Jingxian

Where Li Bai wrote that “Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep”: Chaji’s Ming–Qing village, the craft of Xuan paper making and the former headquarters of the New Fourth Army.

Jingxian County lies in southern Anhui, southwest of Xuancheng, bordering Wuhu to the north and Huangshan to the south, with the Qingyi River flowing north through the whole county. It is the birthplace of Xuan paper, and the “traditional craftsmanship of Xuan paper” is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is also where Li Bai wrote the lines “Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep, yet not as deep as Wang Lun’s love in seeing me off.” During the War of Resistance against Japan, the New Fourth Army was headquartered at Yunling, and the Southern Anhui Incident of 1941 took place in this area. The county preserves many Ming–Qing Huizhou-style villages, with Chaji and Huangtian both listed as Chinese Historical and Cultural Villages.

Areas to explore: ① The Taohuatan area in the southwest — Tage’an Pavilion and the Zhai Ancestral Hall on the east bank of the pool and Wan Village on the west bank form the heart of the region; ② the Chaji–Hou’an ancient-village sketching area; ③ the former New Fourth Army headquarters at Yunling, the stilt houses of Zhangdu and Maolin Ancient Town in the west, which can be linked into a route of revolutionary sites and old towns; ④ around the county town, the China Xuan Paper Culture Park and the Shuixi Twin Pagodas, with Moon Bay in Caicun to the southeast; ⑤ Huangtian Village in Langqiao to the south, and Jiangcun in Jingde County (about 1 hour’s drive).

Seasons: March–April, with peach blossoms, rapeseed flowers and spring tea, is the most beautiful time, and October–November’s autumn colors are ideal for sketching; summers are hot, so head to Moon Bay to play in the water. Getting there: Jingxian Station has high-speed trains toward Hefei, Nanjing and Hangzhou, or you can transfer via Wuhu or Huangshan. Sights are fairly spread out, so self-driving or hiring a car is recommended. Allow 2–3 days and spend a night at Taohuatan or Chaji — the early-morning mist is the most evocative. Taiping Lake near Taohuatan belongs to Huangshan District and makes a good extension to your trip.

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