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4 Days Xiapu Mudflat Photography Tour

Shoot the Most Beautiful Mudflat in China

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Xiapu Mudflat, located in Ningde City of Fujian Province in Southeast China, is praised as “the most beautiful mudflat in China” as well as one of the “Top 10 Domestic Photography Bases” by those photography enthusiasts, where you can take countless fantastic pictures of the colorful beach, charming sunrise, glorious sunset, appealing mists, rolling mountains, groups of fishing-boats, working local “sea gypsies”, lovely islets, etc. You will feel your camera lack of storage space to collect all the amazing masterpieces of nature. It can be visited all the year round and different seasons show you different sceneries, with hidden surprises waiting for you. This 4-day Xiapu photography tour takes you to capture all the best beauties of Xiapu mudflat at its top popular amazing villagers and beaches. Take your camera and lenses and let’s shoot!

Highlights of this tour:

  • ● Capture the beautiful sunrise over the sea and mudflat in Weijiang Village, Huazhu Village and Beiqi Village;
  • ● Shoot the magnificent sunset falling down in Xiaohao Village, Dongbi Village and Huyu’ao Village at the best time and location;
  • ● Have in-depth exploration about the fishing families, “She” ethnic group’s folk customs and record their daily life on the mudflat and sea;
  • ● Shoot the idyllic rural sightseeing of banyan trees, buffalo, farmers, etc. with wonderful sunshine at Yangjiaxi Village.

Basic Photography Info

Travel Route: Xiapu

Travel Length: 4 Days

Tour Code: CD-FJXP-04

Tour Type: Customizable Private Tour

Departure: You Choose (you may plan it according to the best season and time.)

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Itinerary Details Day by Day

Day 1 Xiapu Arrival

Ni Hao! Welcome to Xiapu, a county with the most beautiful mudflat in China! Upon arrival, you will be met by our local tour guide at Xiapu Railway Station and escorted to your hotel by a private comfortable vehicle and check in.

In this afternoon, you’ll be driven about 20km to Xiaohao Village (about 35 mins’ driving), which is a famous place for shooting sandiness mudflat and sunset. When the sun is falling down, the shining golden glory paints the whole mudflat, and this is the best moment to record this splendid landscape of the setting sun and the mudflat. The east of Xiaohao is great for photographing with back lighting and the color of its beach changing with light, offering photographers hidden surprises. The west of Xiaohao is great for shooting with front lighting, photographing super large-scale scene of kelp harvest - fishing boats like mighty forces shuttling among the bamboo poles on the sea, which is like a grand movement composed by many dancing musical notes.

After that, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel! Stay overnight in Xiapu!

Photography Tips: Travelers should wear comfortable shoes for you need to walk about 15 minutes to get up at a higher location for photography.

Arrival Ideas: Travelers can take high speed trains to Xiapu from Fuzhou (about 1hr), Xiamen (about 2.5hrs), Shanghai (about 5.5hrs), Hangzhou (about 4 hrs), Nanjing (about 5hrs), Shenzhen (about 6.5hrs), etc.

Fisherman Working in Xiapu Mudflat Xiapu Xiaohao Village Sunset at Xiapu Xiaohao Village
Day 2 Xiapu (B, L)

On this day, get up early in the morning and head to Weijiang Village for sunrise. Also called Mantou (Steamed Bun) Hill, it is treated as a sacred place for shooting sunrise, hanging oysters, sunning kelp, working fishermen…You’ll see the sky changes suddenly - dark blue, green blue, light blue, blue white, bright red, golden…seize the rare moment to shoot the beautiful scene. With the flying egrets in the charming sky and the steamed-bun shaped hill, the whole scene is really a tranquil landscape of “Master Nature”.

Later, you’ll be escorted to Shajiang, the only place suitable to shoot in daytime. Shoot the elegant view of many big “S” shapes formed by layers of bamboo poles hanging sea kelp on the sea, which extends to the end of the sea. With fishers driving their boats shuttling back and forth among each curve, you can record the amazing landscape painting of mudflat. The best shooting angle is from the top floor of Xiapu No.2 Middle School.

Lastly, be followed to Dongbi Village to shoot the sunset. The golden color of the falling sun presents a golden silk dress for the mudflat and the soft lines of the sinuate water ways vary as the waves, some even performing “S” shapes, and this is super magnificent and rare. Various changing curves and lines are dyed with contrastive warm colors and blue colors under the orange and red sky backdrop. Furthermore, as some fishermen hang their fishing nets here on the mudflat, it is very lucky to shoot some pictures of the ordinary tools to increase your amounts of cultural themed photographic works of Xiapu.

After the shooting, be escorted back to your hotel and have a good sleep!

Charming Sunrise at Weijiang Mudflat Shajiang Dongbi Village - Local Fishermen Hanging Fishing Nets
Day 3 Xiapu (B, L)

On this day, get up early in the morning and head to Huazhu Village (about 40km away from Xiapu County) with 1 hour’s driving to take charming photos of its sunrise. Reach the photography site and overlook the tranquil village on the sea. Bamboo poles in front, fishermen’s houses on the sea, and islets as well as boats at a distance are all in nice order, with the unpredictable colors changed by the scattered light of the rising sun, everything here make a mysterious charming splendor for your best photography creativity! During the porphyra harvest season, when the sunglow shines on the sea and the fishermen work on the farmlands, it depicts the most gorgeous sea painting scroll.

Later, drive to Yantian Village, a main shooting place of local culture of fishing family. You can use your camera freely to record the real life and laboring scene of the piscatorial “Lian Family Boatmen” who are called the “sea gypsies” for long time living on their own fishing boats in Xiapu. Lastly, get to Huyu’ao Village to appreciate the sun falling down on the sea, which is charming with both front light and back light. After the shooting, be escorted back to your hotel and have a good sleep!

Huazhu Village Sunrise Yantian Village
Day 4 Xiapu & Xiapu Departure (B)

Today, try to get up early and head to Beiqi Village, which is the most wonderful shooting place for Xiapu mudflat, to take best photos of the beautiful sunrise. The morning golden sunshine spurting down on the sea changes the mudflat into a dreamy colorful world. Shoot the most famous tiger-skin-like stripes of the mudflat dyed under the glorious morning sunshine, shadows of fishermen, fishing boats, poles, etc. which compose a very harmonious painting with lyric dynamic charm, from which you will admire the “Magician Nature” who makes the extraordinarily common point, line, light and shadow full of magic.

Later, transfer to peaceful Yangjiaxi Village which is reputed as “Fairyland off the Sea” and “Little Mount Wuyi in East Fujian”. Walk into this ideal place to shoot old banyan trees, maple trees, pastoral rural life, working farmers and their buffalos and the superb Tyndall Effect with strings of sunshine through the forest …Enjoy some fresh air and happy photography time here.

After the tour, your local guide and driver will escort you to Xiapu Railway Station for a high speed train to your next destination or home. Tour ends!

Watch Sunrise at Beiqi Village Yangjiaxi Village - Fairyland off the Sea

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Xiapu Mudflat Photography Guide

Xiapu Xiapu Beiqi Sunrise

Xiapu Mudflat is located at Xiapu County, the northeast coast of Fujian Province. There are many beautiful mudflats in the world, so what makes Xiapu so special? On the one hand, Xiapu has the great shoot position. To shoot mudflat, the best angle is overlook view. Xiapu just has many small hills where you can shoot the mudflat from a high point. On the other hand, without white sand, azure sky and blue sea, Xiapu is nothing like the traditional sea resorts. This is a sea of labor, a sea that breeds generation by generation. Through the ages, local people change the sea with their own hand, while their life is also changed with the sea. They farm the mudflat along the long coastline, work as the sun rise, and rest as the sun set. This is Xiapu, a picturesque mudflat sketched by color and line, the most photographed sea in China, the most beautiful mudflat praised by photographers.

Best Sites for Photography

Beiqi Sunrise

Beiqi is a famous seaweed farm and only 5km from Xiapu County. This is the closest and the most beautiful shooting site in Xiapu. The most beautiful things here are the tiger-skin-like mudflat stripe and shades of poles, fisherman and boat. The best location for shooting is on the top of the little hill seated beside the mudflat. At here, you can shoot the most beautiful sunrise in Xiapu. Use wide angle lens to show the panoramic view and use telephoto lens to capture the sailing boat on the mudflat.

Xiaohao and Dongbi Sunset

Xiaohao is 18km from Xiapu County, and this is a beloved site for many Xiapu fans. At here, you can shoot the sandy mudflat and labor scene of catching fish. You need to walk a short mountain road to get to the high point for photography. The best time for shooting is about the sunset time. Dongbi is only 2km from Xiaohao. The view here is very spectacular, especially in the seaweed harvest season: small boat sailing across the seaweed farm under the golden sun, and this is the great place to shoot sunset on the sea.

Yantian

Yantian is 13km west to the Xiapu County. Yantian means salt pan in Chinese and there is the “Sea Gypsy”. Sea Gypsy refers to the people who live on the shabby boat and make a living by fishing and collecting shells. Yantian has a large area of mudflat and the shore view is very attracting. This is a great place t shoot local people’s living and working conditions and folk customs. The best locations for shooting are Beidou Village, Diaoqi and Nantang Village. Yantian’s sunrise and sunset are also very suitable for shooting.

Weijiang

Weijiang Village is 1 hour drive from Xiapu County. A large area of mudflat extends to the distance; this spectacular scene is great for sunrise and sunset shooting. Weijiang is also called Mantou Hill for there is a little islet which looks like Mantou (means bun) in the sea of Weijiang. Except the gorgeous sunrise and sunset, this place is also good for shooting the labor scene of drying seaweed. The shooting location of Weijiang is flexible, and many locations are suitable for shooting.

Best Season for Photography

Xiapu is suitable for taking beautiful photos around the year, however, April to December are most recommended. March to April are good to shoot the cultural scenes of villagers hanging oysters on the pols; in May and June, you are going to shoot the pictures of people catching fish fry and hanging sea kelp, and egrets flying in the beautiful sky as well; in July to September, it is the best time to take fabulous photos of the changing and terrific colors and lights of the sky, clouds and sea for most beautiful Xiapu mudflat; while from October to the start of the next year, you can take amazing photos about local fishermen’s working of the seaweed and the praisable maple leaves at Yangjiaxi Village. Apart from that, the time of flood tide and falling tide is more important than the season for photography in Xiapu. And usually, morning hours and sunset hours are more recommended to catch the lights and shadows. Daytime is good for folk photography.

Tips from Our Experts

1. Recommended equipment

Wide angle lens more than 24mm and telephoto lens of 300 ~ 400mm (at least 200mm) will be helpful to capture the grand and magnificent of the sea. When you shoot at the seashore, the wind is strong, thus, tripod can help to stable the camera. Polarizer is also recommended to avoid the reflecting effect of the water surface. When you shoot beside the sea, to prevent the water and sand from the lens, you need to bring some lens paper.

2. How to shoot sunrise and sunset in Xiapu

When you shoot sunrise or sunset, don’t let your camera face the sun light. Take use of the inverted reflection in the mudflat or morning/dusk sunglow to add more color to your photo. When the sunset, don’t leave immediately. During the half hour after the sunset, you can shoot the mudflat with blue color background. At this time, tripod is necessary.

3. Photographic composition

Horizontal composition can express the majesty of the mudflat, while the vertical composition shows the depth of the coastline. If the shooting objects contain many people and fishing boat, diagonal composition and curvilinear composition are suitable to highlight the subjects.

4. Transportation advice

Xiapu has High Speed Railway Station, so it’s convenient to get there. From Fuzhou to Xiapu, it only takes about 1 hour, while from Xiamen to Xiapu, it takes about 2.5 hours. There is no airport in Xiapu, so you can take flight to Fuzhou or Xiamen, and then take high speed train from Fuzhou or Xiamen to Xiapu.

5. Accommodation advice

There are some hotels on the Shanhe Road and Longshou Road of Xiapu County. Xiapu is not a tourist zone, thus, it’s hard to find a hotel along the sea.

For more photography advice about Fujian Tulou and Xiapu, you can feel free to contact us and we are here ready to help!

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