63 kilometres from Haikou City centre, in the middle of Ding’an county is Wen bi feng Mountain and Wen bi feng Daoism Park where the Yuchan Palace along with numerous pavilions and halls built in the style of the Song Dynasty are scattered across 1000 acres of some of the most beautiful mountain terrain in Hainan. Legend has it that Yuchan Bai, the founding father of Southern Daoism studied and meditated here before ascending into heaven.
Who is this break for?
This break is for anyone looking to slow down, chill out and just unwind for a couple of days. Bring a good book as it is quite remote, there’s not much going on outside, and the park itself closes down around 6:30, (allowing for stragglers to make their way back to the gates).
What’s to do there?
Chill out! Wen bi feng is very well maintained with beautifully landscaped grounds and pleasant environment. There are numerous pavilions, lakes, babbling brooks and viewing platforms to keep the photographer inside you snapping away.
There’s a (very) small museum that’s worth checking out, and staff at the park hand make joss incense sticks which they sell in their shop. You can even try your hand at making your own, they’re happy to teach you.
What about dining?
There are numerous snack shops on the grounds and a small noodle shop which sells excellent noodles for 10 yuan a bowl. Be warned though, the owners mentioned that they were returning to Sichuan for a couple of months in June, which limits your options.
There are a number of semi-permanent stalls opposite the park and a quasi “western-style” restaurant a 2-minute walk further down the road which we didn’t try.
As we were in Ding’an we decided to go to “Ding’an Xian Gou” which is famous for its beef. It’s a 20-minute drive from the park, and if you have your own transportation, it’s definitely recommended.
“Ding’an Xian Gou” is famous in Ding’an; beef butchers line the left had side of the street and restaurants the right. You buy your beef from the butchers, bring it to the restaurant who then slice and season it for you and you cook it yourself at the table teppanyaki style.
One jin of beef, fried rice, lettuce to wrap it all up in, a vegetable and soft drinks cost 300 yuan and was easily enough for 4-5 people. And the beef was excellent.
Location of Ding’an Xian Gou
Copy and paste 定安仙沟 into Baidu maps or Didi and select the first option as it appears on your screen.
How about the accommodation?
Accommodation is small cottage style rooms either next to or on the grounds of the park. You can rent double or twin rooms which are tastefully decorated, solid and good quality. A double room for 2 nights with breakfast cost 1,100 yuan during Dragon boat festival.
You could easily visit and tour Wen bi feng in a day, and it would be a very enjoyable day trip. But the opportunity to now stay there overnight allows you to take it all in at your own pace, slow down and leave the city behind, at least for a while.
Your room card allows you entrance to the park for as many times as you like, simply show the card to staff on the gate, or if it’s after hours there’s a side entrance, (sunrise and sunsets inside the park are recommended).
Location and Where to book?
Type “文笔峰” into Baidu maps or Didi.
Click here to book rooms on Qunar.com or scan the Qr code below.
Related article: Mini breaks: Bozong Village, Dongying Town, Lingao
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