Top 7 Attractions in Anhui

Plan your Anhui tour? Abutting Jiangsu on the east, Zhejiang on the southeast, Jiangxi on the south and Hebei and Hunan on the west,  Anhui is a low-profile province in the east region of China with Hefei as its capital city.

The Yangtze River and Huai River cross Anhui Province from the west to the east, geographically bisecting the province into two parts - the northern Anhui ( north of Yangtze River ) and the southern Anhui (south of Yangtze ).

Topographically the northern Anhui is part of the North China Plain and part of the Huai River Watershed as well, both flat and densely populated while the southern Anhui features rugged hills and ranges winding through the southeastern Anhui.

150 km southwest of Huangshan, Jiuhushan is noted for its unworldliness and tranquility. Anhui's green mountains and the bucolic life in the countrysides are a great escape from the hustle and bustle of China's bigger cities.

I've rounded up the 7 top attractions in Anhui for your perusal while planning your own trip to Anhui.

1. Mount Huangshan 黄山

Mt. Mountain is world famous for its beautiful landscape – sunrise, sunset, granite peaks, pine trees, and the other-worldly sea of the clouds. Also much of Mt. Huangshan’s reputation comes from its significant impact on Chinese art, literature and profound cultural resources.

2. Tunxi Old Street  屯溪老街

Tunxi is the old town, the city core of Huangshan which is named after Mount Huangshan. The attractions in Tunxi include Laojie (Old Street), a souvenir street lined with wooden shops and Ming-style Huizhou buildings.

Wancuilou on the Laojie offers an in-depth look at Huizhou architecture, furniture and antiques. Duck into the side alleys for a glimpse of the bona fide slice of the local life.

3. Hongcun Village 宏村   

The whole village is like a buffalo lying on its side surrounded by green hills and blue water with dwelling houses its "body", South Lake its "belly", Moon Pool its "stomach", Leigang Hill the "head", two huge trees the "horns", a winding stream as the "intestines" and the four bridges as the "four feet".

4. Xidi Village 西递村

Located 18 km south of Hingcun Village, Xidi Village is also part of the  World Cultural Heritage along with Hongcun Village.

It is the perfect place for visitors to see typical folk houses, where residents have lived as they have for centuries. It gives visitors the rare opportunity to explore China’s ancient culture and arts.

Wandering along this ancient village, you will find traditional Hui-style houses, ancestral temples, academies of classical learning,  stone archways, white walls and grey tiles, beautifully painted windows, projecting horse-head walls, and stone slab bridges.

4. Chengkan Town 呈坎镇

Chengkan Town is located about 30 km north of Tunxi, the center of Huangshan City and at the south base of Mount Huangshan.

Chengkan is a tranquil and bucolic place different from the busy and crowded Shen County or the Hui-type villages in the west - Hongcun Village and Xidi Village. Here in Chengkan, you are able to get a glimpse of an authentic piece of countryside life.

Ringed by lush mountains and cut through by placid rivers, Chengkan has over 100 well-preserved buildings of Ming and Qing Dynasty that feature various styles - pavilions, terraces, towers, bridges, wells, ancestral halls and residential buildings.

These buildings epitomize the Huizhou dwellings, one of the vernacular dwellings in China, which are adapted to the characters of hills and waters. 

Jiuhuashan 九华山   

6. Mount Qiyun (Qiyunshan) 齐云山

7. Shexian Old Town （She County )  歙县老城

There are some hiking trails with stunning views and the highest point of the mountain rises to 585 meters. A charming village - Qiyun Village is perched in the middle of the mountain range.

Some white-washed houses are dotted on the slope with a range of eateries and restaurants and stalls for souvenirs and local products.

She County is also nicknamed "the county of Paifang". Paifang is also called “pailou’, a traditional Chinese architectural archway.

Add-on:

Hassle-free Anhui and China Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for China guided tours:

Further Readings