Jixi
One of the "one prefecture, six counties" of historic Huizhou, where the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan boasts Huizhou's finest woodcarving, and the Huihang Ancient Trail and Hu Shi's hometown of Shangzhuang showcase classic Huizhou charm.
Jixi lies in southern Xuancheng, in the mountains of southern Anhui, and was one of the "one prefecture, six counties" of historic Huizhou. It is the home of Hui cuisine and Hui chefs, and the hometown of famous figures such as Hu Shi, Hu Zongxian and Hu Xueyan. The core sight, Longchuan, is about 10 km east of the county town: its Hu Clan Ancestral Hall has exquisite woodcarving, and together with the Yishi Shangshu Archway and the Water Street it forms a nationally top-rated 5A scenic area. Heading east into Fuling Town brings you to the start of the Huihang Ancient Trail, where you can hike in a day from the First Pass of Jiangnan to Lantian'ao. About 30 km to the northwest are Hu Shi's former residence in Shangzhuang and the villages of Shijia and Zhaitan; mountain villages such as Kantou in Jiapeng Township are great for rapeseed blossoms in spring. The climate is humid; March–May and October–November are best, summer is cool in the valleys but rainy, and winter occasionally brings snow scenes. Getting there: the Hangzhou–Huangshan high-speed railway and the Anhui–Jiangxi railway stop at Jixi North and Jixi County stations, about 1 hour from Hangzhou and 30 minutes from Huangshan North. Sights in the county are scattered, so driving or hiring a car is recommended. Suggested 2 days: one for Longchuan plus the county museum, and one for the Huihang Ancient Trail or the old village of Shangzhuang. Must-eats include "yipin guo" (layered one-pot stew), ta guo (pan-fried stuffed flatbread) and stir-fried glass noodles.
Top sights
- Longchuan Village & Hu Clan Ancestral Hall – A 5A-rated ancient village. The woodcarvings in the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall are hailed as a treasure house of Huizhou woodcarving art. Combi…
- Huihang Ancient Trail – An ancient mountain trail of stone steps once used by Huizhou merchants traveling to Hangzhou. It is a national key cultural heritage site…
- Yishi Shangshu Memorial Archway – A Ming-dynasty stone memorial archway at the entrance of Longchuan village, erected to honor two ministers, Hu Fu and Hu Zongxian, with fin…
- Hu Shi's Former Residence (Shangzhuang) – The old family home of Hu Shi, a leading figure of the New Culture Movement, a two-story Hui-style residence with exhibits on his life and…
- Shijia Village – An ancient village settled by descendants of Shi Shouxin, a founding official of the early Northern Song dynasty, known as the 'Chessboard…
- Zhaitan Village – An ancient Hu clan village in Shangzhuang Town, home to the 'Turtle Mountain' ancestral hall and a village culture exhibition hall, where y…
- Jixi Museum – A “miniature Huizhou” designed by architect Li Xinggang, with undulating rooftops like mountains, trees in its courtyards, and collections…
- Jixi Confucian Temple – A Qing-dynasty Confucian Temple complex preserved in the county town, with a well-intact Great成 Hall, easily combined with a visit to the m…
- Renli Ancient Village – A thousand-year-old village between the county town and Longchuan, home to the Cheng clan, with the Prince Temple, Gengdu Garden, and an ol…
- Kantou Ancient Village – A mountain village of the Xu clan in Jiapeng Township, known as the “pearl of Huizhou’s ancient villages,” where old houses, an ancient bri…
- Zhangshan Grand Canyon – A mountain canyon north of Longchuan where streams, waterfalls, and bamboo groves alternate. It offers gorge rafting and is a popular summe…
- Longxu Mountain – A peak behind Longchuan with a loop trail offering views over Longchuan Village and the Dengyuan Valley, suitable for easy hiking.
- Fuling Ancient Village – An old town at the western end of the Huihang Ancient Trail, home to the Shao clan and famous for the “Wuhui” masked dance performed at Spr…
- Shangcun Village – A Huizhou mountain village in Jiapeng Township, where an old courtyard was converted into the bamboo-canopy Xiangtang hall, now a popular s…
Where to eat
- Yanyu Jiangnan Huizhou Cuisine – A Huizhou restaurant and guesthouse inside the Longchuan village scenic area, serving iron-plate stinky mandarin fish…
- China · Jixi Huizhou Cuisine (Huichu) Museum – A Huizhou-themed restaurant on City Wall Road in Jixi County where you can sample Hu Shih's Yipin Pot, stinky mandarin…
- Jixi Shuixianbao · Taguo – A breakfast shop at the Longchuan Avenue junction in Jixi County, serving shuixian bao and taguo that locals eat every…
Itineraries
- Longchuan & Huihang Ancient Trail Trek – Visit the Hu Ancestral Temple in Longchuan, Jixi, then hike the Huihang Ancient Trail from Anhui into Zhejiang.
- Southern Anhui Landscapes & Ancient Villages Grand Loop – Depart from Hefei to loop through Mount Jiuhua, Guniujiang, Mount Huangshan, the six counties of Huizhou, and Taohuatan.