Tour Code: hs-4
Departure Date: Daily
Features: Private Tour Guide Private Car & Driver Authentic Local Restaurants
The Huizhou area is renown for its ancient ancestral villages and homes which have been preserved and protected as extremely important and key historical relics. These ancient houses and archways are things of paintings. Examples relics such as Tangyue Archway, Tunxi old street, Qiankou former residence are a just a few of the many which illustrate this ancient history and culture.
- Xidi Village: Xidi(the World Cultural Heritage site)is located at the foot of Mt. Huangshan. It's 54 kilometers away from Huangshan City. First built 900 years ago in the Song Dynasty , its traditional architecture is well preserved. The buildings and the street patterns, reflect the socio-economic structure of an enduring period of Chinese history. Don't miss the magnificent memorial archway.
- Hongcun Village: It's located about 10 kilometers off the northeast part of Yixian County. An ancient village over 800 years old leaning against Mt. Huangshan, it is folded in the fog of the Mt Huangshan, which makes it look like a natural landscape painting. Parts of the famous film "Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon" were made here.
Surrounded by a picturesque moat with bridges to the village and a half-moon shaped pond in the centre, it is a favourite haunt of artists and students who often stay with local families to paint here. Laid out to represent a buffalo, it is one of the prettiest places in the area, known as the Chinese town in the pictures and has been listed by UNESCO for its beauty and largely undeveloped traditional streets and houses. Various halls, dwellings and an old school are open to visitors.
- The Yellow Mountains: Located in the south of Anhui Province, with an area of about 1,200 square kilometers, known as "the loveliest mountain in China",famous for magnificent scenery whatever the season: granite peaks piercing the clouds, strangely shaped rocks and gnarled trees, hot springs, waterfalls, wonderful outlooks and over 1500 plant species. No traffic within the core area of about 150 square kilometres, accessible by cable car or on foot. Many enticing walks of all grades, all include some steps.
- Yungu Cable Car: You can enjoy the scenery along the way as you ascend or descend the Yellow Mountain by cable car.
- Tunxi Ancient Street: It's located in the center of the old city of Tunxi,there are hundreds of old but well preserved rows of shops, evoking a bygone era in buildings that are simple and elegant. It is a commercial street that is only for pedestrians.
- Shexian Tangyue Memorial Arches: Known as the "Town of Arches", Shexian is a must see for fine examples of residential architecture and memorial arches from Ming and Qing dynasties. The Chinese name “Paifang” is given to an arch usually made of fine wood or stone, as memorial and decoration. Shexian has thousands of arches. It is a great place to explore the social culture in China's feudal society.
The Bao Family Garden is near the Tangyue Memorial Arch Group. This private garden once owned by successful businessman Bao was as famous as the Humble Administrators Garden in Suzhou. Built as a Bonsai garden, it showcases the best works of Bonsai from different schools of this art. It blends perfectly with the Tangyue Memorial Arch Group, and is a fascinating way to spend a few hours.
- Chengkan Village: Located near Huangshan city, Chengkan is an ancient village with a long history of more than 1800 years. It now still has kept the former layout of the village and water network set in Ming Dynasty which was designed to the theory of the Book of Changes and formed a village of the mysterious Eight Diagrams. The Baolun Hall in the village built during the Ming dynasty is a representative collection of typical Huizhou architecture.It is also the most magnificent ancestral temple in Huangshan city today.
- The Qian Kou ancient Residence House: The Qian Kou Residence typical of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). In order to preserve these buildings the government disassembled the ten most valuable old buildings from Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and moved them to Qian Kou. The buildings were rebuilt exactly as before, true to the original structure and appearances. These ten old buildings include three ancestral temples, four residences, one stone memorial arch, one arch bridge and one pavilion. The various buildings have been situated to compliment their surroundings and Mt. Zixia. They form a garden-style residence and are in harmony even though each of the components has a different background and history.
We use different hotels for different tour classes while the itinerary is the same. Deluxe Class is usually staying at a 5-star hotel, Superior Class at a 4-star hotel and Tourist Class at a 3-star level hotel. The prices for one person are based on sharing twin hotel rooms with another guest. A supplement is necessary if you want to book single rooms. And the prices may rise during national holidays, such as the National Day (September 30th to October 6th) and Chinese New Year (late January or early February)
Sally Guo
Travel Advisor