Must-see attractions in Anhui

  • Xidi

    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…

  • Huangshan

    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…

  • Chengkan

    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…

  • Jiuhua Shan

    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…

  • Zhaji

    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…

  • Tangyue Memorial Archways

    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…

  • Yixian Xiuli Cinema Village

    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…

  • Nanping

    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…

  • Chengzhi Hall

    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…

  • Qiyun Shan

    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…

  • Tangmo

    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…

  • Huizhou Old Town

    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…

  • Guanlu

    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…

  • Yuliang

    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)…

  • Baisui Gong

    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…

  • Pingshan

    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 New Provincial Museum

    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…

  • Tachuan

    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…

  • Mukeng Zhuhai

    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…

  • Huacheng Si

    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…

  • Wancuilou Museum

    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…

  • 10,000 Buddha Pagoda

    Anhui

    Atop the ridge overlooking Jiuhua village stands this arresting seven-storey pagoda fashioned entirely from bronze. Reach it by following the signs for…

  • Tunxi Old Street

    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…

  • Zhiyuan Temple

    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…

  • Lord Bao Park

    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…

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