Liu'ao
Discover Liu'ao
Liu'ao (六鳌 Liù'áo) is a peninsula in Zhangpu County of Zhangzhou City, in the southern part of China’s Fujian Province. The Liu'ao Peninsula is located in the southern part of Fujian's coastline, south of Xiamen and Zhangzhou. It is one of the windswept sandy spits sticking out into the Taiwan Strait, along with the Gulei Peninsula farther to the southwest. While most of the peninsula is flat and sandy, it also incorporates several rocky hills, which must have been separate islands in the geological past. To China's ancient mariners, the silhouettes of these hills must have been reminiscent of ao, legendary creatures that are depicted as giant fish or turtles. They counted six of them, thus giving the peninsula its name, "Liu'ao" ("Six ao").
What to Experience in Liu'ao
Taste of Liu'ao...
More or less upscale restaurants (fàndiàn) can be found all along the main road. Liu'ao town also has a fewer simpler options (two Shāxiàn xiǎochī 沙县小吃 noodle shops, breakfast places, etc). Sweet potato porridge (地瓜粥 dìguā zhōu) appears to be a local specialty. There are accommodation of various types all along the peninsula's main road, with the greatest concentration of them in Liu'ao Town proper. Expect to pay at least ¥100 per night. Camping seems to be possible; a number of businesses advertise tent rental (帐篷出租).
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere is a regular bus service from the county seat, Zhangpu, as well as (less frequently) from Zhangzhou and Xiamen. There is no train station particularly close to Liu'ao. The closest one is 24.099141117.557751 Zhangpu Station, served by the coastal rail line, Shenzhen-Xiamen-Fuzhou; maps indicate that Zhangpu's main bus station is adjacent to the train station, so the bus to Liu'ao probably runs from there. A much more major train station (on the same line, but with more trains, and, in addition, with some trains from the interior of China) is 24.459403117.7114722 Zhangzhou Station. As of 2015, Zhangzhou is building its southern bus station adjacent to its train station; when completed, it is likely to become Zhangzhou's terminal for the bus to Liu'ao. If coming by car or bicycle, you probably will be using the coastal road (Hwy S201), to which Liu'ao's main road (X523) connects on the east side of Shentu Town....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
County Route X523 is the peninsula's main road, running mostly along its western side. While located outside of the peninsula itself, you can visit these sites as an easy day trip from Liu'ao (which has more accommodation options than the rest of southern Zhangpu County), or see them on the way to the peninsula. If you come during the sweet potato harvest season, you will see vendors of this crop all along the peninsula's main road. Visitors coming by car or tourist bus are seen actively buying the stuff; presumably, they view it as better than what's sold in markets in their own cities. There are a number of small stores, along the same main road, advertising "Liu'ao specialties" - mostly dried sea food, such as seaweeds (both zicai and haidai), squid, and shrimp in various forms. More or less upscale restaurants (fàndiàn) can be found all along the main road. Liu'ao town also has a fewer simpler options (two Shāxiàn xiǎochī 沙县小吃 noodle shops, breakfast places, etc).
Where to Stay
There are accommodation of various types all along the peninsula's main road, with the greatest concentration of them in Liu'ao Town proper. Expect to pay at least ¥100 per night. Camping seems to be possible; a number of businesses advertise tent rental (帐篷出租).
Money & Budget
If you come during the sweet potato harvest season, you will see vendors of this crop all along the peninsula's main road. Visitors coming by car or tourist bus are seen actively buying the stuff; presumably, they view it as better than what's sold in markets in their own cities. There are a number of small stores, along the same main road, advertising "Liu'ao specialties" - mostly dried sea food, such as seaweeds (both zicai and haidai), squid, and shrimp in various forms. More or less upscale restaurants (fàndiàn) can be found all along the main road. Liu'ao town also has a fewer simpler options (two Shāxiàn xiǎochī 沙县小吃 noodle shops, breakfast places, etc). Sweet potato porridge (地瓜粥 dìguā zhōu) appears to be a local specialty.