Anhui
Typical of the elegant Huizhou style, Xidi’s 124 surviving buildings reflect the wealth and prestige of the prosperous merchants who settled here. Its…
Must-see attractions in Anhui
-
Anhui
Designed around the bāguà, the eight trigrams of the I Ching, which match up with eight surrounding hills, Chengkan is a highly photogenic village that…
-
Anhui
When its granite peaks and twisted pines are wreathed in spectral folds of mist, the idyllic views of Huangshan (黄山; Huángshān) easily nudge it into the…
-
Anhui
The Tang-dynasty Buddhists who determined Jiuhua Shan to be the earthly abode of the Bodhisattva Dizang (Ksitigarbha), Lord of the Underworld, chose well…
-
Anhui
Qiyun Shan means 'mountain as high as the clouds' and it's an apt description: though not actually that high (just 585m) its peaks do pierce the low-lying…
-
Anhui
A narrow village stretching along a central canal, Tangmo is usually uncrowded, though it's by no means uninteresting. According to village lore, the…
-
Anhui
The entrance to the old town is marked by Yanghe Gate (阳和门, Yánghé Mén), a double-eaved, wooden gate tower that dates from the Song dynasty. To the left…
-
Anhui
Stuffed with old stone bridges and creaking, white-washed ancient buildings, the charming, very pretty and large village of Zhaji dates originally back to…
-
Anhui
Over generations, the Bao (鲍) family constructed these seven carved stone páifāng (牌坊, memorial arches), stretching east to west in the fields outside…
-
Anhui
This pretty park with a central pond is named for native son Lord Bao, aka Bao Zheng, an official in the Northern Song dynasty (960–1279). There are…
-
Anhui
Xiuli, which opened in 2007, is a collection of 100-plus historic structures from around Yixian County that were left in ruins because their owners couldn…
-
Anhui
This small village’s drawcard sights are the extravagant households (八大家, bādàjiā) of eight rich brothers. Each Qing-dynasty residence shares similar…
-
Anhui
Labyrinthine Nanping has a history of more than 1100 years. However, it's relatively recent history that draws most visitors, particularly film fans: much…
-
Anhui
Little-visited Yulang is a historic riverine port village on the Lian River (练江, Liàn Jiāng). The cobbled and picturesque alley of Yuliang Jie (渔梁街)…
-
Anhui
A 30-minute hike up the ridge behind Zhiyuan Temple leads you to Baisui Gong, an active temple built into the cliff in 1630 to consecrate the Buddhist…
-
Anhui
First settled in the Tang dynasty, Pingshan was once the largest village in the county, with 38 ancestral halls and 13 archways. Its stature made it a…
-
Anhui
To get to grips with Anhui, it's well worth taking a half-day to explore this four-floor museum. Exhibits begin with Palaeolithic artefacts (some are…
-
Anhui
Tachuan is a favourite with photographers, especially in the early spring, when the rapeseed blooms, and in the autumn, when the leaves of the old-growth…
-
Anhui
A rich and dense forest of feathery bamboo, Mukeng is most famous as the setting for the breathtaking zero-gravity bamboo-top fight scenes in Crouching…
-
Anhui
Flung up by a salt merchant, the Chengzhi Hall dates from 1855 and has 28 rooms, adorned with fabulous woodcarvings, 2nd-floor balconies and light wells…
-
Former Residence of Li Hongzhang
Anhui
Li Hongzhang, born to farmers in Hefei, rose to become a key official in the late Qing dynasty, playing a part in China's modernisation (and also in the…
-
Anhui
Set back off the road, behind a pond, Huacheng Si was originally founded in the Tang dynasty (though the current structure is not that old). It has…
-
Anhui
This fascinating private collection of ceramics, painted scrolls and religious carvings is displayed as they were meant to be – in the halls of a wealthy…
-
Anhui
Atop the ridge overlooking Jiuhua village stands this arresting seven-storey pagoda fashioned entirely from bronze. Reach it by following the signs for…
-
Anhui
Running a block in from the river, Old St is lined with restored Ming-style Huizhou buildings. It's definitely touristy – every block is a repetitive loop…
-
Anhui
Just past the village’s main entrance on your left, worshippers hold sticks of incense to their foreheads and face the four directions at this enticingly…
