Things to do in Yi County

I bought a combined ticket. Lucun was nearly deserted, allowing for a quiet view of the old houses. Opposite Hongcun were vast rice paddies, very beautiful. The reflection of Nanhu Lake and Moon Pond were also quite nice. Nanhu Academy was also a good option.

Xidi is nice; it's not overly commercialized, and you can see the villagers' lives. It's rustic and steeped in history. The village is well-preserved, perfect for a leisurely experience. However, wandering around on the off-main roads after dark can be a little scary. There are folk performances in the square at night, which are very lively, and at 11 pm, they even play gongs and drums to signal the night watch. Hongcun is heavily commercialized, with assembly-line-like shops selling cultural and creative products, Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), silver jewelry, and even grilled sausages—it's pretty much the same everywhere in China. But the morning and night views of Moon Pond and South Lake are worth seeing.

If you're driving, definitely enter from the South Gate, not the West Gate! The West Gate is too difficult to navigate! The scenery from the South Gate is beautiful enough! The bamboo forest at the West Gate is more breathtaking because it's located on a mountain. It's extremely pet-friendly; my dog ​​had a blast seeing the bamboo forest!

The value for money is absolutely amazing!! It rained during the Dragon Boat Festival, and Xiuli was the only place in Huizhou that kept up with the fish lantern displays – the variety was incredible!! I had so much fun! I wrote a thousand-word post on Xiaohongshu to rave about it. Although I was initially a little unhappy that Xiuli wasn't included in the annual pass, the ten yuan was totally worth it. You absolutely must come to Xiuli to see the fish lanterns, fireworks, and iron flower displays!

I visited Jiuhua Mountain the day before coming to Qiyun Mountain. Although Jiuhua Mountain is a 5A scenic area, I felt it was too commercialized. It's okay if you want to burn incense and pray, but there's not much to see. Qiyun Mountain, although a 4A, has cheaper tickets and a fireworks display at night, making it well worth the trip. The scenery on the mountain is quite nice, and the entire hike down takes about 4 hours.

The wood-carved buildings in Lucun are worth seeing. You can hire a professional guide at the entrance of the scenic area to lead the tour, which saves time and provides a more accurate explanation of the wood carvings.

Tachuan truly lives up to its reputation as a representative of autumn scenery in southern Anhui. It's not far from Hongcun, just a 10-minute electric scooter ride away, making it very convenient. The white-walled, black-tiled Hui-style houses are scattered among the mountains, surrounded by terraced fields. As autumn arrives, the leaves gradually change color, a tapestry of red, yellow, and green, resembling an oil painting. Strolling along the mountain trails, the scenery changes with every step, making for stunning photos. Compared to Hongcun, Tachuan is much quieter and less noisy. It's recommended to visit on a sunny afternoon for the soft light and atmosphere. This trip allows you to experience the authentic charm of a traditional mountain village.

Xidi has more official residences, while Nanping has more private residences. You can feel the tranquility and peace; many residents still live there. The small Western-style houses are quite different in style. The items in the Cheng Family Ancestral Hall were donated by people, one chair at a time. Shensi Hall is the best-preserved two-courtyard house I've seen recently.

During my trip to Anhui, I visited Hongcun, a major tourist destination in Huangshan City. Moon Pond is one of Hongcun's most iconic attractions, also known as "Ox Stomach" because its shape resembles an ox's stomach, echoing the village's overall "ox-shaped village" feng shui layout. Built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Moon Pond is crescent-shaped, surrounded by antique Hui-style residences. Its mirror-like surface reflects the white-walled, black-tiled buildings and green mountains, creating a beautiful scene. Moon Pond is Hongcun's most representative photography spot, hailed as "a village in a Chinese painting."

This seemed to be the only ancient town we visited that didn't charge us, but after seeing two grand mansions where the descendants of the old houses still lived and explained the wood carvings to us—all of them were over 70 years old—we still ended up paying 10 yuan per person.