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Anhui

Fantastical mountainscapes and well preserved villages make Anhui (安徽, Ānhuī) the perfect antidote to the brashness of China’s larger cities. The main attraction is unquestionably Huangshan, a jumble of sheer granite cliffs wrapped in cottony clouds that inspired an entire school of ink painting during the 17th and 18th centuries. But the often overlooked peaks of nearby Jiuhua Shan, where Buddhists bless the souls of the recently departed, have a hallowed aura that offers a strong contrast to Huangshan’s stunning natural scenery.

At the foot of these ranges are strewn the ancient villages of the province formerly known as Huizhou. With distinctive whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs augmented by lush surroundings of buckling earth, bamboo and pine forest, they are among the most picturesque in the country.

Anhui's top sights are clustered in its southeast corner. Easy to navigate and within striking distance of Shanghai, this is rural China at its accessible best.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Anhui.

  • Village

    Xidi

    Typical of the elegant Huizhou style, Xidi’s 124 surviving buildings reflect the wealth and prestige of the prosperous merchants who settled here. Its Unesco World Heritage Site status means Xidi enjoys a lucrative tourist economy, yet it remains a picturesque tableau of slender lanes, cream-coloured walls topped with horse-head gables, roofs capped with dark tiles, and doorways ornately decorated with carved lintels. From here you can head out further into the countryside, to explore less-visited villages such Nanping, Guanlu and Bishan.

  • Mountain

    Huangshan

    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 select company of China’s top 10, nay, top five, sights. The summit's huge network of connecting trails and walks meander up, down and across several individual sublime peaks. More than a few visitors spend several nights on the peak, and catching the first rays of sunrise from the North Sea (北海; Běihǎi) is a highlight for those overnighting.

  • Viewpoint

    Huangshan Summit

    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 nights on the peak, and the North Sea (北海, Běihǎi) sunrise is a highlight for those staying overnight. Refreshing Terrace is five minutes’ walk from Beihai Hotel and attracts sunrise crowds. Lucky visitors are rewarded with the luminous spectacle of yúnhǎi (literally ‘sea of clouds’): idyllic pools of mist that settle over the mountain, filling its chasms and valleys with fog.

  • Village

    Chengkan

    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 hasn't yet been completely restored, with arched bridges over waterways cloaked with lilies. Buildings are in various states of repair and visitors are far fewer than at villages more firmly on the tourist map. An S-shaped stream snakes through the middle, carving the symbol for yin and yang deep into the heart of the village.

  • Village

    Zhaji

    Stuffed with old stone bridges and creaking, white-washed ancient buildings, the charming, very pretty and large village of Zhaji dates originally back to the Sui and Tang dynasties, though most of the structures you will see are from the Ming (80 in all) and Qing dynasty (109 in all). Frequent high-speed trains (¥51.50; 43 minutes) run from Huangshan North Train Station to Jingxian (泾县; Jīngxiàn), from where buses (¥11; one hour) run from the bus station alongside the train station to Zhaji.

  • Monument

    Tangyue Memorial Archways

    Over generations, the Bao (鲍) family constructed these seven carved stone páifāng (牌坊, memorial arches), stretching east to west in the fields outside their village, to consecrate their ancestors for feats of service and piety. Three are from the Ming dynasty, four from the Qing. Placards (in English) describe the acts – some touching, some gruesome – that earned such high esteem. Tourist bus 2 runs from Tunxi’s Tourist Distribution Center, calling at Tangyue (¥6, one hour) before continuing to Tangmo.

  • Mountain

    Jiuhua Shan

    The Tang-dynasty Buddhists who determined Jiuhua Shan to be the earthly abode of the Bodhisattva Dizang (Ksitigarbha), Lord of the Underworld, chose well. Often shrouded in a fog that pours in through the windows of its cliff-side temples, Jiuhua Shan possesses a powerful gravitas, heightened by the devotion of those who come here to pray for the souls of the departed.

  • Historic Building

    Yixian Xiuli Cinema Village

    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't afford to maintain them. Here they've been restored and given new life, with art deco touches adding extra cachet. What could be a tourist trap is actually an arrestingly beautiful, if artificial, village, curated with a film-maker's eye (it's the pet project of film producer and frequent Zhang Yimou collaborator Zhang Zhenyan).

  • Village

    Nanping

    Labyrinthine Nanping has a history of more than 1100 years. However, it's relatively recent history that draws most visitors, particularly film fans: much of Zhang Yimou’s 1989 tragedy Judou was filmed inside the village's Xuzhi Hall (叙秩堂, Xùzhì Táng). Props from the film and behind-the-scenes photographs from the filming are on display inside the dramatic 530-year-old hall. Parts of Ang Lee's 1999 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were filmed next door in the Ming dynasty Kuiguang Hall (奎光堂, Kuíguāng Táng).