2012 Hangzhou-Huangshan 3-Day Self-Drive Tour (West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Huangshan Emerald Valley, Tangmo, Tangyue Ancient Memorial Archways, Tunxi Old Street, Huizhou Ancient City)

May 26–28, 2012. Among the attractions of ancient towns and villages, ancient villages in southern Anhui hold a significant position, with some of them already listed as World Cultural Heritage sites. The mountainous terrain of southern Anhui makes these ancient villages even more beautiful than their counterparts in the flatlands of the Yangtze River Delta. They share a common regional cultural background and a strong Huizhou flavor, yet different Huangshan-area villages never feel monotonous. I visited Huangshan in 1997 and toured several ancient villages back then—their names have faded from my memory, but I was deeply impressed by the ancient memorial archways of southern Anhui. That trip was by train and return flight. Now, the Hangzhou-Huangshan Expressway has been open for years, making a self-drive from Shanghai to Tunxi very convenient; the one-way distance is about 400 km, closer than a round trip to Wenzhou in Zhejiang. This three-day road trip involved a stop in Hangzhou. To avoid wasting daylight on the road, I decided to enjoy Hangzhou first and admired the West Lake for the umpteenth time. The total trip covered 1,053 km. Fuel costs were modest, but compared to previous road trips, admission fees in southern Anhui were not cheap—most ancient villages charge over RMB 60. The photo below was taken in Shendu Town, Shexian County, showing the beautiful Xin’an River.

May 26, 2012 (Hangzhou weather: cloudy, 17–24°C)

Departed from my Shanghai home at 10:15 am, taking the Outer Ring Expressway and then the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway. The Outer Ring was under maintenance, so speeds were slow.

11:10 am: Arrived at Xinqiao Toll Gate on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, 41 km driven.

11:35 am: Stopped for a break at Fengjing Service Area on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, 76 km driven. Fengjing Toll Gate charged RMB 30.

11:55 am: Passed Dayun Toll Gate on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, 90 km driven.

12:45 pm: Reached Desheng Toll Gate in Hangzhou on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, 180 km driven. Expressway toll: RMB 50.

Hangzhou’s Zhonghe Road elevated highway.

Those years Hangzhou was full of metro construction sites, so driving in the city was inevitably affected. (Later note: This photo was taken on West Lake Avenue; metro construction has long since finished, and the road is smooth again.)

Parking in downtown Hangzhou could be tricky, but there were plenty of street-side parking spots. I parked in a construction site on Guohuo Road, within walking distance to the Kuaiyuguan restaurant on Jiefang Road and not far from the West Lake lakeside.

The YMCA building at the eastern end of Guohuo Road, a fine example of modern historical architecture.

Had lunch at Kuaiyuguan, a time-honored noodle house known as the “Noodle King of Jiangnan.”

Walked from Jiefang Road toward the lakefront.

Construction on Yan’an Road at the time.

The West Lake Tunnel entrance on Jiefang Road.

This “Waipo Jia” restaurant by the lake was incredibly popular. (Later note: Back then I thought I’d try Waipo Jia one day; it wasn’t until 2020 that I finally ate at one of their other branches. Hangzhou cuisine is fairly inexpensive, so it wasn’t about affordability—mostly I had been put off by long queues.)

Hangzhou’s West Lake lakefront.

Ticket prices for West Lake sightseeing boats, which could take you to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.

The Grand Hotel (Dahua Fandian) by West Lake.

This tourist’s backpack looked “really heavy.”

You could get around Hangzhou by bike, which was more convenient than driving. (Later note: Shared bikes weren’t a thing yet back then.)

Old townhouses in the Hubin area of Hangzhou.

Jiangjun Road has quite a history behind it.

A Jinjiang Inn on Guohuo Road where I had stayed a few years earlier—really close to the West Lake shore.

Returned to the construction site to pick up the car.

Lingyin Temple: scenic area ticket RMB 45, entry to the temple RMB 30. I had a hard time driving to Lingyin that day. Only after arriving in Hangzhou did I learn that the scenic area around West Lake enforces odd-even license plate restrictions on weekends, and my car happened to be restricted that Saturday. I drove around the city for over an hour trying to go to Jingci Temple instead, but it fell under the same restrictions. Finally, I took Tianmushan Road through Lingxi Tunnel to reach Lingyin Temple—that route had no restrictions. Weekend parking at Lingyin cost RMB 20 per hour; on weekdays it’s said to be RMB 10 per hour. My whole visit cost RMB 40 in parking.

Lingyin Temple, a National Key Buddhist Monastery in the Han Chinese region.

By the time I exited the scenic area, it was early evening, and there were very few tourists.

A KFC next to Lingyin Temple.

6:12 pm: Reached the Hangzhou West Toll Gate on the Hangzhou-Huangshan Expressway, 230 km driven.

7:10 pm: Rest stop at Longgang Service Area on the Hangzhou-Huangshan Expressway, 324 km driven. Filled up with 93-octane gasoline: RMB 215 at RMB 7.68 per liter. Since Anhui province uses ethanol-blended gasoline, this service area in Lin’an is the last in Zhejiang where you can get unleaded gasoline.

7:35 pm: Yulingguan Toll Gate on the Hangzhou-Huangshan Expressway, 347 km driven. Expressway toll: RMB 60.

8:30 pm: Tunxi South Toll Gate on the Hangzhou-Huangshan Expressway, 426 km driven. Expressway toll: RMB 35.

8:45 pm: Checked into Jinjiang Inn Tunxi, Huangshan. With the membership discount, it was RMB 179; after using a Jinjiang Inn coupon, I paid RMB 169. Total driving for the day: 434 km.

Below is a photo of the dining street near Tunxi Old Street, open until around midnight.

May 27, 2012 (Tunxi weather: sunny, 18–28°C)

Jinjiang Inn Tunxi, Huangshan. The hotel is right next to Beihai Road, the main thoroughfare in Tunxi, yet it was very quiet at night—you could even hear frogs croaking. However, on the north side of Beihai Road runs the Anhui-Jiangxi Railway, and Huangshan Station is nearby, so occasionally a train whistle could be heard. Beihai Road connects westward to Xiuning and the G3 Beijing-Taipei Expressway leading to the Huangshan scenic area, and eastward to Shexian—very convenient for travel. (Later note: This location is no longer a Jinjiang Inn.)

9:34 am: Passed Tunxi West Toll Gate on the G3 Beijing-Taipei Expressway, 444 km driven.

10:03 am: Tangkou Toll Gate on the G3 Expressway, 487 km driven. Expressway toll: RMB 20.

Tangkou. Most hikers heading up Huangshan choose this town as their base, so it’s packed with hotels and restaurants.

Huangshan mountain can be seen in the distance.

Emerald Valley (Feicui Gu), admission RMB 75.

1:25 pm: Back at Tangkou Toll Gate on the G3 Expressway, 506 km driven.

1:52 pm: Yansi Toll Gate on the G3 Expressway, 539 km driven. Expressway toll: RMB 15.

Exiting at Yansi Toll Gate gives access to several attractions in Huizhou District and Shexian County.

Tangmo, admission RMB 80.