In less than an hour’s drive from Guangzhou city centre you’ll find yourself in a magical land designed specifically for families, blending natural environment with stylish facilities.

Conghua district north of Guangzhou’s city centre is wonderful as it is. Mountains, waterfalls, picturesque villages, countryside food…I always look forward to a weekend away in Conghua as we have been to various locations within the district and have always had a great time, however Tao Sence is something else.

This place, which you need to purchase a ticket for, is absolutely AMAZING and totally worth the money. It has been a while since we visited so I’m sure there must be even more attractions now but even back in 2022 we could hardly fit them all into one whole day!

The natural scenery is stunning.

Tao Sence is nestled in a valley with various points of interest located either down below or up on the hills. Interestingly, most of the stylish structures, compliment the surroundings and even though they are very modern, they don’t appear jarring.

In terms of fun activities-there are too many to mention! The ones open at the time of our visit were:

• huge wooden playground with ropes, instruments, climbing
• a cute electric shuttle taking visitors to various destinations-the site is massive!
• a semi-natural paddling pool
• carousels
• a lake with kayaks available
• a stream perfect for splashing around
• lots and lots of green space/lawns for kids to run, race, play bubbles, etc.

I am 100% sure there is much more to do there now as I have seen recent photos and they certainly make me want to go back and soon!

As you can see, I am not exaggerating when I write this place is a paradise for kids, in fact for adults too! With regards to facilities, there are several restaurants on site as well as snack shops selling ice cream, french fries, etc. but I would strongly suggest bringing your own picnic as a)the environment is too gorgeous not to eat out in the open and b) the prices in the restaurants are high, the choice is extremely limited (or at least it used to be) and they were eating places were very crowded at mealtimes with really long waiting times.

The only snack shop I’d recommend is the one by the stream, where your kids can be playing with water and sand while you chill and enjoy a drink/snack and chill.

This place is also known for the spectacular flower displays/flower fields.

There are many view points from which one can admire the entire valley and if you feel so inclined, you could even stay the nigh in a tent or an RV, many of which are located up on the hills so the views must be magnificent! The rates can be found on Trip.com .

I read that on weekends there are educational shows for children as well as musical performances! If you read Chinese, I’d recommend checking in advance using one of the apps (xiaohongshu, dianping…) if there are any special events taking place around the time you wish to visit. If, like me, you don’t read Chinese-ask a friend and do check for special discounts on tickets on Douyin as they often have deals for families!

One day was not enough for us to experience everything Tao Sence had to offer and even though the price might seem steep, trust me, it is so worth it. The environment is so beautiful, the attractions so tasteful and interesting, you’ll return home with hundreds of photos and a very happy, very tired child:)

!If you’d like to see some videos of this lovely place, head over to my Instagram. I also post on X and while my posts are about places and things to do in Guangzhou, they may not be related to kids .

Have you visited Tao Sence recently? If so, let me know what has changed/what it’s like now!

Info

Opening times: 10am-7pm (admission ends at 5pm)

Address: Tao Sence (Tianren Shanshui-Tinaren Mountain Water Resort), No.1 Shanqingyou Street, Hongshi Village, Taiping Town, Conghua, Guangzhou

Getting there: Self-driving is by far the best option-there is a huge car park on site. If that’s not an option, the take a Didi to Tao Sence RV Camp but it will cost you a fair bit and I’m not sure how easy it will be to get a Didi back to town. I have seen local buses (Conghua) go there but sadly could not find information about them in English.

Price: Adult 98rmb, child(over 120cm tall) 68rmb, 1 adult+1 child 138rmb, 2 adults+1 child 238rmb. All prices according to Trip.com. Check Douyin/Dianping/Meituan for discounts and special deals.

Food: Few restaurants and snack bars. Bear in mind you’ll pay more for that ice cream than in the city:)

Facilities: plenty of nice toilets, a paid indoor playground. Shuttle bus for those with mobility problems/elderly/parents with a pram.

Age: All ages.

Tips

-Do check the weather in advance of going as I don’t think there would be much to do there on a rainy day-this is definitely a ‘sunny day’ destination!

-Arrive early as on weekends the place gets quite busy and even though due to its sheer size it never feels crowded, the car park does fill up quickly.

-Bring a picnic with you-you’ll love it!

-Check out the nearby Qiangang Ancient Village in Taiping, especially if your kids are into history/architecture. This may not be suitable for little ones as the streets truly are made out of stones that might make it tricky for little feet to walk on plus it’d probably be quite boring for anyone under 4 . There are many information signs in English. It is abandoned and there are no shops or toilets in the village itself but there are some across the road, in the main village. Note that the village consists of over 900 buildings so it can take a while to see it all. This is the only not commercialised, untouched ancient village I have been to in Conghua and I highly recommend it for the special atmosphere there.