JANVI TOURS

In Guangzhou, urbanization has drastically changed things in the past few hundred years, but truly authentic villages still exist in abundance throughout the countryside.

There are indeed some beautiful villages around the city for you to enjoy the rural view. Escape to the villages for a taste of China's rural life; unwind from the hustle and bustle of China's modern cities; - you'll be shocked by the big contrast! No tourists Guarantee!

The genius of the Hakka is best seen in the unique roundhouses of the mountainous borderland of three provinces—Guangdong, Fujian, and Jiangxi. Let's learn the evolution of Hakka dwellings in rural Guangzhou from this tour. We are going to explore the untouched traditional villages & Chinese rural dwellings unique to the Hakka group in the mountain area of Guangzhou and begin our tour at your downtown hotel at 11 am.

Highlights & Itinerary

This tour takes you off the beaten track to experience the grass-roots Guangzhou, experiencing fresh countryside organic food and seeing how the farming folk of South China live. You get a real sense of family and friendship!

Stop A: The distance to the rural village is about 65 kilometers, after around 1 hour driving from downtown, we arrive at a 350 years old Hakka village. Here you can see the only ancient traditional Hakka dwelling which was built in 1715 in the Guangzhou region. A little background of this village: This village was praised as the “Scholar Village”, and it was credited to a Feng-Shui Master back at that time. Chen's brothers just moved from Meizhou, Jiaoling county to the Ao-t'ou village, and the life was considered quiet and peaceful. By a lucky coincident, a Feng-Shui master from this village told them that to build a big, round house in a good Feng-Shui area would defiantly make the Chen's family flourished. After hearing about it, the Chen's started to look for the best land for building the house. And as we know, the house has became today's famous Hakka Dragon Rounded House.

The Hakka people's attention on Feng-Shui is second to none in the world. The Hakka culture and interior arrangement of the houses are both closely related to Feng-Shui. We will introduce you how successfully apply Feng Shui system in the construction.

As the time went on, the back of the Weilong houses turned from semicircle into straight line since the late Qing Dynasty

Afterwards learn about how the majority of villagers live, visit one of the farmer's home, drink tea and have snacks with a local family in their traditional home, learning about their lifestyle. We will wander around the village before having lunch at the countryside style restaurant in another village.

Stop B: After we visit the main form of dwelling houses in Ao-t'ou village, we drive about 15 minute ride into the nearest small town visit the exotic and lively market, this market is colorful with a beautiful array of fresh vegetables, fruit, spices and exciting with the typical smells of a wet market, it’s loud, a little dirty, and full of local culture. Many farmers in nearby villages sell fresh vegetables and fruit at this market and a roadside stand. Let's discover what are on offer.

Then return to your hotel around 5 pm.

P.S.
1. If you are a transit passenger and your transit hotel is located nearby Baiyun Airport or Huadu District, we will stop by a deserted village on our return trip, which is an ancient village built in Song Dynasty and is listed as a national emphasis cultural relic unit.

2. If your hotel is located in downtown area, this tour can be blended with the 3-hour Sai Kwan Walking Tour or Whampoa Anchorage Walking Tour, please email us for the quotation.

Tour Information

Starting Time: 11 am;
Type of Tour: Private Tour -- Just for you and your travel mates;
Meeting Point: Your hotel entryway;
Maximum Participant: 6 people;
Duration: Approx. 6 hours;
Price:

• Compact Car (1 to 3 participants): USD$230;
• Sedan or SUV (3 to 4 participants): USD$350;
• 7-Seater Vehicle (5 to 6 participants): USD$400;

Included in the Price:

1. Price is for the entire group, not per person.
2. Downtown Hotel pick-up and drop-off.
3. Air-conditioned vehicle, including fuel, toll fees, parking fees, and a guide (the guide will also be the driver).

Not Included:

1. Hakka cuisine for lunch in local restaurant, it costs about CNY 60 per person.
2. Pay-on-demand home-cooked meals (Featuring chicken or pork raised on a non-feed diet without additives such as hormones or antibiotics, along with fresh, organic poultry and vegetables grown by the family) can be arranged, subject to the availability of the local family. It costs approximately CNY 100 per person, only for 3 guests or fewer. Please note that there is no practice of using serving chopsticks; if this is a concern for you, we recommend dining at local restaurants instead.

Booking Process

To complete your Guangzhou Private Tour booking, a deposit of 30% to 50% is required via Stripe, Alipay, or wire transfer after we confirm the tour date and duration with you. Please note that a transaction fee of 0.29% + $0.30 + $3.04 to $4.79 will be applied to the total amount when the deposit is made through Stripe. Once the payment is processed, your booking for the Private Taishan Diaolou and Village Tour will be confirmed. The remaining balance can be paid on the day of the tour via Stripe, Alipay, or cash. You may choose to pay in either U.S. Dollars or Chinese Yuan, whichever is more convenient for you. We prefer U.S. Dollars that are undamaged and unstained; otherwise, please provide Chinese Yuan.