Longli Ancient City|Be a Ming Dynasty Person for a Day, 3 Days 2 Nights Time Travel Guide
⚔️ A 600-Year-Old Military Garrison Ancient City, Fulfill Your Ming Dynasty Dream
Many people only spend half a day in Longli before leaving, but I highly recommend you stay overnight — only when night falls and the tourists leave can you truly experience the charm of this Ming Dynasty military garrison ancient city and be a real Ming Dynasty person for a day.
🗓️ 3 Days 2 Nights Time Travel Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival + First Impressions of the Ancient City
Arrive in Longli in the afternoon. It’s recommended to take the high-speed train to Jinping Station (40 minutes from Guiyang, 48 RMB), then transfer to the tourist shuttle to Longli (15 RMB, 30 minutes). Check into an old house homestay inside the ancient city; open your window to a 600-year-old alley—this feeling of time travel is truly magical.
In the evening, stroll along the base of the city wall and watch the sunset cast golden light on the blue tiles, sparkling brilliantly. Walking through alleys without tourists, hearing your footsteps echo on the stone pavement, occasionally meeting children returning from school or villagers carrying loads, who will greet you warmly—this simple human kindness is priceless.
At night, participate in the "Thousand Lanterns Blessing" ceremony, holding a lantern with your wish written on it, parading with other tourists and villagers, and finally releasing them together in the square. When hundreds of lanterns light up simultaneously, the entire ancient city is bathed in warm light. At that moment, you’ll realize that the most precious part of travel isn’t the scenery, but these warm moments.
Day 2: Deep Time Travel + Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience
In the morning, change into Ming Dynasty costumes and start a true time travel journey! First, go to Qingyang Gate to join the "City Opening Ceremony," enter the city with the "Qianhu Official," then follow NPCs through the streets and alleys, participating in interactive storylines like "Grass Market Stall Competition" and "Academy Imperial Exam." You can "take the imperial exam" in the academy; if you become the "top scholar," you’ll receive a silver note reward to spend in the ancient city’s shops—so immersive!
At noon, enjoy the military garrison feast—iron pot stewed goose, armor crispy biscuits, and military garrison rice wine—all served with Ming Dynasty utensils and eating methods. It feels like you are a soldier stationed on the frontier, rewarding the troops after a victorious battle. This experience is incredible!
In the afternoon, experience the intangible cultural heritage of the painted face dragon opera mask. Find the heritage inheritor, Mr. Tao Bingjun, to personally paint your mask. He will tell you the stories behind each mask: red face Zhao Kuangyin, black face Bao Gong, white face Cao Cao... After painting the mask, wear the Ming Dynasty military uniform and parade through the ancient city. Passersby will look at you with envy and take lots of photos!
In the evening, visit Leitun Village to see the century-old granary, relax under the big banyan tree, chat with the elderly, and listen to their stories of the past. Buy a freshly picked watermelon, chill it with well water, sit on the field ridge and eat while watching egrets fly over the rice fields. This slow-paced pastoral life is something you can never find in the city.
Day 3: Cultural Depth + Return
Sleep in naturally and wander aimlessly around the ancient city. It’s recommended to slowly explore the Longli Ecological Museum, where the artifacts all have stories, and you can understand 600 years of Han, Miao, and Dong cultural integration history. Then visit the three ancient wells to see villagers fetching water, chat with them, and learn about local daily life.
At noon, have a farmhouse meal at a villager’s home—free-range chicken, cured meat, wild vegetables—all made from natural ingredients and especially delicious. After the meal, drink tea in the courtyard with the hosts and chat about daily life. This kind of deep local experience is the most meaningful travel.
Before leaving, you can buy some Longli pickled fish as a souvenir. It’s the most famous local specialty, traditionally pickled with a unique flavor. Also, local glutinous rice wine is fragrant, sweet, and mellow—perfect for gifts to friends and family.
🎭 Must-Experience Ming Dynasty Life Checklist
✅ Wear Ming Dynasty costumes and parade the streets for immersive time travel
✅ Participate in the "Qianhu Patrol," interact with NPCs
✅ Paint the painted face dragon opera mask, experience intangible cultural heritage
✅ Taste the military garrison feast, feel the soldiers’ life
✅ Join the "Thousand Lanterns Blessing" ceremony and make a wish
✅ Take the imperial exam at the academy, become top scholar and get silver notes
✅ Learn to sing military garrison mountain songs, feel the military culture
💡 Practical Tips
🎫 Tickets: Free! Free! Free! Important things said three times
🚗 Transportation:
· High-speed train: Guiyang → Jinping (40 minutes, 48 RMB) → Longli shuttle (15 RMB, 30 minutes)
· Self-driving: About 3 hours from Guiyang, good road conditions
⏰ Best Time: April to October; June is very comfortable for summer heat relief; September is the most beautiful when the rice turns golden
📱 Payment: Some small shops only accept cash, recommend bringing 200 RMB cash as backup
📷 Photography: Best light from 7-9 AM, richest scenes of local life
🌿 Blogger’s Honest Thoughts
Longli Ancient City is the most special ancient city I’ve ever visited. It’s not a "fake ancient city" built for tourists, but a living, breathing ancient city. The residents here are not actors; they are descendants of Ming Dynasty military households who have lived here for generations. They speak the Jiangnan Mandarin of 600 years ago and maintain Ming Dynasty living customs.
Here, you won’t see cookie-cutter trendy shops, hear deafening bar music, or encounter hawkers. What you will see is the 600-year-old unchanged street layout, simple and warm villagers, and an extremely slow pace of life.
If you are tired of commercialized ancient towns, want a quiet place to stay for a few days, or dream of traveling back to ancient times, come to Longli. This 600-year-old military garrison ancient city hidden deep in the mountains of Guizhou will surely surprise you.
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Accommodation
🏨 Longxi Renjia Homestay
Located on Jiangjia Alley on the south side of the ancient city, a special homestay carefully created by an old resident named Xia. The owner has a deep affection for the ancient city’s history and culture, making it feel like staying at an old friend’s home.
🏨 Longbiao Inn
Superb location, elegant and rustic wooden decor, courtyard full of ancient charm, suitable for families or couples, excellent value for money.
🏨 Shijing Border Guard Courtyard Homestay
A themed homestay to experience the life of ordinary military households, feel the neighborhood warmth of Ming Dynasty military families, immersive military garrison culture experience, unique and meaningful.
🏨 Daifu Residence Homestay
Converted from a Qing Dynasty doctor’s old residence, preserving the original architectural layout and wood carvings, full of antique charm, a unique experience living inside a cultural relic.