Pig’s Heaven Inn

Top choice in Anhui


When Shanghai artist Li Guoyu discovered this Ming dynasty home it was being used as a pigsty (hence the name). She painstakingly restored it, adding an eclectic blend of vintage furniture and mid-20th-century memorabilia. Cheaper rooms may be pokey but all guests can make use of the common areas, including a 3rd-floor veranda overlooking the village rooftops.

Reservations are crucial. Pig's Heaven Inn is not easy to find; the inn is at the back of the village, beyond where most tourists go. Head down Dalu Jie (大路街) and turn right down the alley before the building with the horseshoe entrance. The door is marked only by a small sign that says 'welcome'. You can call ahead and someone will come and collect you. In-house meals are fantastic and nonguests can get lunch (¥70 per person) here, too.

Limited English.