CHINA ADVENTURE CLUB

Huangshan and Historic Ancient Towns 3-day Tour

Highlights

· Ancient scrolls of Chinese landscape paintings of high mountains, ancient pines, bizarre rocks, and seas of clouds come alive at Huangshan Mountain in southern Anhui Province. Recently listed on UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage List, Huangshan Mountain is a testament to the beauty that only nature can create.

· Tour the ancient villages of Hongcun and Xidi, ancient villages oozing with folk culture and the history if the Anhui region. Both have been selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Both of these ancient villages are relatively untouched by the modern world. Visitors to Xidi and Hongcun Villages will feel as if they have stepped into a classical Chinese painting.

· Enjoy the sunrise and sunset from the mountain top of Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

· Special cultural activities can also be arranged such as Chinese Taichi learning, pottery painting, tea picking and brewing, etc. See the photos below.

YOUR JOURNEY

Route Map

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Huangshan and Ancient Village tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Huangshan

Meet your guide at the airport or train station in the morning. In the afternoon, drive about an hour from Huangshan city to Yixian County to visit the historic villages of Hongcun and Xidi.

Hongcun is the main village where the Wang families live together. The Wang clan is a respectable family in the Central Plains of China. The descendants of the Wang clan spread everywhere in the south of the lower reaches of the Changjiang River. Encircled by green hills, two streams flow through the village from north and east, converging at Huiyuan Bridge. The town has two main streets and about 99 lanes. All the roads and alleys are paved with cobbles or black stones. The residences, lanes, and streets combine well with the hills and streams. Lying about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of Yixian County, Hongcun Village enjoys the reputation of “a village in the beautiful Chinese picture” because of its location at high altitude and shrouded by clouds and mist. It has about 137 Ming and Qing style residences.

We’ll then head nearby to the village of Xidi. Located at the foot of Mt. Huangshan, the city was built 900 years ago during the Song Dynasty. The village’s traditional architecture is well preserved, and Xidi has been proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The buildings and the street patterns reflect the socio-economic structure of an enduring period of Chinese history. Don’t miss the sizeable memorial archway that marks the village entrance. After, you will go back to the city of Huangshan.

Day 2: Huangshan

After breakfast in the hotel, we will drive to Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain, the premier sight of Mt. Huangshan of a height of 1873. Over 500 kinds of animals and 1500 kinds of plants live on the Huangshan Mountains. UNESCO listed Yellow Mountain as one of the World Natural Heritage sites in 1990.

Take the Yungu cable car up Huangshan, check into your hotel, and have lunch. Explore the mountain’s unusual pine trees and rocky slopes, including the famous Guest-Greeting Pine near the Jade Screen area.

Explore Huangshan’s peaks, including Brush Pen Peak and Beginning-to-Believe Peak. In the evening, enjoy the sunset from Cloud Dispelling Pavilion.

Day 3: Huangshan depature

Rise early to watch sunrise on Huangshan, weather permitting. After breakfast, begin your descent along the western route, passing Flying Rock, Bright Summit, and Turtle Peak. Take the cable car from Yuping Station to the foot of the mountain, then continue to Tunxi Ancient Street.

Explore Tunxi Old Street, a 1.5-kilometer shopping street lined with traditional two-story brick and timber buildings. Browse shops selling Qimen black tea, Tunxi green tea, Anhui ink sticks, Shexian inkstones, and local crafts. You may also find carvings in brick, wood, stone, and bamboo, as well as paintings, prints, seals, and miniature landscapes.

At the end of the tour, we’ll drop you off at the airport or train station.