029-Wish You Were Here
1. Huihang Ancient Trail
- Historical background: It is the third ancient trail in China after the "Silk Road" and the "Ancient Tea-Horse Road". It was initially formed in the Southern Song Dynasty. The Huihang Ancient Trail holds an important position in history. It was an important trade route between Huizhou merchants and Zhejiang merchants in ancient times. It witnessed the vicissitudes of the arduous entrepreneurship of Huizhou merchants and is also an important carrier for studying the spread of Huizhou culture and the integration of foreign cultures.
- Geographical location: It starts from Jiangnan Village, Fuling Town, Jixi County, Anhui Province, passes through Jiangnan First Pass, Yaoyao Ridge, Matouling, Xuetangling, and Nantian'ao, and ends at Zhechuan Village, Lin'an District, at the border between Anhui and Zhejiang. It is 25 kilometers long.
- Main landscapes:
- Jiangnan First Pass: Located at Xiaoyao Ridge, Fuling Town, Jixi County, Xuancheng City, with an altitude of about 424 meters. From the foot of Xiaoyao Ridge to the pass, there are more than 1,400 steps. This pass is a natural pass formed by a mountain spur rock and rock wall at Xiaoyao Ridge. The pass gate is formed by four natural rocks lying horizontally. It is an important pass on the ancient trail and has been a contested place for military strategists since ancient times.
- Lantian'ao: It is the highest point of the ancient trail, with an altitude of 1,050 meters. It is the watershed of the trail and also the main intersection leading to the Qingliangfeng Nature Reserve. Surrounded by continuous green mountains and gurgling streams, there are also soft small grasslands and primitive, natural, and simple landscapes such as carp leaping over the dragon gate and wind-blocking rocks. Looking into the distance from here, the landscapes of Anhui and Zhejiang are all in sight.
- Xiaoyaogu: Located at the junction of Huangshan Mountain and Tianmu Mountain Range, the mountains are steep and there are numerous strange rocks. General Rock, Shunfan Rock, and Tianjing Rock compete for beauty. The scenery changes with every step, full of interest. The valley water is crystal clear and translucent, with ever-changing and magnificent colors. The strange rocks and beautiful waters in the valley and the majestic ancient passes on the trail complement each other, forming a natural landscape painting.
2. Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui
- Xidi: Located in the southeast of Yixian County, Anhui Province, the village is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Two streams pass through the north and east of the village and converge at Huiyuan Bridge in the south of the village. Xidi has preserved a large number of ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The architectural style is unique, with white walls, black tiles, and high horse-head walls, which have high artistic and historical value. The ancient residences, ancestral halls, and archways here are scattered in an orderly manner, as if they were a peaceful rural painting.
- Hongcun: Known as "a village in a painting", the entire village is laid out in the shape of an ox. The water systems such as Nanhu Lake and Yuezhao Lake run through it, adding a touch of agility to the ancient village. The buildings in Hongcun are also mainly in Huizhou style. Exquisite wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings can be seen everywhere, reflecting the superb skills of ancient craftsmen.
- Chengkan: Known as "the number one feng shui village in China", it attracts tourists with its mysterious passing-through culture and the layout of an ancient Bagua village. The buildings here are well-preserved and antique, and every place reveals a strong historical atmosphere.
3. Autumn Drying in Chengkan
- Landscape features: After autumn, the villagers of Chengkan will take advantage of the fine weather to dry the colorful fruits such as harvested corn, pumpkins, and red peppers. These crops are arranged into exquisite patterns. The golden and fiery colors contrast beautifully with the ancient buildings, forming a beautiful picture of a bumper harvest, and have become a unique tourist landscape, attracting many tourists to come and watch and experience.
- Cultural connotations: Autumn drying is not only an agricultural custom but also a way for villagers to celebrate the harvest. It carries the local people's longing for a better life and their joy in the harvest, showing the unique farming culture in southern Anhui.
4. Autumn Hiking in Tachuan - Xieli
- Tachuan: The autumn scenery of Tachuan is one of the famous landscapes in southern Anhui. Every autumn, the leaves of tallow trees, maples, and other trees in Tachuan gradually change color, forming a colorful palette. Looking from a distance, the village is surrounded by colorful leaves, and wisps of smoke rise from the kitchens, as if it were an extremely beautiful rural landscape painting. Hiking in Tachuan, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery where red, yellow, green, and other colors are intertwined and feel the tranquility and beauty of autumn.
- Xieli: Adjacent to Tachuan, it is also a good place to enjoy autumn. The natural scenery of Xieli is more primitive, with large expanses of fields, mountains, and streams. Hiking here, you can shuttle between the fields, feel the tranquility and simplicity of the countryside, and also enjoy the red and yellow leaves in the mountains and the beautiful reflections in the water. The scenery here echoes that of Tachuan, making people linger and forget to return.
5. Bishan Village
- Natural landscapes: Surrounded by mountains, Bishan Village is shaded by green trees and has fresh air. There is a small stream flowing in the village. The stream water is crystal clear, adding a touch of agility to the village. Here, you can enjoy the beautiful rural scenery and feel the tranquility and beauty of nature.
- Cultural characteristics: Bishan Village has a strong cultural atmosphere. There are many ancient buildings and traditional residences preserved in the village. These buildings have unique styles and reflect the architectural characteristics of southern Anhui. In addition, there are some traditional handicraft workshops and characteristic stores in the village, allowing tourists to experience the local traditional culture and folk customs.
6. Nanping Village
- Architectural style: Nanping Village has beautiful landscapes and a strong ancient charm, as if it were a flowing ink painting. The buildings here are mainly in Huizhou style. There are many ancestral halls, ancient houses, archways and other buildings in the village. The layout is rigorous and the craftsmanship is exquisite. These buildings not only have high artistic value but are also important physical materials for studying the architectural style and historical culture of ancient villages in southern Anhui.
- Film and television shooting location: Nanping Village has been the shooting location for many film and television works, such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Ju Dou". Tourists can find the scenes in the movies here and feel the blend of film and television culture and ancient village culture.
- Historical background: It is the third ancient trail in China after the "Silk Road" and the "Ancient Tea-Horse Road". It was initially formed in the Southern Song Dynasty. The Huihang Ancient Trail holds an important position in history. It was an important trade route between Huizhou merchants and Zhejiang merchants in ancient times. It witnessed the vicissitudes of the arduous entrepreneurship of Huizhou merchants and is also an important carrier for studying the spread of Huizhou culture and the integration of foreign cultures.
- Geographical location: It starts from Jiangnan Village, Fuling Town, Jixi County, Anhui Province, passes through Jiangnan First Pass, Yaoyao Ridge, Matouling, Xuetangling, and Nantian'ao, and ends at Zhechuan Village, Lin'an District, at the border between Anhui and Zhejiang. It is 25 kilometers long.
- Main landscapes:
- Jiangnan First Pass: Located at Xiaoyao Ridge, Fuling Town, Jixi County, Xuancheng City, with an altitude of about 424 meters. From the foot of Xiaoyao Ridge to the pass, there are more than 1,400 steps. This pass is a natural pass formed by a mountain spur rock and rock wall at Xiaoyao Ridge. The pass gate is formed by four natural rocks lying horizontally. It is an important pass on the ancient trail and has been a contested place for military strategists since ancient times.
- Lantian'ao: It is the highest point of the ancient trail, with an altitude of 1,050 meters. It is the watershed of the trail and also the main intersection leading to the Qingliangfeng Nature Reserve. Surrounded by continuous green mountains and gurgling streams, there are also soft small grasslands and primitive, natural, and simple landscapes such as carp leaping over the dragon gate and wind-blocking rocks. Looking into the distance from here, the landscapes of Anhui and Zhejiang are all in sight.
- Xiaoyaogu: Located at the junction of Huangshan Mountain and Tianmu Mountain Range, the mountains are steep and there are numerous strange rocks. General Rock, Shunfan Rock, and Tianjing Rock compete for beauty. The scenery changes with every step, full of interest. The valley water is crystal clear and translucent, with ever-changing and magnificent colors. The strange rocks and beautiful waters in the valley and the majestic ancient passes on the trail complement each other, forming a natural landscape painting.
2. Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui
- Xidi: Located in the southeast of Yixian County, Anhui Province, the village is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Two streams pass through the north and east of the village and converge at Huiyuan Bridge in the south of the village. Xidi has preserved a large number of ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The architectural style is unique, with white walls, black tiles, and high horse-head walls, which have high artistic and historical value. The ancient residences, ancestral halls, and archways here are scattered in an orderly manner, as if they were a peaceful rural painting.
- Hongcun: Known as "a village in a painting", the entire village is laid out in the shape of an ox. The water systems such as Nanhu Lake and Yuezhao Lake run through it, adding a touch of agility to the ancient village. The buildings in Hongcun are also mainly in Huizhou style. Exquisite wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings can be seen everywhere, reflecting the superb skills of ancient craftsmen.
- Chengkan: Known as "the number one feng shui village in China", it attracts tourists with its mysterious passing-through culture and the layout of an ancient Bagua village. The buildings here are well-preserved and antique, and every place reveals a strong historical atmosphere.
3. Autumn Drying in Chengkan
- Landscape features: After autumn, the villagers of Chengkan will take advantage of the fine weather to dry the colorful fruits such as harvested corn, pumpkins, and red peppers. These crops are arranged into exquisite patterns. The golden and fiery colors contrast beautifully with the ancient buildings, forming a beautiful picture of a bumper harvest, and have become a unique tourist landscape, attracting many tourists to come and watch and experience.
- Cultural connotations: Autumn drying is not only an agricultural custom but also a way for villagers to celebrate the harvest. It carries the local people's longing for a better life and their joy in the harvest, showing the unique farming culture in southern Anhui.
4. Autumn Hiking in Tachuan - Xieli
- Tachuan: The autumn scenery of Tachuan is one of the famous landscapes in southern Anhui. Every autumn, the leaves of tallow trees, maples, and other trees in Tachuan gradually change color, forming a colorful palette. Looking from a distance, the village is surrounded by colorful leaves, and wisps of smoke rise from the kitchens, as if it were an extremely beautiful rural landscape painting. Hiking in Tachuan, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery where red, yellow, green, and other colors are intertwined and feel the tranquility and beauty of autumn.
- Xieli: Adjacent to Tachuan, it is also a good place to enjoy autumn. The natural scenery of Xieli is more primitive, with large expanses of fields, mountains, and streams. Hiking here, you can shuttle between the fields, feel the tranquility and simplicity of the countryside, and also enjoy the red and yellow leaves in the mountains and the beautiful reflections in the water. The scenery here echoes that of Tachuan, making people linger and forget to return.
5. Bishan Village
- Natural landscapes: Surrounded by mountains, Bishan Village is shaded by green trees and has fresh air. There is a small stream flowing in the village. The stream water is crystal clear, adding a touch of agility to the village. Here, you can enjoy the beautiful rural scenery and feel the tranquility and beauty of nature.
- Cultural characteristics: Bishan Village has a strong cultural atmosphere. There are many ancient buildings and traditional residences preserved in the village. These buildings have unique styles and reflect the architectural characteristics of southern Anhui. In addition, there are some traditional handicraft workshops and characteristic stores in the village, allowing tourists to experience the local traditional culture and folk customs.
6. Nanping Village
- Architectural style: Nanping Village has beautiful landscapes and a strong ancient charm, as if it were a flowing ink painting. The buildings here are mainly in Huizhou style. There are many ancestral halls, ancient houses, archways and other buildings in the village. The layout is rigorous and the craftsmanship is exquisite. These buildings not only have high artistic value but are also important physical materials for studying the architectural style and historical culture of ancient villages in southern Anhui.
- Film and television shooting location: Nanping Village has been the shooting location for many film and television works, such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Ju Dou". Tourists can find the scenes in the movies here and feel the blend of film and television culture and ancient village culture.
