Flowing Years, Unchanging Landscapes: Jixi is Truly Beautiful!

I have visited southern Anhui many times, but Jixi, one of the birthplaces of Huizhou culture, had always eluded me. As time passed, my longing grew. So, taking advantage of the rare gap just after the peak summer travel season of 2025 and before the National Day Golden Week, I took a weekend trip to Jixi to fulfill that wish.

On Saturday noon, I took a high-speed train from Suzhou. The entire journey took a little over two hours, and I arrived at Jixi North Station at 1:36 PM. After a 10-minute walk to Jixi International Hotel and checking in, I immediately took a Didi to the first scenic spot—Longchuan Scenic Area (if you have little luggage, you can take a bus directly from the north station to the scenic area, which is both cheap and convenient). Longchuan is an ancient village predominantly inhabited by the Hu clan, which has produced many famous figures such as Hu Fu, Hu Zongxian, and others. Attractions include the Yishi Shangshu Archway, Hu's Ancestral Hall, and Hu Zongxian's Former Residence. Hu's Ancestral Hall and Hu Zongxian's Former Residence require tickets. I had already purchased tickets online, and after arriving, I verified them directly and entered the scenic area. I saw a river running through the middle of the village, with several stone and wooden bridges crossing it. Huizhou-style houses lined the riverbanks. There were not many tourists, and the villagers were busy with their own lives. While strolling, I could cross the bridges, reliving a long-lost childhood joy—it was uniquely pleasant. In the autumn of southern Anhui, the wind blows through the mountains and waters, and cooking smoke curls upward, exuding a simple beauty and a majestic tranquility, as if I were in a paradise. Suddenly it was 4 PM; I had been sightseeing for over an hour without realizing it, yet my heart was still intoxicated, reluctant to leave.

The next stop was Renli Ancient Village, not far from Longchuan. I would pass through it on the way back to Jixi County, so I decided to visit it on the way instead of coming again tomorrow. After leaving Longchuan Scenic Area, I couldn't get a ride-hailing car on the platform. While I was puzzled, I happened to see a bus about to depart from the parking lot. I quickly went up and asked the driver, who told me that this bus would go to Renli. So I got on promptly. On the bus, an elderly woman told me that after arriving at Renli, I would need to walk about 10 minutes to reach the visitor assembly point, which is the main entrance (there is a backdrop wall with the words 'Millennium Renli' written on it, equivalent to a visitor square). When I reached the square, I found there were still quite a few tourists. So I chose to enter the village from the west gate and walked along the village road while sightseeing. The paths in the village crisscross but are interconnected. Inside, there are famous attractions such as Cheng Kaijia's Former Residence, as well as many old Huizhou-style houses. It was basically uncommercialized and full of historical memories—it is a must-visit place for a leisurely stroll.

At 4:58 PM, I caught the last bus (there are no buses after 5 PM) back to the county seat. In the evening, I chose a local cuisine restaurant near the hotel and tasted local specialties such as stinky mandarin fish, Hu's One-Pot Dish, and local rice noodles. The flavors were very authentic—truly worthy of the hometown of Huizhou chefs. After dinner, I took a short walk to the nearby County Government Square. There were people doing square dancing and setting up stalls, making it very lively. In particular, along the edges of the square, there were temporary stalls where locals sold agricultural products like dried bamboo shoots, fruits, tea, and hairy chestnuts. It felt like a simple farmers' market, full of the atmosphere of everyday life. If you want to bring back some local specialties, that's a good choice.

The next day, I slept in until I woke naturally, then had breakfast and set off again, planning to visit Zhangshan Grand Canyon. A Baidu search told me that the bus only went to a place called Shuicun, and I would need to walk another 7 or 8 kilometers to reach the scenic area. When I got to the bus stop, I discovered that on Saturdays and Sundays there was actually a direct bus route 605 to Zhangshan Grand Canyon. My mood suddenly brightened. I waited about twenty minutes, but didn't see the 605. Instead, a small minibus with a hand-written cardboard sign reading 'Jixi—Zhangshan Grand Canyon' zoomed past me. I wondered if that was the bus—but if it was, why didn't it stop at the bus stop? Probably not—it might be an unlicensed taxi. I waited another ten-plus minutes, but still no bus came. Time waits for no one, so I boarded the bus to Shuicun. On the bus, a warm-hearted older brother overheard that we were going to Zhangshan Grand Canyon and kindly gave us directions—where to get off, how to walk—explaining in great detail. Although his accent was strong and a bit hard to understand, I felt a warmth in my heart, and the morning's frustration instantly melted away. After getting off, I walked a few minutes and saw a sign pointing to Zhangshan Grand Canyon, indicating another 8 kilometers. The weather wasn't hot, and along the way there were mountains, mist, and scenery. The air carried the fresh scent of harvested rice. Not far ahead, I saw the words 'Visitor Service Center.' Hope was right in front. I thought, once I reach the center, there would be a ride. Hurrying along, I walked another 2 kilometers or so, reached the 'center,' and was dumbfounded—it was under construction. I figured, forget it, I'd better save my energy for the scenic area itself. So I tried to hail a ride on the platform, but again no response—speechless. Just as I was in despair, a taxi happened to pass by on its return trip. I flagged it down, and after many twists and turns, I finally arrived at the scenic area. If I had walked, it would probably have taken two hours or more to get there (I was a bit puzzled: why isn't there a shuttle bus for this distance from the bus stop to the scenic area?). Zhangshan Grand Canyon Scenic Area has a west entrance and an east entrance. These days, some parts were under maintenance. I went down from the west entrance to the maintenance point and then returned the same way. Then I took the scenic area's sightseeing bus (round-trip ticket 10 yuan per person) to the east entrance. From the east entrance, I went down and saw Baizhang Rock, Hulu Lake, etc. (Under normal circumstances, you can walk from the west entrance all the way to the east entrance.) Around 1:30 PM, I came out of the scenic area and asked around. It turned out that the suspicious-looking minibus from the morning was actually the direct bus to the scenic area. It only runs twice a day—the first returns to the county seat around noon, and the second at 4:30 PM. Using ride-hailing apps there was useless—no one would pick up the order. Fortunately, from the previous day's Didi ride, I had kept a driver's business card. I called him, negotiated a price, and got back to the county seat. In the afternoon, I still had some time, so I visited the museum. Perhaps due to years of neglect, the facilities inside were quite dilapidated. The air conditioning wasn't on, making it stuffy and hot indoors, with poor air quality. I left after a short while. After dinner, I took the high-speed train back home, concluding a perfect two-day-one-night trip. Jixi is truly a significant cradle of Huizhou culture, Huizhou merchants, Huizhou carving, Huizhou cuisine, and Huizhou chefs. It is a place of rich cultural heritage, beautiful scenery, and talented people. It is definitely a place worth visiting, and once visited, a place you will want to come back to.