Xikou-Tengtou Tourist Scenic Area is located in Fenghua District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, consisting of two parts: Xikou Scenic Area and Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area, with a total area of about 140 square kilometers. Xikou Scenic Area is characterized by Republican-era culture, Maitreya culture, and landscapes, while Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area highlights ecological agriculture and rural customs. The two form a complementary tourism pattern of "humanities and ecology". The scenic area preserves a large number of buildings from the Republican period, such as the series of buildings of the Chiang's former residence, with a total area of 18,000 square meters. It also has demonstration areas combining ecological protection and development like Tengtou Ecological Village, making it a comprehensive tourist attraction integrating historical humanities, natural scenery, and ecological leisure.
Historical Culture
Xikou has a long history, with human activities dating back to the Neolithic Age. During the Jin Dynasty, Xikou got its name because it is located at the mouth of the Shanxi River. By the Tang Dynasty, it had become a famous town in eastern Zhejiang. In modern times, Xikou became famous at home and abroad as the hometown of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo. It retains a large number of historical relics and Republican-era cultural marks related to the Chiang family, such as Fenghao House, Yutai Salt Shop, and Wenchang Pavilion. These buildings witnessed the changes of the Republican period.
Tengtou Village has a history of over 600 years. Originally named "Tengtou" because of the many vine plants in the village. Since the 1980s, Tengtou Village took the lead in developing ecological agriculture and practiced the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", becoming a model for China's ecological rural construction. Its ecological development model was awarded the "Global 500 Best for Ecology" by the United Nations, containing the cultural connotation of modern rural sustainable development. In addition, Xuedou Mountain in the scenic area is one of the Maitreya Buddha's dojos, with a long history of Maitreya culture. Xuedou Temple, as a thousand-year-old ancient temple, has made important contributions to the inheritance and development of Buddhist culture.
Main Attractions
Chiang's Former Residence Scenic Area
Located in the center of Xikou Town, with a total area of about 14,000 square meters, it consists of buildings such as Fenghao House, Yutai Salt Shop, Wenchang Pavilion, and Small Western-style House. Fenghao House is the former residence of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, a traditional brick-and-wood courtyard with landmark buildings like the "Baoben Hall", preserving a large number of furniture and daily necessities from the Republican period. Yutai Salt Shop is the birthplace of Chiang Kai-shek, a building from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republican period, showing the commercial style of that time. Wenchang Pavilion was once Chiang Kai-shek's private villa and library, from which you can overlook the scenery of the Shanxi River. This scenic area is the core area to understand the history of the Chiang family and Republican-era culture.
Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area
Located in the northwest of Xikou Town, with a total area of about 85 square kilometers, the main peak Rufeng has an altitude of 800 meters, known as the "No.1 Mountain in Siming". The scenic area has Qianzhangyan Waterfall, with a drop of 186 meters, a famous waterfall in eastern Zhejiang. Literati such as Li Bai and Wang Anshi left poems here. Miaogao Terrace was Chiang Kai-shek's summer resort, with dangerous terrain and a broad view. Xuedou Temple was built in the Jin Dynasty, and the existing buildings were rebuilt in the 1980s. Inside the temple, there is a 56.7-meter-high bronze statue of the outdoor Maitreya Buddha, a landmark of the scenic area. In addition, there are natural and cultural landscapes such as Sanyin Pond and Xufuyan, integrating landscapes and Buddhist culture.
Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area
Located in Tengtou Village, covering an area of about 1.2 square kilometers, it is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and a Global 500 Best for Ecology unit. The scenic area features ecological agriculture and rural tourism, with facilities such as ecological hotels, plant tissue culture centers, and farming culture parks, demonstrating modern agricultural technologies like soilless cultivation and three-dimensional planting. The village has clear rivers and lush trees, retaining the traditional rural style, and at the same time introducing interactive projects such as piglet races and animal acrobatics. Tourists can experience farming activities like picking and rice transplanting, and feel the leisure atmosphere of the integration of ecology and countryside.
Xikou Museum
Located on Wuling West Road, Xikou Town, with a construction area of about 3,000 square meters, it has more than 3,000 cultural relics in its collection, mainly featuring Xikou's historical culture and cultural relics related to the Chiang family. The museum has exhibition halls such as "Prehistoric Culture", "Ming and Qing Folk Customs", and "Republican Era", systematically showing the development of Xikou from ancient times to modern times through physical objects, pictures, and multimedia means. Among them, documents and photos from the Republican period have important historical value.
Sanyin Pond
Located in Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area, it consists of Shangyin Pond, Zhongyin Pond, and Xiayin Pond, with a total area of about 2.5 square kilometers. The three ponds are distributed in the canyon in sequence, named for being hidden in the mountains. Shangyin Pond is known for its seclusion and danger, with waterfalls like silver curtains hanging down; Zhongyin Pond has an open water surface, where you can take bamboo rafts to visit; Xiayin Pond has a larger drop, with majestic waterfalls. There are plank roads connecting them, with a total length of about 3 kilometers, passing through bamboo forests and streams, making it a popular route for hiking and leisure.
Cuisine
Xikou Thousand-layer Cake
A traditional snack in Xikou, dating back to the Qing Dynasty. It is made of flour, sesame, white sugar, and vegetable oil through 12 processes. The cake is as thin as paper, with distinct layers, and tastes crispy and sweet. Its production technique has been included in the intangible cultural heritage of Ningbo City. It is sold in time-honored shops such as "Wang Maolong Thousand-layer Cake Shop" in the scenic area, with a price of about 15-25 yuan per bag (200 grams), and is a famous local souvenir.
Fenghua Juicy Peach
A specialty around the scenic area, with a planting history of more than 2,000 years. It is known for its regular shape, thin skin, thick flesh, juicy and sweet taste, and is known as "nectar". The picking period is from July to August every year. You can experience picking in the scenic area and surrounding orchards. The market price is about 8-15 yuan per catty. It is a must-try seasonal fruit in summer. You can also buy processed products such as peach preserves and peach juice, with a price of about 30-50 yuan per box.
Yellow Croaker with Pickled Vegetables
A traditional famous dish in Ningbo, a common dish in restaurants in Xikou and surrounding areas. It is made by boiling local fresh yellow croaker with potherb mustard pickles. The fish meat is tender, and the soup is delicious, reflecting the dietary characteristics of the eastern Zhejiang coast. The price of a serving of yellow croaker with pickled vegetables in restaurants in the scenic area is about 80-120 yuan, depending on the size of the fish.
Tengtou Ecological Feast
A characteristic catering in Tengtou Tourist Area, using organic vegetables and ecological poultry produced in the scenic area as raw materials, such as steamed ecological chicken, cold mixed wild vegetables, and freshly picked fruits. It focuses on original taste and nutrition and health. The price of an 8-person ecological feast is about 600-1000 yuan, which can be tasted in Tengtou Ecological Hotel to experience the achievements of ecological agriculture.
Surrounding Cuisine
There are many characteristic cuisines in Fenghua urban area and Ningbo urban area around the scenic area, such as Ningbo Glutinous Rice Balls (filled with black sesame and lard, soft, glutinous and sweet, with a price of about 8-15 yuan per bowl), Steamed Pork with Soy Sauce and Bamboo Shoots (local specialty bamboo shoots in Fenghua steamed with pork with soy sauce, salty and delicious, about 40-60 yuan per serving), and Salted Crab with Red Roe (made by pickling swimming crab, a winter specialty on the eastern Zhejiang coast, about 100-200 yuan per serving). Tourists can taste them on the way back.
Tickets
The ticket for Chiang's Former Residence Scenic Area is 120 yuan per person, the ticket for Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area is 150 yuan per person (including scenic area shuttle bus), the combined ticket for Chiang's Former Residence and Xuedou Mountain is 205 yuan per person, and the combined ticket for the three scenic areas is 280 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "溪口-滕头旅游景区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
Opening hours of Chiang's Former Residence Scenic Area: Summer time (April 1 - October 31) 7:30-17:30; Winter time (November 1 - March 31) 8:00-17:00.
Opening hours of Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area: Summer time 7:30-17:00 (admission stops at 16:00); Winter time 8:00-16:30 (admission stops at 15:30).
Opening hours of Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area: 8:00-17:00 (admission stops at 16:30).
Opening hours of Xikou Museum: 9:00-16:30 (closed on Mondays, except legal holidays).
Tour Routes
One-day tour route (humanities and ecology route): Arrive at Chiang's Former Residence Scenic Area at 8:30 a.m., visit Fenghao House, Yutai Salt Shop, and Wenchang Pavilion (about 2 hours); go to Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area at 10:30 a.m., take the scenic area shuttle bus to Qianzhangyan, watch the waterfall, and then take the cable car to Miaogao Terrace (about 2.5 hours); have lunch near Xuedou Temple at 13:00 p.m., visit Xuedou Temple and the outdoor Maitreya Buddha in the afternoon (about 1.5 hours); go to Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area at 15:00 p.m., experience farming activities and ecological landscapes (about 1.5 hours), and return at 17:00 p.m.
Two-day tour route: On the first day, visit Chiang's Former Residence Scenic Area in the morning, go to Xuedou Mountain in the afternoon, focus on visiting Sanyin Pond and Qianzhangyan, and stay in Xikou Town that night; on the second day, visit Xuedou Temple and Miaogao Terrace in the morning, go to Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area at noon, experience picking and rural leisure, visit Xikou Museum in the afternoon to learn about local history and culture, and then return.
Transportation
- Airplane: The nearest airport to the scenic area is Ningbo Lishe International Airport (about 30 kilometers). There are direct tourist buses from the airport to Xikou Town, 6 times a day (departure time 9:00-18:00, once every 1.5 hours), with a journey of about 40 minutes and a fare of 25 yuan per person; you can also take Metro Line 2 to Ningbo Railway Station and transfer to a bus or taxi.
- High-speed rail/train: The nearest high-speed rail station is Ningbo Station (about 38 kilometers). Take bus 988 from the south square of Ningbo Station directly to Xikou Town (journey about 1 hour, fare 5 yuan); Fenghua Station (about 15 kilometers) has Fenghua Bus 25 to Xikou Town (journey 30 minutes, fare 2 yuan), or a taxi costs about 30 yuan.
- Long-distance bus: Buses from Ningbo South Bus Station to Xikou Town run every 20 minutes from 6:00 to 18:00 every day, with a journey of about 50 minutes and a fare of 12 yuan per person; there are 3 buses from Shanghai South Bus Station to Xikou Town every day (8:00, 10:30, 14:00), with a journey of about 3 hours and a fare of 85 yuan per person.
- Self-driving: Starting from Ningbo urban area, take Yongjin Expressway to Xikou East Exit, with a total distance of about 35 kilometers, taking 40 minutes; starting from Hangzhou, take Hangyong Expressway and transfer to Yongjin Expressway, with a total distance of about 150 kilometers, taking 1.5 hours; starting from Shanghai, take Hushen Expressway and transfer to Yongjin Expressway, with a total distance of about 300 kilometers, taking 3 hours. There are parking lots in Chiang's Former Residence, Xuedou Mountain, and Tengtou Village in the scenic area, with a charge of 5 yuan per hour and a daily maximum of 30 yuan.
Must-visit Attractions
- Fenghao House: The core building of Chiang's former residence, with a traditional courtyard layout. It has iconic spaces such as "Baoben Hall" and preserves a large number of cultural relics from the Republican period. It is an important place to understand the life of the Chiang family, with an area of about 4,800 square meters.
- Xuedou Mountain Outdoor Maitreya Buddha: A 56.7-meter-high bronze Buddha statue, located behind Xuedou Temple. It is one of the largest outdoor Maitreya Buddha statues in China, implying the Maitreya culture of "a big belly that can tolerate", and is a landmark of the scenic area.
- Qianzhangyan Waterfall: With a drop of 186 meters, it is the core natural landscape of Xuedou Mountain. There is an "Yangzhi Bridge" under the waterfall, where you can watch the spectacular scene of the waterfall flowing down from a close distance, which is particularly shocking when the water volume is abundant in the rainy season.
- Tengtou Ecological Village: Featuring ecological agriculture and rural tourism, it has a 100,000-square-meter intelligent greenhouse and a 3-kilometer-long ecological river. You can experience farming, bird watching and other activities, and it is a model of ecological tourism.
Tour Suggestions
- Best visiting season: Spring (March-May, with blooming flowers) and autumn (September-November, with cool climate). You can avoid the heat in summer, but need to pay attention to more rain in the mountains; there is occasional snow scenery in Xuedou Mountain in winter, suitable for photography.
- Transportation choice: Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area is large in area and has scattered attractions. It is recommended to buy a combined ticket for the scenic area shuttle bus (50 yuan per person) to save energy; you can take the cable car and sightseeing train (combined ticket 80 yuan per person) from Sanyin Pond to Miaogao Terrace to experience the scenery from different perspectives.
- Catering experience: It is recommended to taste Fenghua juicy peaches from July to August. The yellow croaker with pickled vegetables and thousand-layer cakes in the "Old Taste" restaurant in the scenic area have a good reputation; the Tengtou ecological feast needs to be booked 1 day in advance, so you can experience the freshest organic ingredients.
- Accommodation recommendation: There are various choices in Xikou Town from budget hotels (about 150-300 yuan per night) to high-end homestays (about 500-1000 yuan per night). It is recommended to stay in the center of Xikou Town, which is convenient for visiting Chiang's former residence and going to Xuedou Mountain.
Precautions
- Tickets and Consumption: The shuttle buses, cable cars and other facilities in Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area are self-funded items. It is recommended to plan the route in advance, as combined tickets are more cost-effective; in some temples within the scenic area, religious etiquette should be respected, such as no noise and no random photography.
- Safety Tips: Some sections of Xuedou Mountain are steep, and the roads are slippery on rainy days, so non-slip shoes are required; there is a lot of water vapor around waterfalls such as Qianzhangyan and Sanyin Pond, so be careful of slipping; when hiking, follow the signposts and do not enter undeveloped areas without permission.
- Ecological Protection: Picking unpaid crops and feeding animals are prohibited in Tengtou Ecological Tourist Area; Xuedou Mountain is a key forest area, and smoking and use of open flames are strictly forbidden.
- Peak Season Tips: There are many tourists during holidays (such as the Spring Festival and National Day). It is recommended to book tickets and accommodation 1-2 days in advance. The shuttle buses in Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area may have queues, so you can travel at off-peak times (such as arriving before 7:30 a.m.).
- Special Groups: The main attractions in the scenic area, such as Chiang's Former Residence and Xuedou Temple, are equipped with barrier-free access, suitable for wheelchairs; Tengtou Village has children's play areas, and parents with children can bring strollers.