Things to do in Huangshan

No.1: Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

Type: Mountains, National Parks, Geologic Formations, Lookouts

Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 days

Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), a World Heritage Site of UNESCO, is the most beautiful & loveliest mountain in China. It is known for its “Four Wonders” – beautifully-shaped pines trees, fantastic rock peaks, sea of clouds and hot springs. Each vista is different and unique. Different season, different weather, different location, different angle, Yellow Mountain shows you different sceneries, just like watching ancient Chinese scroll paintings come to life! It is a wise choice to spend a night at the top for spectacular sunsets and sunrises.

Do bring your camera and get ready to feast your eyes, then “No mountain is worth seeing after a trip to Mt. Huangshan”.

>> 3 Days Huangshan Highlights Leisure Tour

>> 3 Days Huangshan Classic Hiking Tour

No.2: West Sea Grand Canyon

Type: World Heritage Site, Geologic Formations, Nature & Parks

Recommended Length of Visit: about 1~7hours

West Sea Grand Canyon is a world of unique formations of stones, rocks and peaks, and lush pine trees in West Sea Grand Canyon. Also hike down or up along the thrilling stone steps to enjoy the breathtaking view those changes with your steps.

West Sea Grand Canyon is the perfect place to get you close to the interesting rock formations of Huanshan Mountain. It also leaves you some leisure tie to muse over things. There are many formations of stones, rock and peaks with very unique shapes.

4 Days Huangshan & Xihai Grand Canyon Hiking Tour

No.3: Hongcun Ancient Village

Type: Historic sites, Landmarks/ points of Interest

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours

Hongcun Ancient Village, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, can date back to 1131. Picturesquely ringed by mountains, it is known as “a village in the Chinese paintings.” The old village with Hui-style buildings is laid out the shape of a water-buffalo, and is watered by a network of canals that feed the Moon Pond and South Lake, representing the buffalos’ stomach, while the canals represent its intestines. The famous film “Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon” was made here.

>> 4 Days Best Huangshan Tour with Hongcun & Xidi Ancient Villages

>> 4 Days Huangshan Hongcun Vacation with Hot Spring

>> 4 Days Huangshan Hongcun with Pig's Inn Carefree Countryside Idyll Tour

No.4: Xidi Ancient Village

Type: Historic sites, Landmarks/ points of Interest

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours

If Hongcun is famous for its water, Xidi Ancient Village should be proud of its buildings. It has a maze of lanes flanked by over 100 houses, dating mainly from the late Ming and early Qing eras. Some have charming courtyards, while their interiors are often decorated with carved wooden screens and panels. Some houses feature performance of local arts. Don't miss the magnificent memorial archway.

>> 4 Days Best Huangshan Tour with Hongcun & Xidi Ancient Villages

>> 4 Days Huangshan Mountain and Local Village Walking Tour

No.5: Tunxi Ancient Street

Type: Historic Sites, Landmarks/ points of Interest

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours

First built about 900 years ago, during Song Dynasty (960-1279), Tunxi Ancient Street is a 100% “old” street with well-preserved houses in Huizhou style. It was once called “the Eastern Ancient Rome” by an ancient Western-European architect. Strolling along this 1.5 kilometers long and 7 meter wide street, you could taste the delicious local snacks, purchase some souvenirs, antiques or knick-knacks in the shops, and sip the region’s special tea like Maofeng with hospitable locals…all are the finest experience in this ancient street.

>>4 Days Huangshan Tour with Tunxi, Hongcun & Xidi

No.6: Huizhou Ancient City

Type: Ancient Ruins, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended Length of Visit: 3 hours

Huizhou Ancient City, located in the center of Shexian County, holds Huizhou State office which has a history of a thousand years. It is referred as one of Four Best-preserved Ancient Cities, together with Lijiang Ancient City in Yunnan, Pingyao Ancient City in Shanxi and Langzhong Ancient City in Sichuan. Local people also call it the Exhibition of Huizhou Culture for it remains its intact charm. In this charming town, the winding cobbled lanes will lead you to ancient residents’ dwellings and main buildings like theatrical stages, stone archways or teahouses. The imposing manner of these architectures which can date back to Ming and Qing Dynasties will give you a shot by its grandness, elegance and pristine beauty. What’s more, the white walls and black tiles with extremely exquisite carvings standing out in this town create an indescribable romantic charm.

>> 4 Days Huangshan Tour to Huizhou Culture Exploration

No.7: Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick Factory

Type: Ink-making Workshop, Historical Site

Recommended Length of Visit: 2-3 hours

Have you ever heard about the Chinese scholar's four jewels (writing brush, ink stick, ink slab and paper)? The Huizhou ink is famous at home and aboard for its exquisite craftsmanship.

Today this rare-to-see skill can be shown at Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick Factory, where visitors can see the whole working process of ink sticks, including material selection, soot making, glue adding, mixing, shaping, drying, polishing and decoration. Walking into this old factory of over 200 years, you can not only experience the art of Hui Ink, but also see the culture of traditional Chinese academy. For some calligraphy lovers, there are some shops to sell different kinds of material and tools. Or you can just purchase an ink stick or two as souvenirs.

No.8: Tachuan Village

Type: Nature & Wildlife, Ancient Village & Parks

Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 hours

Tachuan Village, also called Tashang, is a peaceful village located in Hongcun Town. It is a wonderful painting and photographing site attracting many tourists.

In the morning, Tachuan Village presents its most beautiful view. A thin mist clings around the small village and the farmhouses are looming in the mist. When one looks down at the village in the spring, it is set amidst the mountains, water and loads of blooming bright yellow canola flowers. When the autumn comes, the leaves turn to yellow, orange and red, shaping a colorful picture of idyllic scenes. There are also some featured local snacks, like mandarin fish, tofu, and baked wheat cake with crab roe...

No.9: Shexian Tangyue Memorial Archways

Type: Historic Site

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour

Located in Tangyue village in the Shexian County, Tangyue Memorial Archways are composed of seven arches built from 1420 to 1820. The seven tall and magnificent archways are arranged in the order of "loyalty, filial piety, moral integrity and righteousness", which shows the virtues of Tangyue people. There is an ancestral hall built only for women called Qingyi Hall. It made a great impact on women’s esteem in ancient times.

No.10: Nanping Village

Type: Nature & Wildlife, Historical & Cultural Site, Ancient Village

Recommended Length of Visit: 1-2 hours

Located in Yixian County, Huangshan City, Nanping Village, is a labyrinthine ancient village built in Ming Dynasty. With a history of over 1,000 years, Nanping Village features in many historical and cultural sites. It has attracted several directors to frame there. Most scenes of Zhang Yimou's tragedy – Ju Dou and parts of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were filmed in the village. Plus some other Chinese films, Nanping Village is honored as China's Film Village.

Visiting Nanping Village, you can appreciate the antique buildings and interesting activities.As the museum of Chinese Ancient Ancestral Halls, Nanping Village is Well-preserved with 8 old ancestral halls, so you can have a deep exploration of ancestral hall culture. Interesting activities include doing farm wark, DIY batisk, biking, etc.

>> 4 Days Huangshan Mountain Tour with Ancient Villages Living Experience (Nanping & Hongcun)

No.11: Bishan Village

Type: Nature & Wildlife, Historical & Cultural Site, Ancient Village

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours ~ 2 days

Among Huizhou’s countless featured villages, Bishan Village is a low-key but charming village. It provides visitors a perfect world to get away from the crowd. You could experience the natural landscape and the pure life of the local villagers.

Many surprising places are not expected to be in Bishan, but they are. Bishan Village offers lots of things to enrich your Huizhou Villages journey. You will see China's most beautiful countryside bookstore, an old Marketing Cooperatives cherished with local arts and crafts as well as most cozy countryside hotels. You could get pleasure in a comfortable and carefree night stay, amazing food and drinks and biking around to experience village living.

>> 4 Days Huangshan with Pig's Inn Carefree Countryside Idyll Tour

No.12: Lucun Village

Type: Historic Sites, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 ~ 2 hours

Located only 2km of Hongcun Ancient Village, Lucun Village is a beautiful countryside that enjoys frame for the Wooden Carved Buildings. Through the massive exquisite wood carving on beams, windows, pillars, rail, ceiling and furniture in the ancient buildings, Lucun Village gives great opportunities to glimpse into ancient Huizhou folk carving achievement and interesting stories of the rich Billionaire Lu and his large family. Besides, the original clan-clustered settlement, peaceful rustic life, and beautiful golden farmland scenery of rape blossom in spring appeals to lots of visitor after they visited Hongcun Village nearby.

No.13: Xin'an River Landscape

Type: Bodies of wate

Recommended Length of Visit: 2-3 hours

Reputed as Gallery of Water and Mountains, Xin'an River Landscape stretches 50km long, showing her fascinating beauty by linking Mt. Huangshan. The splendid landscape in Xin’an River brings you into a Utopian world. There are two good ways to appreciate the beauty in Xin’an River: cruising & hiking. Cruising on the river, you could see old houses of Hui-style with white all and grey tiles standing on both sides. While hiking through the countryside is without doubt a wonderful choice for relaxation and an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern.

No.14: Mukeng Bamboo Forest

Type: Nature, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 ~ 3 hours

Mukeng Bamboo Forest situated 6km of Hongcun Village is the bamboo background of the Oscar blockbuster – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The lush bamboo sea around Mukeng Village offers green scenes and health air to join in when you do the short hiking circuit. Different from your trip to Huangshan Mountain and ancient Huizhou style villages, the large-scale bamboo forest is a secluded attraction where you can escape from groups of tourists and loudspeakers, shop. Featured activities here include tea picking and bamboo shoot digging during spring, and taking part in the local farm work, and tasting a rural meal.

No.15: China Huizhou Culture Museum

Type: Cultural Site

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours

As the second largest comprehensive museum in Anhui Province, Huizhou Culture Museum is also the only museum of China to fully reflect the theme of Huizhou culture.

Located in the south side of Tunxi Airport, this museum is a multi-functional building of typical local architectural styles, covering an area of 14,000 square meters. Based on the Huizhou culture, the museum has many distinctive collections over hundred years ago, most related to literature, painting, sculpture and some relics left by famous historical people.

Today, the Huizhou Culture Museum is free to open for tourists to know the local culture of Huizhou and the men of Huizhou in ancient times. Don’t miss out this site if you are interested in the past of Huizhou.

No.16: Qiyun Mountain

Type: Mountains, Nature & Parks

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 ~ 2 days

With an area of 110 square meters and a hitory of over 1,200 years, Qiyun Mountain is a picturesque mountain with its peaks, cliffs, caves, streams and springs. Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty once said that Qiyun Mountain is the unparalleled wonderland and the most famous mountain in the south area of the Yangtze River.

For its geographical characteristics of Lanxia landform, various peak, strange caves, flowing streams and clean lakes came into being. Apart from its natural beauty, Qiyun Mountain also features in its Taoist Culture. There are several ancient Taoist buildings as well as some Taoist paintings, stone carvings and tablets survived. As a result, it is referred as one of the Four Great Taoist Mountains and Small Wudang Mountain.

No.17: Bao Family's Garden (Baojia Garden)

Type: Historic Sites, Bonsai Garden

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour

Close to the Tangyue Archway Complex, Bao Family's Garden once was a private garden of Bao's family during the Ming(1368-1644) and Qing(1644-1911) dynasties, now it's the largest bonsai garden with nearly 10,000 delicate and rare potted plants. Entering inside, you can enjoy the largest bonsai in China with rockeries, rivers, trees, bridges and pavilions decorated along the road and experience the masterpiece of Hui-style architecture.

No.18: Chengkan Ancient Village

Type: Historic Sites; Feng Shui Culture; Architeture

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours

Chengkan Ancient Village, located in the south of Anhui Province, is the best-preserved ancient village in the Ming Dinasty(1368-1644) of China. However, the history of Chengkan can date back to nearly 2000 years ago. Here you can appreciate its exquisite layout and a large number of elaborately built Hui-style architectures, some of which are national treasures. What makes the village more special is that it is built totally in accordance with the Feng Shui theory. People believe that this kind of layout will bring lasting fortune to the residents here.

No.19: Guanlu Village

Type: Historical Sites, Ancient Architecture & Nature

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 ~ 3 hours

Guanlu Village, known for the “Eight Big Houses” - jointed ancient residences of 8 brothers of Wang Family, is a quiet and small ancient Huizhou style village with a history of more than 1,000 years.

Pass through a little brook and crescent moon-shape pond, you will see the eight connected old buildings surrounded by pristine rural lands. The maze-like residence complex not only shows you ingenious architectural connection, great chance to know local culture and history, but also delicate traditional folk craftsmanship, such as Rice Sculpture, Tile Carving and Wood on Seafloor.

No.20: Tangmo Ancient Village

Type: Historic Sites; Shuikou Garden; Architeture

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours

Tangmo Ancient Village, located in the south of Anhui Province, is the best Shuikou garden village in China. It was built according to the standard and scale of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Being here, you can not only enjoy the ancient architectures and pastoral scenery, but also have a better understanding of the traditional virtues of Tangmo people such as filial piety, loyalty, bravery, and uprightness.