Southern Anhui & Huizhou

Mount Huangshan and the whitewashed, gray-tiled ancient villages of Huizhou: a Hui-culture region that includes Xidi and Hongcun, Wuyuan, Longchuan in Jixi and Mount Jiuhua.

Ancient Huizhou's “one prefecture, six counties” comprised She, Xiuning, Wuyuan, Qimen, Yi and Jixi, which today belong to Huangshan and Xuancheng in Anhui and Shangrao in Jiangxi. The core of the region is Mount Huangshan (a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site, with the Welcoming Pine, Bright Summit and West Sea Grand Canyon) and the southern Anhui ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun (World Cultural Heritage), plus She County's Huizhou Ancient City and its memorial archways, Tunxi Old Street, Chengkan, Tachuan, Lucun's wood-carved buildings and the Hu Ancestral Hall in Longchuan, Jixi. Wuyuan's Huangling harvest-drying scenes, Jiangwan and Likeng in Jiangxi also belong to the Huizhou cultural sphere. To the north, Mount Jiuhua is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, and Peach Blossom Pool in Jing County, Jingting Mountain in Xuancheng and Gunjiang in Shitai make good extensions. A classic 5–7-day itinerary: Huangshan North Station – Hongcun and Xidi – Huangshan (2 days) – She County – Wuyuan. The Hefei–Hangzhou, Hangzhou–Huangshan and Nanchang–Jingdezhen–Huangshan high-speed railways connect the area, with Huangshan North Station as the hub. Huangshan is crowded on holidays, so staying on the summit to watch the sunrise is recommended; many ancient villages charge admission in peak season. Huizhou has deep cultural roots: Hui merchants, Hui ink, She inkstones, Huizhou opera and Xin'an medicine all originated here. Hui cuisine, such as stinky mandarin fish, hairy tofu and Huizhou daobanxiang (cured pork), has a distinctive flavor, and guesthouses and sketching bases in the ancient villages also attract many art lovers.

Destinations

Itineraries