If you want to see rice fields but don’t have a car or do not wish to travel far then this is the perfect spot for you! Best of all, you can choose wether to spend your time quietly strolling around the fields and villages or to have fun riding ponies and enjoying a BBQ party with friends.

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It was a sudden decision-let’s spend the day out in the countryside since the weather is THE BEST for outdoor activities now. October and November in southern Guangdong are sunny, warm and most importantly, NOT HUMID. Not that I don’t enjoy my clothes sticking to my body and sweating in ALL places! Moreover, soon it will become too cold for certain activities (though you wouldn’t know it because apparently Guangzhou is experiencing an unusually long summer this year, no sign of autumn, not to mention winter!).

We wanted to go somewhere near and somewhere new, a place or an area we haven’t been to before. The northern districts of Guangzhou have so much to offer, so many stunning scenic spots that it took some deliberation but we quickly settled on Huangpu district since we hardly ever go there.

Once we made that decision, it was easy to choose Jingxia Village Scenic Spot as our destination. As usual, there wasn’t much information about it in English (this is one of the reasons why I created this blog) but there was enough on Xiaohongshu (arguably the most popular chinese platform for travel info) to convince us that it was the right kind of place for us because:

• it had beautiful nature
• rice fields, which we wanted our son to see
• fun activities for young kids
• coutryside food
• it was only 30min away, via the motorway

A blanket, Frisbee, ball, snacks and we were set to go. Once you exit the motorway, you drive through the newly developed areas of Huangpu with wide streets, well-designed parks and shiny new apartment buildings. To our surprise, there was no road sign directing us to this natural spot located right behind a new residential development but luckily the navigation didn’t fail us and after 5min of driving on a country dirt road, we found ourselves at Jingxia Village Scenic Spot.

First things first-lunch! We love countryside food, called ‘long jia cai‘ in Mandarin. This general term describes a very wide variety of dishes, which differ from place to place or even from restaurant to restaurant within the same location but there are a few staple dishes that almost always feature on the menu of a countryside restaurants and those are: roast chicken of some sort, aubergine with green beans, BBQ pork ribs, claypot rice with a type meat (pigeon, Cantonese sausage, or ‘la rou’, kind of smoked pork), steamed fish and of course green leaves.

Don’t expect lean chicken breast here. In fact, I have always wondered what happens to the breasts since they never seem to be included in any chicken dish, in any restaurant over here, except for the roast chicken! Does anyone know the answer? I’m not a massive fan of skin and bones so it’s a bit tricky for me to enjoy the typical chicken dishes, such as the one in the photo, but the flavour was so rich that I devoured it!

A piece of advice – don’t be put off by the basic decor of the countryside restaurants, their permanently messy surroundings and somewhat questionable cleanliness standards. Oh, also not many will have photos on the menu but I assume most of us are familiar with image translation apps, which would solve this issue. We have been to MANY over the last 10 years and I have never experienced any stomach problems. Now that could be because I’m a foodie and my stomach can tolerate a lot but seriously, the food in the vast majority of those places is genuinely yummy and staff are way more polite and friendly than the staff in many of the city restaurants, unfortunately.

With out stomach’s full, it was time to…relax. So instead of following other families and heading towards the rice field, we walked the opposite way, towards the village and that turned out to be the best decision! It was quite hot that day and so it would have been tiring to stay out in the field, even with all its attractions as there is little shade there. Meanwhile, we strolled along the ponds, watching a few locals fish until we found a lovely, quiet, empty spot to lay our blanket down.

After a bit of a rest, playing a few games and admiring our tranquil surroundings, we ventured out towards a few empty buildings, which must have been rented out to guests some time ago but now stood abandoned, still with all furnishings inside, including TV sets and bedding! It was quite shocking to see such nice properties left to rot but hey, maybe there are other plans for them in the future. Slowly, we headed back towards the main road and stumbled upon another seemingly empty property!

Later, we realised that despite no people, not even staff at reception, Jinxia Bieyuan B&B was in fact accepting bookings online and we did eventually spot a lady tidying up a room. The ambience and environment of this small establishment is actually very pleasant, super quiet and I would definitely stay here if it was located further away from home. Apart from the swings, it doesn’t have any facilities for kids but various attractions are right outside. You can check the price and availability here. Shame to see that local accommodation business is not doing so well, especially that this place despite being a real oasis of peace is very close to city restaurants.

The way back to the rice field (not longer than 10min if not stopping on the way) took us past unusual buildings, more fishing ponds, yet more empty B&Bs (very nice ones!) and a large construction site. I should mention that the village seems to be undergoing further development and whereas we did not feel disturbed or in any way bothered by the ongoing construction across the road from the field, it is there and the constant flow of construction vehicles means possible delays for cars driving in an out of the village.

To be honest, we enjoyed the walk to the rice field immensely but we did get rather peckish and thirsty so were more than happy to see a convenience store/cafe located right by the field.

By 4pm it became cloudy, which also meant cooler-much more comfortable for this type of outdoor attraction. My photos, hard as I try, do not show how pretty this area actually is but what everyone can see easily is just how close it is to residential areas!

Naturally, this being a place for families with kids, it can’t be lacking toy and snack vendors. It’s how the villagers make money and we are happy to support them, especially if it entails buying locally grown produce or hand-made drinks.

Our son, like any 4 year old, was immediately drawn to the mini train going around the rice field so I had the pleasure of riding it with him (20rmb per person), but there is a multitude of other fun things to do, from camping, to pony rides, growing vegetables on your own allotment, fishing, splashing around in the stream and, last but not least, getting on a full size train, complete with a locomotive, a signal and steam coming out of it! FYI it is used as a snack bar.

My advice would be this – if you don’t like noise and many people around (though I wouldn’t say it was crowded), then skip the field attractions and stick to back of the village. Honestly, I did not particularly enjoy the sporadic fireworks or the loud-ish music near the campsite but they wouldn’t put me off returning there as it really is a pleasant and convenient location, where kids, especially younger ones, can learn how rice and vegetables grow and spend some time in nature. We didn’t have a BBQ there but if you choose to do that, the fireworks and music might actually add more fun to your evening, right?

Our son will not forget the fact that we didn’t let him ride a pony (it was too late in the day and we were shattered) so I know we will return to Jingxia Village Scenic Spot soon, and happily.

!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 always be related to kids .

Do you enjoy family outings to the countryside? Do let me know if there are other locations in Huangpu that I should visit!

Info:

Address: Jingxia Rural Tourism Scenic Spot, China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, Huangpu district, Guangzhou. Didi address: Guangzhou Jingxia Village Tourism Area.

Getting there: There is no metro nearby and I did not see any bus stops therefore self-driving or taking a taxi are the only options. Getting a taxi to drive out to the countryside can be hard but since this location is right outside a residential area, I think getting a taxi there/back wouldn’t be a problem!

Parking: There are free parking spots outside the restaurants, just opposite the rice field.

Food: There are two restaurants and a cafe/convenience store with many more restaurants 10min drive away if you go towards the motorway entrance. Yes, there is a McDonalds nearby if you’re desperate or your kids are giving you a hard time.

Age: I had seen families with teenagers and whereas the area itself is suitable for all, the field attractions are aimed at younger kids, under 10 I’d say.

Facilities: There are public toilets in the village and they were surprisingly clean and modern! No toilets near the field attractions except the ones at the restaurant-typical hole-in-the-floor ones. No suitable baby-feeding space that I have seen.

Tips:

• The area is obviously open 24hrs as there are no entry gates but the restaurant doesn’t start serving till 11am and most vendors and attractions would only start serving customers around the same time.
• Go during weekend to ensure all attractions are open to public
• Bring an umbrella as there is little shelter
• Remember about mosquito repellent
• Camping price – 20rmb per person, children under 1.20 enter free