Qichun & Huangmei

Hometown of the great physician Li Shizhen and of Qi mugwort, with the Zen ancestral temples of Sizu, Wuzu and Laozu in Huangmei and Huangmei opera at Wenmei Village – a cultural journey through eastern Hubei.

Qichun and Huangmei counties belong to Huanggang, Hubei Province, lying on the north bank of the Yangtze in eastern Hubei at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains, next to Anhui and Jiangxi; the two county seats are about 60 km apart. Qichun is the hometown of Li Shizhen, revered as the 'Sage of Medicine'; the old town of Qizhou has the Li Shizhen Memorial Hall and his tomb, and Qi mugwort (qi'ai) is a nationally known mugwort brand – you can try moxibustion at Qi'ai Town by Chilong Lake, while Sanjiao Mountain in the north and Henggang Mountain in the east are good for hiking and escaping the summer heat. Huangmei is a major center of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, linked to three of the six Chan patriarchs: Sizu Temple stands on Xishan northwest of the county seat, Wuzu Temple on Dongshan, and the even older Laozu Temple on Ziyun Mountain to the north. At the foot of Wuzu Temple, Dongshan Wenmei Village showcases Huangmei opera, Huangmei cross-stitch embroidery and other intangible heritage, while Nuobu Garden below Ziyun Mountain is a summer retreat. The best seasons are Apr–May and Sep–Oct; in summer you can head into the mountains to keep cool, and winters are damp and cold. The Beijing–Kowloon Railway and Wuhan–Jiujiang high-speed line serve Qichun and Huangmei (Qichun Station and Huangmei East Station), about 1 hour by bullet train from Wuhan, and the Jiujiang Yangtze River Second Bridge links to Jiangxi. Sights are scattered across rural townships, so self-driving is recommended; allow 2–3 days. Qichun medicinal cuisine, Huangmei tartary buckwheat and eastern Hubei cured meats are well worth trying.

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