Destinations: Hongcun Ancient Village + Xidi Ancient Village + Chengkan Bagua Village + Huizhou Ancient City + Tunxi Old Street + Li Yang Alley + Traditional Hui-style Craft Workshops
Suitable For
History and architecture enthusiasts, family travel groups with elders and children, slow travel lovers, cultural study groups, photography beginners, and travelers who prefer leisure and in-depth experience.
Not Suitable For
Travelers pursuing mountain sightseeing and outdoor hiking, visitors with tight short holidays, tourists focusing on trendy entertainment and intense amusement projects.
Tour Highlights
Today's Highlights: Settle down in Huangshan urban area, stroll ancient commercial streets and experience local Huizhou night customs.
After arriving in Huangshan City, enjoy private pick-up service and check into a comfortable urban hotel. After a full rest, start your Huizhou cultural journey. Wander along Tunxi Old Street, the most well-preserved ancient commercial street in Huizhou. Walk through bluestone alleys, view Hui-style horsehead walls and wooden eaves, and visit century-old shops selling Hui ink, stone ink slabs and bamboo carvings. In the evening, head to Liyang Alley, which combines ancient style and modern fashion. Enjoy the quiet night view of ancient buildings, taste authentic Huizhou snacks such as hairy tofu and stone tofu pudding, and feel the down-to-earth urban folk customs of Huangshan. Stay overnight in Tunxi urban area.
Optional Activity: Visit local tea houses to taste authentic Huangshan Maofeng tea and experience slow leisure time.
Tips: The night scenery of Tunxi Old Street and Liyang Alley is more charming; it is recommended to arrange evening sightseeing. Take care of personal belongings in crowded areas.
Day 2: Hongcun Ink-style Water Village In-depth Tour
Today's Highlights: Explore the world-famous ink-painting village, enjoy water-reflected ancient buildings and poetic rural scenery.
Drive to Hongcun Ancient Village, known as "the village in Chinese painting". The whole village is surrounded by flowing water, with a perfect geomantic layout. Visit the core scenic spots includingSouth Lake and Moon Pond, watch ancient Hui-style dwellings and stone arch bridges reflected on the calm water, just like a moving traditional ink painting. Visit Chengzhi Hall, the most luxurious ancient residence in Hongcun, and appreciate exquisite Hui-style wood carvings, brick carvings and stone carvings. Wander the quiet village lanes, listen to the guide's explanation of Hongcun's thousand-year history and clan stories, and record poetic scenery. Stay overnight in a characteristic water-view homestay inside Hongcun Village.
Optional Activity: Wear traditional Hanfu to take photos, or experience sketching in the ancient village.
Tips: The morning and dusk light in Hongcun is soft and suitable for photography. The stone roads in the village are slippery when wet, please walk carefully.
Day 3: Xidi Ancient Archway Village Exploration
Today's Highlights: Visit the primitive Ming and Qing ancient village, admire grand archway groups and ancient folk residences.
After breakfast, drive to Xidi Ancient Village, a typical Huizhou ancient village famous for dense archway groups and well-preserved ancient dwellings. Different from Hongcun's graceful water scenery, Xidi features a simple, solemn and primitive ancient style. Visit the iconic Hu Wenguang Censor Archway, appreciate the exquisite stone carving art and understand the ancient official and filial piety culture of Huizhou. Wander through hundreds of well-preserved Ming and Qing ancient houses, visit ancient ancestral halls and folk courtyards, and feel the profound clan culture of Huizhou. Taste local farmhouse dishes in the village and experience the simple rural life. Stay overnight in a featured homestay near Xidi Village.
Optional Activity: Experience local traditional rice cake making and other folk handicrafts.
Tips: Xidi has fewer tourists than Hongcun, retaining more original rural customs, suitable for slow walking and in-depth sightseeing.
Day 4: Chengkan Mysterious Bagua Ancient Village & Intangible Heritage Experience
Today's Highlights: Uncover the geomantic mystery of Bagua Village and experience traditional Hui-style intangible cultural heritage.
Head to Chengkan Ancient Village, a rare geomantic Bagua village in China. The village is arranged strictly according to traditional Taoist Bagua layout, with crisscross lanes and ingenious terrain. Walk through the winding ancient lanes, experience the mysterious traditional geomantic culture, and overlook the complete Bagua terrain from the viewing platform. In the afternoon, arrange exclusive Hui-style intangible heritage experience. Learn about the production process of Hui ink, wood carving and bamboo weaving under the guidance of local craftsmen, and personally make small cultural and creative works. Stay overnight in a quiet rural homestay around Chengkan.
Optional Activity: Purchase hand-made intangible cultural heritage works as unique travel souvenirs.
Tips: Do not walk alone in the remote lanes of Chengkan to avoid getting lost; follow the guide’s route for sightseeing.
Day 5: Huizhou Ancient City Sightseeing & Departure
Today's Highlights: Explore the thousand-year-old Huizhou political and cultural center and end the cultural journey.
Drive to Huizhou Ancient City, the core birthplace of Huizhou culture. Step into the well-preserved ancient city area, visit the grand Huizhou Prefectural Government, and learn about the administrative system and historical evolution of ancient Huizhou. Wander the ancient archway streets, appreciate various ancient stone archways carrying celebrity stories and historical memories. Stroll through ancient bookstores, old craft shops and folk exhibition halls in the ancient city, and make a final summary of Huizhou's architecture, folk customs and humanities. After tasting special Huizhou lunch, arrange your return trip according to your personal schedule.
Optional Activity: Watch traditional Hui opera folk performances in the ancient city square.
Tips: The ancient city covers a large area, it is recommended to visit with a guide to avoid missing key cultural relics and historical stories.
Want to deeply explore the profound charm of Huizhou civilization in Huangshan City? Then join this 5-Day Huizhou Ancient Villages Cultural Tour with PandaStudyTour!
