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
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
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
The Tang-dynasty Buddhists who determined Jiuhua Shan to be the earthly abode of the Bodhisattva Dizang (Ksitigarbha), Lord of the Underworld, chose well…
Huangshan
The summit's huge network of connecting trails and walks meander up, down and across several different peaks. More than a few visitors spend several…
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
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
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
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…
Huangshan
The vantage point for watching the Huangshan sunrise, five minutes’ walk from Beihai Hotel. Lucky visitors are rewarded with the luminous spectacle of…
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
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
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…
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…
Huangshan
The Western Steps descent begins at the Flying Rock, a boulder perched on an outcrop half an hour from Beihai Hotel.
Flower Blooming on a Brush Tip
Huangshan
En route to the North Sea, you will pass this granite formation topped splendidly with a pine tree.
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…
Huangshan
Located at 800m, this Huangshan temple's name literally means 'Halfway up the Mountain Temple'.
