14 Days in Chizhou

The rail link opened in April 2024 stops at Jiuhuashan station under half an hour from the city; around 99 registered temples climb the slopes, and a funicular lifts visitors to hillside Baisheng Palace.

1. chizhou jiuhua mountain
2. chizhou huacheng temple
3. chizhou baisheng palace

Steps up the Tiantai ridge to its 1,306-metre summit below the 1,342-metre Shiwang crest, then the cableway across to Huatai's granite cliffs and stitched boardwalks.

1. chizhou tiantai peak
2. chizhou huatai

The 99-metre bronze Ksitigarbha finished in the 2010s stands at the mountain's northern gate, its height echoing the traditional count of 99 peaks; the reservoir-and-falls park of Jiuhua Tianchi fills the afternoon.

1. chizhou dizang statue
2. chizhou jiuhua tianchi

A 1.5-hour drive south into Shitai County, the national reserve protected since 1988 keeps forested valleys below its 1,727-metre main peak; boardwalk trails and a night in Shitai town.

1. chizhou guniujiang

Li Bai wrote his seventeen Qiupu songs along this river in the 750s; drift a section by raft, then walk about 3 km of chambers in the Penglai cave, with another Shitai night.

1. chizhou qiupu river
2. chizhou penglai cave

On the return toward Qingyang County, the Jiuziyan valley on Jiuhua's back side climbs through bamboo to temple terraces and a hanging waterfall; an easier walking day after Shitai.

1. chizhou jiuziyan

West of the city, the Dawang cave opens through karst halls with a boat section; Qi Hill south of downtown carries old cliff inscriptions and a slow view over the Yangtze plain.

1. chizhou dawang cave
2. chizhou qi mountain

The national reserve east of town is a wintering ground where tens of thousands of waterbirds gather from November, hooded cranes among them; the dyke roads make an easy slow day in any season.

1. chizhou shengjin lake

A calm city day — the lakeside loops of Pingtian Lake, then the museum in the old prefecture school halls, where the Xinghua Village story of Du Mu's governorship (844-846) is told alongside local bronzes.

1. chizhou pingtian lake
2. chizhou museum

An honestly labelled neighbouring-city day — the rail line opened in April 2024 runs from Chizhou across to the Yellow Mountain area in under an hour; cableways and granite stairways fill a long day, with the evening train back.

1. chizhou huangshan

The second honest neighbour day — an hour west by rail, Anqing's riverfront temple compound is built around the Zhenfeng pagoda, begun in the late 1560s on the Yangtze bank; the evening train returns along the river line.

1. chizhou anqing yingjiang temple
2. chizhou anqing zhenfeng pagoda

The Xinghua Village park keeps the name Du Mu made in his Qingming poem while governor here from 844 to 846; the evening food streets downtown pour the local yellow rice wine alongside river shrimp and bamboo-shoot dishes.

1. chizhou xinghua village
2. chizhou city markets

A second, gentler day on the Qiupu river — a longer raft section, riverside villages and the green water between the hills; the drive back is under two hours.

1. chizhou qiupu river

Breakfast from the morning markets, one last lakeside hour at Pingtian, then the train — the riverside line west and the mountain line east both start here.

1. chizhou city markets