Sweeping Autumn in Zhinan Village, Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Taiping Lake, Southern Anhui 218, Tunxi Old Street, and Ancient Huizhou Cultural Tourism Area

Autumn has arrived, and the autumn mood is strong. Taking advantage of the peaceful time, follow the route and stroll along the country paths of southern Anhui. Winding paths, small bridges, villages, fields, red leaves, and azure clouds complement the brilliant autumn colors, overlapping greens and golds, exploring the colorful hues of late autumn. Or approach the old streets and alleys of Hui-style architecture, ancestral halls, memorial archways, residential houses, gardens, high walls, and green tiles, blending the exquisite and delicate Huizhou three carvings, ancient and serene, seeking the former splendor.

Departing from Ningbo on November 14, total driving distance 1226 km, highway toll 272 yuan, fuel cost 640 yuan, parking fee 90 yuan, per person ticket 439 yuan, per person scenic area shuttle fee 30 yuan, returning to Ningbo on November 20.

Main attractions: Lin'an Zhinan Village, Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Taohuatan, Taiping Lake, Southern Anhui S218, Hongcun, Tachuan, Xidi, Yanpu Flower Sea, Tunxi Old Street, Xixinan, Qiankou Folk Houses, Chengkan, Tangmo, Tangyue Memorial Archways & Bao Family Garden, Huizhou Ancient City.

D1: Entered the expressway at Ningbo Dazhujia at 7 am, arrived at Lin'an Zhinan Village at 10:30 am.

First stop: Zhinan Village: No entrance fee, parking 10 yuan, scenic shuttle 20 yuan. The village is full of guesthouses, with scenery in all seasons. It is one of the most beautiful autumn viewing spots in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The Red Maple Festival is generally held in November each year. Main attractions: ancient ancestral hall, ancient temple, ancient houses, ancient trees, ancient well. There is a viewing platform on the hillside behind the village, where you can overlook the layered mountains in the mist and look down on the terraced fields. Tips: There are not many parking spots on the mountain. If you are not staying at a farmhouse on the mountain or have reserved a parking spot in advance, you must park at the parking lot at the foot of the mountain and take the scenic shuttle up and down.

Second stop: Checked into Ningguo City Sunshine Hotel.

D2: Departed from Ningguo City at 8:00, entered the east entrance of the Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway: Also known as the "Jiangnan Sky Road," the essence section is 120 km. Route: East entrance of Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway - Qinglong Township - Chujiatan - Fangtang Township - Banqiao Village - Taoling - Suhong Village - Tingxi Township - Aimin Township - Caicun Town (Moon Bay). Along the way, there are parking spots, viewing platforms, boat docks, and guesthouses and restaurants everywhere. On holidays, it is best to book guesthouses in advance. Do not park randomly on the road, otherwise, loudspeakers will ask you to leave immediately. If you temporarily park at a resident's door, you may be asked to pay 10 yuan parking fee. The roads are narrow with many sharp turns; drive carefully. Traffic jams are severe on holidays; plan your travel time well.

First stop: Chujiatan: No entrance fee, located downstream of Qinglong Bay. Photography base, barbecue base. Main attractions: Double swing, Qingliao Wangfeng Pavilion, fishing platform, bamboo art corridor, Longchi. If driving to Huiyun Zen Temple: take the small road from Yangcunwan, cross Provincial Highway 345, there is a fork road along the lake for 5 km that can go directly to the mountaintop to Huiyun Temple.

Second stop: Fangtang Red Shore Forest: No entrance fee. Main attractions: Composed of six red fir forests, covering an area of more than 3000 mu. Green water surrounds the road, a Jiangnan Kanas scenery hidden in the deep mountains and beautiful waters. Around mid-to-late November each year, the red fir forest begins to change color, with the best viewing period from green to light yellow to golden yellow to dark red after December 20. You can take a boat tour (60 yuan per person) or hike along the lake. There is a viewing platform on the mountain at the parking lot to see the panoramic view of the red fir forest.

Third stop: Banqiao Village: No entrance fee. Known as the last "green outpost" of the northern subtropical zone. Main attractions: Banqiao Karst Cave, Ghost Gate Canyon, Yangkeng Waterfall, Mopan Mountain, Doufu Terrace, Banqiao Stone Cliff, Golden Turtle Stone, etc. After entering the area from Fangtang Township to Banqiao Village, the landscape becomes karst rocks. Drive up Mopan Mountain, where there is a Ying Stone Forest, but not large in area. After crossing Mopan Mountain, it's Banbi Cliff. Banqiao Provincial Nature Reserve has dense forests, diverse species, and unique natural resource landscapes. The most mysterious place is the primary secondary forest, located at the foot of the peak south of Banqiao Village, covering about 1200 mu, divided into three areas: Dayangpai, Yangkeng, and Sibaiwu. Banqiao Village is also an old anti-Japanese base area. Lu Hui is an anti-Japanese hero who died here. (From Banqiao Village, you can follow the stream-side road to Shuimo Tingxi Scenic Area, ticket 45 yuan. If you don't tour the scenic area and just drive through, you can apply to the scenic area staff to drive into the area, but you cannot get out of the car, and you must exit through the other end within 30 minutes. The scenic area is unattended from 17:00 to 6:30 the next day.) Checked into Banqiao Lingshou Villa.

D3: Departed at 8:00 to continue the Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

First stop: Taoling Highway: Experience the thrill and excitement of "high road into the clouds." The uphill section is about 10 km, and the downhill section also about 10 km, with steep terrain and charming scenery. There are peaks over 1000 meters above sea level such as Taolingtou, Niaoque Ridge, and Laohuping, with an average altitude of 800 meters. The Taoling River runs through the entire Taoling Village. Most villagers live along the river, surrounded by mountains and crisscrossed by streams. Monkeys often block the road to beg for food along the way.

Second stop: Moon Bay: No entrance fee. Selected as an outdoor filming base by many film studios. Classic films such as "The Laughter of Moon Bay," "The Storm of Moon Bay," "Red Memory," "Reconnaissance Across the River," and many other excellent films were shot here. Main attractions along the way: Jingbao Guan Bamboo Sea, Rhinoceros Gazing at the Moon, Mountain Stream Suspension Bridge, Mandarin Duck Pool, Ming-Qing Ancient Plank Road, and Shicun Ancient Houses.

Third stop: Yunling New Fourth Army Headquarters: 4A, no entrance fee, parking 10 yuan. National key cultural relic protection unit. Main attractions: Army headquarters, army assembly hall, Central Bureau of the Communist Party of China Southeast Bureau, repair shop, political department, training team, battlefield service corps, martyr's tomb, and Ye Ting Bridge.

Fourth stop: Taohuatan Scenic Area: 4A, entrance fee 65 yuan. Famous because Li Bai wrote here: "Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep, but not as deep as Wang Lun's feeling for me." Main attractions: Consists of Dong'an Chen Village and Xi'an Wan Village, including Zhonghua Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, Mengtanxuan, Taiping Lake, Guansheng Hall, Tuge Bank Pavilion, West Bank Gate Tower, Yimen, Caihong Bridge, "Wanjia Hotel" ruins, Wang Lun's tomb, etc. The villa staff guide: with the villa room card, you can freely enter and exit Chen Village except for Chen Village Old Street (during scenic area working hours) and taking the ferry. In Wan Village, you can enter without a ticket from the Poetry and Painting Landscape Hotel. I first visited Wan Village scenic area; when the staff saw that I looked like a tourist without a ticket, they just let me in directly. Checked into Taohuatan Taohua Villa.

D4: First stop: Taiping Lake: 4A, entrance fee + boat ticket 96 yuan, parking 10 yuan. Known as "the lover of Huangshan," "Chinese Jade," "World Pearl," "Eastern Lake Geneva." Attractions are on islands; take a boat from the dock to visit various islands. There are Bagua Island, Monkey Island, Longyao Stronghold, etc. To visit, you must buy the main entrance ticket and boat ticket, and you can only take the same boat trip. You can visit three islands, each only 20 minutes. The entire Taiping Lake is divided into five major scenic areas: Gongxing, Guangyang, Huangjing, Longmen, Sanmen. Skip touring the scenic area, walk around the nearby boardwalk, no ticket needed, and the boardwalk is quite long.

Second stop: Southern Anhui 218: One of the most beautiful self-driving routes in southern Anhui, reputed as the top of the top ten self-driving routes in Anhui. Best season: Autumn September to November, November is the most beautiful. At this time, most leaves have fully changed color, connecting 99% of the beauty of southern Anhui in the mountains and waters. Attractions along the way: Starting from Tangli Village in Gantang, passing through Huangshan West Sea, Tuju RV Camp, Niangxi, Wuxi Mountain, Taqianling, Yangzhanling, Gulouling, Jiaocun, Guocun, Lucun, Hongcun, Qixi Wonderland, Tachuan, Xiuli, Saijinhua Ancient Residence, Nanping Scenic Area, Xidi, Taoyuan... ending at Yuting Town in Yixian County. Total length 78 km.

Third stop: Tachuan: Entrance fee 31 yuan, parking free. Tachuan autumn colors are known as one of the four major autumn colors in the country. Tachuan red leaves begin to appear around October 20, reach maximum range by November 10, and the period from November 10 to 31 is the widest distribution and best viewing time.

Fourth stop: Hongcun: 5A, entrance fee 94 yuan, after exchange ticket is valid for 3 days with ticket and ID card for free entry and exit, parking 10 yuan. Main attractions: First, the overall shape of Hongcun is worth mentioning, known as the "unique in China" ancient water buffalo-shaped village, a great wonder of the world historical and cultural heritage. Chengzhi Hall, Jingxiu Hall, Dongxian Hall, Sanli Hall, Xuren Hall, Shangyuan Hall, and other ancestral halls, as well as Nanhu Academy, Moon Pond, and South Lake. Checked into Hongcun Huazhu Tianyi Hall Hotel.

D5: First stop: Continue touring Hongcun.

Second stop: Xidi: 5A, entrance fee 94 yuan, parking 10 yuan. Main attractions: Hu Wenguang Archway, Zhaimu Hall, Duyi Court, Jing'ai Hall, Zouma Building, Kuanggu Study, Ruiyu Court, Dujing Hall, Taoli Garden, West Garden, East Garden, Duren Hall, Lüfu Hall, Qingyunxuan, Yingfu Hall, Yanggao Hall, Shangde Hall, Dafu Di, Diji Hall, etc.

Third stop: Yanpu Flower Sea: No entrance fee. It is a famous chrysanthemum characteristic demonstration village in Huangshan City. Best time for chrysanthemum viewing and photography: late July to November.

Fourth stop: Tunxi Old Street: No entrance fee. The best-preserved ancient street in China with architectural styles of the Southern Song and Ming-Qing dynasties, also a national key cultural relic protection unit. Main attractions: Tunxi Old Street, Liyang Lane, Dai Zhen Memorial Hall, Yang Yegong Memorial Hall, Cheng Dawei's Former Residence, Wan Cui Tower, Museum (privately operated, entrance fee 50 yuan for museum, Cheng's Three Residences), Zhenhai Bridge (under repair). Checked into Tunxi Xinshan Villa Garden Hotel.

D6: First stop: Xixinan Ancient Village: No entrance fee, parking 10 yuan. A serene and beautiful ecological Huizhou ancient village with a history of 1200 years. Related to the architectural descriptions in the novel "Jin Ping Mei" and Zhu Yunming's uncle's home in Xixinan. Main attractions: Large area of maple poplar forest beside Fengle River, Laowu Pavilion, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom ancient battlefield ruins.

Ancient Huizhou Cultural Tourism Area joint ticket (5 5A scenic areas including Huizhou Ancient City, Tangyue Memorial Archways & Bao Family Garden, Tangmo, Qiankou Folk Houses, and Chengkan), ticket price 220 yuan, valid for two days.

Second stop: Qiankou Folk Houses: 5A, no entrance fee, closed on the afternoon of the 12th and 26th of each month, parking 10 yuan. Known as "a living monograph of Ming Dynasty folk art in China," "a model of high harmony between human landscape and natural landscape," "go to Beijing to see palaces, go to Qiankou to see folk houses." Main attractions: Qing Garden: includes folk houses, ancestral halls, ancient stages, "Wanshengji" with shops in front and workshops in back, "Wang Shunchang House" with a private school beside the folk house, "Hong House" of ordinary people, "Chengrentang" of Hui merchants, "Gengli Hall" of officials, "Cheng Peiben Hall" of landlords, and the only surviving "Shouzufang" in Huizhou. Ming Garden: Shanyuan Pavilion, Luo Xiaoming House, Hu Yongji House, Fang Guantian House, Wu Jianhua House.

Third stop: Chengkan Bagua Village: 5A, entrance fee 107 yuan, parking 10 yuan. The first village of Chinese feng shui. Main attractions: Baolun Pavilion, Yanyi Hall, Changchun She, Huanxiu Bridge, Luo Dongshu Ancestral Hall.

Fourth stop: Tangmo: 5A, entrance fee 80 yuan, parking 10 yuan. Known as the first village of Chinese water mouth gardens. Main attractions: Hui-style garden - Tan'gan Garden (Filial Son Lake), water mouth, water street, Mirror Pavilion, Tongbao Hanlin Archway, Shadi Pavilion, Gaoyang Bridge, the locust tree that acted as matchmaker for the Seventh Fairy and Dong Yong in the film "The Fairy Couple," etc.

Fifth stop: Tangyue Memorial Archways & Bao Family Garden: 5A, entrance fee 100 yuan, parking 10 yuan. Main attractions: ancient memorial archway group, ancient ancestral halls, ancient folk houses, Bao Family Garden. Checked into Shexian Baijing Xin'an Hotel.

D7: First stop: Huizhou Ancient City: 5A, entrance fee 100 yuan, car parked at hotel. Main attractions: Within the ancient city: Hui Garden, Xu Guo Stone Archway, Nanqiao Tower, Dongqiao Tower (Yanghe Gate), Huizhou Prefectural Office, Doushan Street, Tao Xingzhi Memorial Hall, ancient city wall; in the city area: Xin'an Stele Garden, Taibai Tower, Yuliang Dam (4A, entrance fee 30 yuan).

Checked out at 10 am and returned. Arrived home in Ningbo at 2:30 pm.