Blog Building has been transformed into a large museum, showcasing the customs and folklore of the Hakka people through images, artifacts, and text. The Blog Building is the landmark structure of the Blog Town. Many visitors come to Luodai Ancient Town to check out the same style of Tulou featured in the movie ‘Big Fish & Begonia’ and to witness the magnificent scenery of the Blog Building. The three streets and nine alleys of the Blog Town, with their hundred courtyards each displaying unique characteristics, are architecturally integrated with the styles of Sichuan, Fujian, Hainan, Shanxi, and Huizhou, giving it an extraordinary elegance.

The Blog Building in Luodai is a four-story high Hakka Tulou, modeled after the Yongding Tulou in Fujian, encapsulating the millennia of wisdom of the Hakka people. From a distance, the Blog Building appears massive and majestic, creating an illusion as if one has found a connection between the Blog Building and the movie ‘Big Fish & Begonia’.

Upon entering the Blog Building and gazing up at this circular earthen building, with red lanterns hanging around, a scene of tranquility and harmony unfolds. The Blog Building faces the Wu Feng Building across the lake, and the blend of two ethnic cultures endows Luodai with a colorful cultural heritage.

Golden Dragon Great Wall: A Scenic Spot Resembling the ‘Great Wall’
Entrance Fee: 30 yuan per person, discounted ticket 15 yuan per person
Opening Hours: 9:00 – 17:00
Address: Xin Changren Road, Luodai Town, Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Transportation:
1. Self-driving: Depart from Chengdu city center via Chenglu Avenue, Chenghuan Road, and Xin Changren Road to arrive.
2. Public transport: Take bus 853a from Luodai Passenger Transport Center to Golden Dragon Great Wall Station.
Attractions:
1. Jungle Roller Coaster: Downward (adult ticket 50 yuan, child ticket 25 yuan); Upward (adult ticket 40 yuan, child ticket 20 yuan)
2. Jungle Roller Coaster: Round trip (adult 70 yuan, child 35 yuan)
3. Jungle Slide: Full course (adult 30 yuan, child 15 yuan)
4. Jungle Roller Coaster (downward) + Jungle Slide (downward): Adult ticket 60 yuan, child ticket 30 yuan

It is a common saying among the people that ‘climbing high in the first month of the lunar year’ implies ‘rising step by step’ and good fortune. Thus, starting from Luodai Ancient Town, it takes only about ten minutes to reach the Longquan Golden Dragon Great Wall.

‘He who has not reached the Great Wall is not a true hero.’ Amidst the lush greenery of Longquan Mountain in Chengdu, there also winds a great wall. As it is located next to the Jinhu Lake in Luodai Town, it is also known as the Golden Dragon Great Wall. The Golden Dragon Great Wall is 1680 meters long, and it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the summit on foot.

This wall ascends along the terrain of Longquan Mountain, steep and vertical, requiring great perseverance to climb, and gradually becoming a popular destination for family outings, intending to exercise the willpower of children. Standing on top of the Golden Dragon Great Wall, one can lookNearby, there is a dinosaur park and carousel that children love. If climbing the Jinlong Great Wall is not your preference, you can opt to take the scenic area’s sightseeing bus to the top of the mountain, then either ride the amusement facilities down or hike down the Great Wall.

Bu Er Yin Lu: Savor Private Delicacies
Bu Er Yin Lu (Luo Shui Store)
Operating Hours: 10:00 – 21:00
Average Cost: Around 150 yuan per person
Address: Next to Luo Shui Wetland Park, San E Street, Longquanyi District, Chengdu
Transportation: Self-driving via Chenglu Avenue, Yudai Street, and San E Street.

Only a mouthful of delicious cuisine can perfectly conclude a journey. Next to Luodai Ancient Town, there is an elegant private kitchen hidden in the bustling city. With its fresh and elegant courtyard decorations, spacious lawns, and a peaceful environment, it transports diners into a picturesque realm.
Here, you can enjoy tasty private dishes and indulge in the atmospheric feast. Of course, it is also a great place to bask in the sun, gather around a table to sip tea. Sitting in the outdoor area, sipping a pot of green tea, chatting with friends, and waiting for time to pass by.

During the Lantern Festival, come and stroll through Luodai Ancient Town! Admire the ancient Hakka architecture, wander through the old streets filled with festive lanterns, taste the deep-fried goose, and heartbreak cold jelly; check-in at the Tulou featured in ‘Big Fish & Begonia’, climb a mountain, and scale a Great Wall, experiencing the traditional Hakka customs. Amidst the gentle breeze and beautiful scenery, amidst laughter and opera sounds, spend a comfortable and joyful holiday.

Itinerary
Chengdu City – Luodai Ancient Town – Xinmin Restaurant (for smoked deep-fried goose) – Jinlong Great Wall – Blog Building – Bu Er Yin Lu Restaurant – Return Trip