Rucheng Nanny-Level Guide to Explore Stunning Attractions
🗺️ Rucheng Two Days | Warm Up in Hot Springs · Explore Ancient Villages for a Comfortable Family Trip
Rucheng is like a warm jade hidden in southern Hunan, with the warmth of thousand-year-old hot springs and the charm of ancient villages and old houses. Slow down for a two-day trip: elders can soak in the springs to relax, children can chase the sunlight, and the whole family can be healed by this gentle warmth~
🌡️ Day 1: Warm Up in Hot Springs · Savor Time in Ancient Villages
Morning: Soak in the “Fortune Spring” at Rucheng Hot Springs
📍 Rucheng Hot Springs (4A, ticket 118 RMB, half price for 60+)
- Highlights: Known as “South China’s Number One Spring,” the hot spring water reaches up to 98°C and contains over 30 minerals, leaving you feeling refreshed after soaking. Elders can choose the “Fortune Spring Pool” (moderate temperature with stone-back chairs) to chat while soaking; kids can play with water guns in the “Children’s Pool” (around 38°C), with splashes sparkling like gold in the sunlight.
- 🌿 Features: There is a “Chinese Herbal Pool” (mugwort, ginger) to drive away cold, and a “Stone Slab Bath” (lying on heated stone slabs) to warm the waist. Elders say it’s “more comfortable than home heating.”
- 💡 Tips: Don’t soak for more than 20 minutes; take breaks in the rest area to drink free ginger tea; bring swimwear as buying on-site is expensive (children’s suits about 50 RMB).
Noon: Enjoy “Warm Pot” in the Hot Spring Town
Recommended Hot Spring Farmhouse:
- Must-try: Rucheng Smoked Duck Hot Pot (local cured duck, stewed until tender, with milky broth), spring water tofu (freshly made tofu cooked in the broth absorbing meat aroma), about 40 RMB per person, leaving you warm all over.
Afternoon: Read “Family Stories” at the Ancient Ancestral Halls
📍 Rucheng Ancient Ancestral Halls Cluster (free, focus on “Dezheng Archway” and “Zhu Family Ancestral Hall”)
- Highlights: The largest ancient ancestral hall cluster in southern Hunan, featuring the “Nine Halls and Eighteen Wells” layout with blue bricks and gray tiles, exquisite wood and stone carvings showcasing old craftsmanship. Elders read the genealogy in the “Zhu Family Ancestral Hall,” remarking “the ranking order is like our hometown”; kids touch the “Stone Lion Pillars” (the stone lions at the base are polished smooth from touching) and listen to the guide explain the old family meeting rules.
- 📸 Photo spot: Under the Dezheng Archway (sunlight passing through the dougong brackets casts shadows on the bluestone slabs, perfect for capturing elders’ backs with a nostalgic feel).
Evening: Stroll the Old Alley of Xiuyi Lane
📍 Xiuyi Lane Ancient Street (free)
- Old tailor shops, bamboo weaving stores, and old teahouses are still open. Elders drink “Rucheng White Maojian Tea” (10 RMB/cup) in the teahouse, watching locals play chess; kids squat by the bamboo weaving stall, watching the craftsman weave small baskets (20 RMB each, can be used as toys).
🏨 Accommodation: Hot Spring Homestay (200-300 RMB/night)
Choose a homestay with private hot spring access (like “Fuquanju”), where rooms have private hot spring pools. At night, the family soaks in the pool under the stars, and kids count the stars until they fall asleep.
🏯 Day 2: Explore Ancient Village Charm · Recall the Red Village’s Original Aspiration
Morning: Walk the “Time Alley” in Banliang Ancient Village
📍 Banliang Ancient Village (ticket 50 RMB, half price for students)
- Highlights: “Southern Hunan’s Number One Ancient Village,” with over 600 Ming and Qing dynasty old houses connected, bluestone paths polished shiny by footsteps, and red lanterns swaying under eaves. Elders sit on stone benches under the big banyan tree at the village entrance, listening to villagers tell stories of the “Liu Family”; kids chase a big yellow dog and watch raindrops fall on the bluestone slabs in the “courtyard” (even more atmospheric when it rains).
- Hidden Fun: Find the old counter in “Pawnshop Alley” (wood polished smooth with age), where kids pretend to “pawn jade pendants,” making the owner laugh, “This little guy acts better than the old clerks.”
Noon: Eat “Farmhouse Local Dishes” in the Ancient Village
Recommended Banliang Farmhouse:
- Must-try: Stuffed Bitter Melon (meat filling steamed inside bitter melon, soft with a slightly bitter aftertaste), sweet potato steamed pork (local sweet potato powder wrapped pork belly, sticky and chewy), about 35 RMB per person, tasting just like home cooking.
Afternoon: Listen to the “Half Quilt” Story in Shazhou Village
📍 Shazhou Red Tourism Area (free, reservation required)
- Highlights: The site of the “Half Quilt” story, with the old site restored to show the Red Army’s lodging scene—wooden beds, old cotton quilts. The guide says, “Three female Red Army soldiers cut a quilt in half to leave for villagers,” bringing tears to elders’ eyes. Kids fetch water at the “Red Army Well” (sweet and clear water), saying, “I want to be as sensible as the Red Army uncles.”
- 🌟 Experience: Dress in Red Army uniforms for photos (20 RMB/set). Elders capture kids saluting on their phones, saying, “Keep this as a memento.”
🛍️ Must-Buy Souvenirs
- Rucheng Smoked Duck (vacuum-packed 50 RMB each, rich cured aroma, steamed to eat with rice);
- Hot Spring Eggs (6 RMB/box, boiled in hot spring water, with soft yolks, kids love them);
- Small Bamboo Woven Dustpan (15 RMB each, finely woven, great for holding snacks).
✨ All-Age Friendly Guide
1️⃣ Transportation: Taxi from county town to hot springs costs 20 RMB, between ancient villages about 15 RMB; mostly flat roads in scenic areas, easy for elders to walk and safe for kids to run and play.
2️⃣ Clothing: Wear jackets in the hot spring area (to avoid catching cold after soaking), wear non-slip shoes in ancient villages (bluestone slabs can be slippery when wet); in winter, bring a shawl after soaking (rentals available for 10 RMB each).
3️⃣ Elder-Friendly: Hot springs have handrails and non-slip mats; ancient villages have resting stone benches; restaurants can prepare soft noodles and steamed eggs (request in advance).
4️⃣ Family-Friendly: Water play pools, running in ancient villages, dressing in Red Army uniforms—kids have plenty to do and can listen to stories and learn values.
Closing Interaction
Rucheng’s hot springs will remember the warmth, and the ancient villages will keep the time hidden~ If you come, would you want to soak in the “Fortune Spring” with your parents or take your kids to find “old stories” in the ancient villages?