Southern Anhui in spring is like a big garden. For photography enthusiasts, take a self-driving trip!

Spring has arrived, and every corner of the earth is filled with the atmosphere of spring. Hello! Spring! Southern Anhui in March is like a big garden, with golden rapeseed flowers covering the mountains and fields, dressing up the landscapes of Southern Anhui like a flowing painting. Warm spring and blooming flowers make it a great season for outings and admiring flowers. Friends who love travel and photography yearn for the beautiful scenery of Southern Anhui. Come and take a self-driving trip! So, on March 24, 2021, a group of friends spontaneously organized a [Southern Anhui Spring Appreciation] self-driving tour, embarking on a spontaneous spring photography journey. Starting from Shanghai, the route passed through: Jiapeng Township, Jixi County, Anhui Province (Xingfu Village, Kantou Village, Meiganling, Shangcun) — Shendu, Shexian County, Anhui (Shendu Old Street, Fenghuang Island, Xin'an River Landscape Gallery, Zhangtan Village) — Shitan, Shexian County, Anhui (Xiatou Village, Hushan Village, Shitan Village) — Poshan Village — Zhinan Village, Lin'an, Zhejiang. The trip lasted 7 days and 6 nights, covering over 900 kilometers, with sunrises, sunsets, sea of clouds, and terraced fields — everything you could ask for! Although climbing mountains every day was a bit tiring, seeing the scenery we wanted to see in front of us made all the effort worthwhile! Day 1 (Shanghai — Jiapeng Township, Jixi County, Anhui Province) At 8 a.m. on March 24, 2021, 8 people split into two cars, gathered at the G50 Shanghai Qingpu Dianshan Lake Service Area, and set off. Around noon, they arrived at Jiapeng Township, Jixi County, Anhui Province. They found a place called Jinye Farm Stay in Xingfu Village at the foot of Meiganling to check in. After lunch at the farm stay, they went to Kantou Village in the afternoon to explore and take photos. Kantou Village is located in Jiapeng Township, Jixi County, Anhui Province. In ancient times, it was also called Yunchuan or Jianzhou. The village has been established for nearly a thousand years. As early as 1989, it was approved by the provincial government as the first batch of historical and cultural protection areas, and experts praised it as the "Pearl of Huizhou Ancient Villages." This ancient village with a long history is highly distinctive in terms of both cultural and natural landscapes. On a sunny spring afternoon, stepping into the first photography town in China — Jiapeng Township, Jixi, Anhui — reliving the wonderful slow time in Kantou Village... Entering the village, you see mountains surrounding it like a screen. The village is cleverly laid out according to the terrain, with houses built along the valleys and slopes in tight rows, and the Yunchuan Stream flowing through the middle. The Chastity Arch tells a story of family devotion passed down through generations. In front of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall stands the "Chaste Woman Arch," built in the 16th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1537). Its architectural art and carving level are quite high, with Ming characteristics, making it an important representative of Ming Dynasty archways. In a small alley not far from the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall, I saw a crescent-shaped pond surrounded by a few households, like a mirror, clear and bright. Reflected in it were granite railings, white walls and black tiles — a unique Huizhou beauty! Looking down from a high point outside the village, you can see layers of horse-head walls arranged in a staggered yet orderly manner, with smooth lines, spacious composition, and overall harmony, showing a very unified architectural style. Meiganling Terraced Fields are famous for rapeseed flowers. There is a specially widened viewing platform by the roadside, and an even smaller viewing platform on the mountain. Every year from March to April, when the rapeseed flowers bloom, this place is filled with photography enthusiasts carrying "long guns and short cannons." Around 5:30 p.m., we climbed the mountain behind Meiganling to capture the sunset over the Meiganling terraced fields. Curling smoke rose from the small village, and the remaining sunset light added a touch of haziness to the scene. Day 2 (Meiganling — Shangcun — Shendu, Shexian County) At 5:30 a.m., just before dawn, we went out to shoot the sunrise at the Meiganling viewing platform. The position of the sunrise was blocked by the mountain behind the village; by the time we saw the sun, it was already shining brightly. A faint morning mist floated over Xingfu Village, looking like a fairyland from afar — very beautiful! Scenery in the rapeseed fields of Xingfu Village. After breakfast, we drove to Shangcun. We heard that there would be a folk traditional performance that day, but in the end, we saw nothing. Shangcun, located in Jiapeng Township, Jixi County, Anhui, is a traditional ancient village. Its formation dates back about a thousand years. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, due to wars in the Central Plains, aristocratic families moved into the Huizhou area of southern Anhui. Because Shangcun was remote, connected to the outside only by streams and small paths, and surrounded by undulating peaks and steep cliffs, it was defensible and had enchanting scenery like a hidden paradise—a typical "Shangri-La." Some aristocratic families chose this place and moved in one after another... The local customs are very simple. Entering a farmyard, a warm-hearted elderly woman greeted us with a smile and even voluntarily took us to her rooftop to photograph the panoramic view of the ancient village. After leaving Shangcun, we headed to Shendu Town, Shexian County, about 90 kilometers away, a 1.5-hour drive. We arrived at Shendu Old Street around noon and checked in at Gallery People's House, located by the Xin'an River Landscape Gallery. After lunch, we explored and photographed Shendu Old Street. Shendu Old Street, an undeveloped original alley right next to the Xin'an River, was once the most prosperous water town in Huizhou. Until the 1990s, it was still the largest water hub in Huizhou, but with the rise of land transportation, the hustle and bustle became a thing of the past... Even now, you can still see the most original barbershop on the old street. At 5:00 p.m., we climbed the mountain opposite Shendu Old Street. A viewing platform was built on the mountain, providing an ideal spot for photography enthusiasts to capture Fenghuang Island. At 6:30 p.m., it gradually got dark, so we packed up and went down the mountain, planning to come back here tomorrow morning to shoot the morning mist. Day 3 (Shendu — Xin'an River Landscape Gallery — Shitan, Shexian County) At 5:30 a.m., we went up the mountain again. Because the wind picked up last night, the mist couldn't gather, and there was no morning mist. After breakfast, we took a boat tour of the Xin'an River Landscape Gallery. The entire scenic area starts from Shendu Pier to Zhangtan Village, with three stops along the way. Departing at 8:30 a.m. and returning at 12:30 p.m., the whole trip took about three hours. The beautiful scenery along the Xin'an River was like a series of landscape paintings. As we cruised by boat, we admired the green mountains on both banks and the Huizhou-style villages. The boat docked at Zhangtan Village, and we went ashore to explore. Zhangtan Village, located on the banks of the Xin'an River, is said to be where Zhang Liang, after leaving Liu Bang, lived in seclusion with a concubine. Most villagers are surnamed Zhang, and according to clan records, the lineage has continued for 76 generations. The village has a thousand-year-old camphor tree known as the "King of Camphor Trees in China." The Red Dowry Hall houses a "Number One Bed in the World," which consists of five layers. The Red Dowry Hall also contains the "Number One Sedan Chair in the World," which requires 16 people to carry. We watched a wedding custom performance by the riverside residents. The boat docked at the second stop to watch the "Nine Surnames Fishing Wind" performance, which vividly recreates historical scenes of fishing. "Nine Surnames Fishing Wind" is actually a water performance project organized by the tourism department, where local fishermen demonstrate various fishing techniques. It is highly entertaining. The boat docked at the third stop, Fenghuang Island. On the island, large tracts of rapeseed flowers are planted in a phoenix pattern, forming a soaring phoenix shape when viewed from above. After lunch and a short rest, we drove to the next stop: Xiatou Village in Shitan, Shexian County, about 24 kilometers and 40 minutes away. During the rapeseed blooming season, the Shitan scenic area temporarily closes roads, so self-driving cars cannot directly enter Xiatou Village. Cars are parked uniformly at Shitan Village parking lot, and we took scenic area minibuses into the village, costing 15 yuan per person. We checked in at Yunzhong Mountain Villa in Xiatou Village. After settling in, the landlady's grandson took us up the mountain to scout locations. In Xiatou Village, there is a viewing platform surrounded by a sea of rapeseed flowers. We captured a set of sunset scenes at 6:00 p.m. Day 4 (Xiatou Village — Hushan Village) At 6:15 a.m., we arrived at the mountain and were stunned by the beautiful scenery in front of us! After a brief rain shower in the early morning, mist gathered in the mountain hollows, forming thick fog, like a fairyland. Xiatou Village is as beautiful as a fairyland, a place where you feel like you're wandering in a painting, a place to thoroughly cleanse the soul... Hushan Village, a village located halfway up the mountain, was built on a debris flow-prone zone. Over a decade ago, the government funded the relocation of these villagers to the foot of the mountain. People left, houses became vacant, and gradually, vegetation covered the roads, turning it into a true uninhabited village. The moment we stepped into the uninhabited village, the air felt stagnant. Weeds grew everywhere, and houses were collapsed and dilapidated. Walking through the village even during the day gave an eerie feeling, let alone at night. To be honest, the sea of clouds in Hushan Village was not as beautiful as that in Xiatou Village. The most beautiful part of Hushan Village is a mountain range of rapeseed flowers, with golden blossoms overlapping in layers, an incredibly beautiful sight. Day 5 (Xiatou Village — Shitan Village — Poshan Village) We stayed two consecutive nights in Xiatou Village because the morning mist here was so beautiful, and we were afraid of missing even more stunning scenery. It rained all night last night, and the fog was too thick, so the scenery wasn't as good as the previous day. After breakfast, we left Xiatou Village and took the scenic area minibus from the village entrance to Shitan Village parking lot. While waiting to change vehicles, we took a stroll through Shitan Village. Shitan Village is located in Xiakeng Town, Shexian County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province. The Huayuan River flows through the ancient village, with houses on both sides built along the river. There are ancient docks extending into the river, and the village roads are paved with bluestone. The village has ancient ancestral halls, ancient water gates, ancient temples, ancient bridges, and more. Two ancestral halls remain, both belonging to the Wu clan. They are large in scale with exquisite carvings. Xulun Hall is the lower gate ancestral hall, with 100 beams, known as the "Hall of Hundred Beams." According to the sign, it is the ancestral home of Wu Bangguo. After visiting Shitan Village, we headed to the next spot, Poshan Village. It's about 15 kilometers from Shitan Village to Poshan Village, a half-hour drive. Around noon, we arrived at Poshan Village and checked in at Bamboo House Farm Stay. At 3 p.m., the landlady took us to familiarize ourselves with the ancient village routes. An abandoned primary school in the village had been purchased by a farmer and turned into private land. The big red characters "Reform Education, Optimize Teaching" on the wall were still strikingly visible. Poshan Village, located in Qizili Town, Shexian County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, is a mountain village built along the hillside. Spring is the most popular and beautiful season in Poshan Village. Here, you not only have a high chance of seeing beautiful sunsets and seas of clouds, but also golden rapeseed flowers and red azaleas on the hilltops. Day 6 (Poshan Village — Zhinan Village, Lin'an, Zhejiang) At 4:45 a.m., I was woken up by a friend. Outside the window, the bright moon hung high, and a sea of clouds lay below the mountain. The landlady said we were lucky — this was the second good weather day of 2021, and we had encountered it. At 5:30 a.m., we climbed to the mountain viewing platform. The scenery of Poshan Village before sunrise was breathtaking. Poshan Village is famous for its magnificent sea of clouds and mist. Because of the spectacular cloud sea, photography enthusiasts from all over the country come here in droves to capture the scenery. After photographing the sea of clouds and having breakfast, we left Poshan Village for the final stop: Zhinan Village, Lin'an, Zhejiang. It was over 130 kilometers away, a 2.5-hour drive. We arrived at Zhinan Village around noon and checked in at Wangfeng Tower by the Heavenly Pool. Zhinan Village, located on the banks of the South Tiaoxi River at the source of Taihu Lake in Lin'an, is an ancient village with a history of several thousand years. The village is surrounded by towering ancient trees, with more than 340 rare ancient trees preserved, mainly Liquidambar formosana, Tiantai ironwood, and ginkgo, all nationally protected famous trees. On both sides of the village, there are over 470 mu of terraced fields, making it a paradise for photography enthusiasts and one of the most beautiful ancient villages in East China according to outdoor circles. It is said that autumn is the most beautiful season in Zhinan Village, but spring is also very beautiful. In the center of the ancient village, around the ancient stage, four or five cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. When a gentle breeze blew, cherry blossoms scattered and fell, creating another wonderful scene! The terraced field landscape is also one of Zhinan Village's highlights. Standing on the winding mountain road, you can see the terraced fields with blooming rapeseed flowers and the distant mountains, with an extremely wide view. In this thousand-year-old ancient village, there is a magical ancient well. After thousands of years, the well water never runs dry and even overflows by itself. At 4:38 p.m., a rainbow appeared in the sky after a brief rain. Seeing a rainbow always brings a sense of joy; it also indicates good luck. This showed that our spring photography trip to Southern Anhui was very fortunate. Under the cover of night, the Heavenly Pool was serene and mysterious. This watercolor painting was truly well done. No need to get up early tomorrow; finally, on the last night, we could have a good sleep. Day 7 (Zhinan Village, Lin'an, Zhejiang — Shanghai) Got up at 6:15 a.m. The fog was thick, so we took a walk around the village. After breakfast and a short rest, we left Zhinan Village at 10:00 a.m. After a 4.5-hour drive, we safely returned to our home in Shanghai.