Mountain views, tigers and village charm await in Anhui

2015-08-05      Source: China Daily

 The Hui-style buildings in a village in Yixian county.

While the magnificent peaks stretching endlessly and pretty views of the Huangshan Mountains attract many travelers, one can also enjoy ancient villages, rebuilt old houses and natural scenery by visiting the surrounding areas, such as Yixian county and scenic spots at the foot of the mountains.

In 2000, the World Heritage Committee inscribed Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui－Xidi and Hongcun－on the World Heritage List, due to their well-preserved Hui-style architecture. Many of the structures were built between the 14th and 20th centuries.

The two traditional villages in Yixian boast elegant waterways and gardens, tranquil alleyways, ancient archways and ancestral halls. It's not uncommon to see people carefully painting the beautiful scenery there, seated on small stools in front of drawing boards and palettes.

Surrounded by high walls shaped like horse heads for fireproofing, Hui-style houses with black tiles and white walls were decorated with artworks made of brick, wood and stone. Such abodes have square skylights to reduce the heat of sunshine, drain water and create good ventilation.

Hanging in each home are several couplets carved on wood that describe the family's life philosophies, Confucianism and such virtues as being hospitable.

The county government has been striving to attract social capital to fund protection and making sustainable use of ancient buildings. Some are rebuilt as homestays, cafes and galleries to boost tourism and culture.

Take Pig's Heaven Inn in Xidi village. Since its 2006 opening, the rustic charm of living in an ancient house with period decor has continued drawing foreign ambassadors and such celebrities as Japanese composer Mamoru Fujisawa (professionally known as Joe Hisaishi).

Last year, the county opened a third inn in the fields of Bishan village. The wooden house, once an oil mill, now features a spacious public area, including gardens and just 19 rooms.

Bishan Bookstore in Bishan village, Yixian county, was once an ancestral temple in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It houses 20,000 books about history, culture, rural construction and Hui-style architecture.

The ubiquitous old furniture and ornaments, such as lamps, electric fans, sewing machines and radios, make a visit feel like a journey through time.

Guests can play guitar on an old sofa in the sitting room, beneath 1960s banners reading: "Workers of all lands, unite!". There's an intricately carved antique wooden bed.

Bishan Bookstore in the village was actually a 600-square-meter ancestral temple in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It claims to be the first bookstore in the countryside. It has more than 20,000 books about history, culture, rural construction and Hui-style architecture.

Lotus and Jade valleys are at the foot of the Huangshan Mountains. They're filled with green bamboo, bridges and ponds of various sizes reflecting different colors.

Jade Valley is where Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi fight in a bamboo forest in Ang Lee's award-winning movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Five kilometers from the northern entry gate to the Huangshan Mountains is the Tiger Garden, where more than 70 Manchurian tigers prowl.

Visitors board a bus protected by safety nets and watch tigers jump on top of jeeps, whose drivers feed the creatures. Some will rest atop the vehicles after meals, as the automobiles drive along.

Chery Automobile Co, Ltd's Recreational Vehicle Campsite is only 1 km from the mountains' western gate and offers fantastic views of the peaks bathed in vast clouds.

There are more than 160 caravans, and you can also drive your own RV and enjoy water and electricity supplies as well as barbecue facilities.

If you go

The high-speed rail between Beijing and Huangshan city, Anhui province, was opened on July 1. Visitors can enjoy picturesque scenery outside the train windows during their journey of five and a half hours. Yixian county in the city is about an hour's drive from North Huangshan Railway Station.