Spring Tour of Jianghuai Invites You丨Anhui Villages' Charm: Walk Ancient Trails and Tour Ancient Villages

Spring never disappoints any expectation, from mountains and forests to fields, from cities to ancient villages, every corner is filled with the breath of spring. Traveling through Jianghuai in spring, I arrived at Jixi, where the Huihang Ancient Trail is shaded by lush greenery, and hikers are braving the Jiangnan First Pass. Or wander through the ancient village of Longchuan, experiencing the charm of historic sites meeting fresh greenery.

The Huihang Ancient Trail, in a word, was the road from Huizhou to Hangzhou in ancient times. Old Huizhou was covered with deep mountains and dense forests. The people of Huizhou left the mountains to make a living and traveled to distant lands. Generation after generation, this heritage led to the brilliance of later Huizhou merchants. As an old official road, the Huihang Ancient Trail was blazed by generations of Huizhou people. Located at the junction of Anhui and Zhejiang, it has existed for over a thousand years and was an important passage for trade between Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants.

Today, the Huihang Ancient Trail has shed its historical光环. With a total length of 16 kilometers and moderate intensity and difficulty, it is a mature hiking route. Strolling along the Huihang Ancient Trail in spring, the trail, like a "dragon's spine," winds through lofty mountains and ridges for about twenty kilometers. Amidst the verdant green mountains, enjoy the spring scenery of greenery, with distant mountains like lines sketched in an ink painting. Gazing into the distance for a moment, one suddenly feels an expansive heart and mind.

The Huihang Ancient Trail lies within the Tianmu Mountain Range and Baiji Mountain Range, with thousands of ravines and peaks, dense forests shrouded in mist, clouds and vapors rising in splendor, a scene of ever-changing majesty, and the lingering legacy of the ancient Yue people. Stepping onto the bluestone ancient trail half-hidden by green trees or reeds, one cannot help but imagine the burdened journey of Huizhou merchants back then, awakening a sense of the jianghu spirit within, and finding a heroic feeling of "wandering the world with a sword."

Walking on the ancient trail, there are endless views of blue waters meeting the sky, countless mountain flowers and wild grasses to savor, endless songs of a hundred birds to hear, and unlimited Huizhou customs to enjoy...

Near the Huihang Ancient Trail, there is an ancient village with serene historic sites and a thriving culture—Longchuan. Longchuan is just a village, yet it bears the reputation of a 5A scenic spot, showing the abundance of its landscape scenery and the weight of its cultural history. On a bright spring day, from the Huihang Ancient Trail to the millennium-old village of Longchuan, appreciate a splashed-ink painting of Huizhou's landscapes.

Longchuan Village nestles against the Dengyuan River, the "source of Huizhou," like a large ship moored on the river. On both sides of the water street, ancient residential houses stand in close succession, with white walls and black tiles, and tranquil village alleys. Walking through, a strong sense of nature and daily life greets you, making it hard to leave.

Like many villages in Huizhou, Longchuan Village is also a clan settlement, where the Hu family built an ancestral hall to worship their ancestors. Because the Hu family was historically prominent and prestigious, the Hu's Ancestral Hall was constructed with grandeur and splendor, embodying the exquisite techniques of the Three Carvings of Huizhou.

The winding corridors and bridges, the millennium-old memorial archways, the black-and-white contrasting ancient dwellings, and the charming water street—this is the unique charm Longchuan Village has possessed for centuries. Strolling through these long streets and narrow alleys, you can feel the profound depth of ancient Huizhou culture and the beauty of the village environment.