10 Days in Xuancheng

Jingting Mountain, 5 km north, is where Li Bai — seven visits in all — wrote "never tired of looking at each other". The 1997-rebuilt Xietiao Tower and the free museum (closed Mondays) round out the day.

1. xuancheng jingting mountain
2. xuancheng xietiao tower
3. xuancheng museum

30 minutes by the 2024 high-speed line, then 11 km east to the 5A Longchuan site. The Hu ancestral hall, first built around 1546, is national-listed Ming wood carving. Sleep in Jixi county town.

1. xuancheng longchuan
2. xuancheng jixi museum

The gorge, about 20 km east of town, runs between granite walls — a 3-hour walk, so start early. Return via Taiji Lake village's Ming brick-carved gateways.

1. xuancheng zhangshan gorge
2. xuancheng taiji lake village

In Jingxian, watch the UNESCO-listed paper craft (2009) — over 100 hand steps a sheet. West to Zhaji, 40 km out, for 140-plus Yuan-Qing buildings and a village guesthouse.

1. xuancheng xuan paper culture park
2. xuancheng zhaji

Li Bai arrived in 755 at Wang Lun's invitation; the pool rim and Qing Wenchang pavilion make a slow morning. Huangtian's Qing "ship-house" courtyard is 20 minutes back toward the county town.

1. xuancheng taohuatan
2. xuancheng huangtian village

East about 1.5 hours to Guangde, then 35 km north to the cave — Han-era records already list it as a sight, over 2,000 years of visits. Chambers hold near 18 degrees Celsius; pack a layer.

1. xuancheng taiji cave

South to Ningguo, about 1 hour from Xuancheng. Qinglongwan is a mountain-reservoir lake with ferry crossings between green islands; the 4A Enlong timber-lodge village nearby makes an easy overnight among the trees.

1. xuancheng qinglong lake
2. xuancheng enlong lodge village

An honestly labelled neighbouring-city day — Huangshan belongs to the adjoining prefecture. The high-speed ride via Jixi to Huangshan North takes about 1 hour, then buses run 1 hour to the gate. The granite peaks top out at 1,864 metres on Lotus Peak; stay in Tangkou at the foot.

1. xuancheng huangshan

Still inside Huangshan city — Hongcun, one of the two Anhui villages UNESCO listed in 2000, circles its Moon Pond and South Lake with Ming-Qing courtyards. Afternoon trains from Huangshan North put you back in Xuancheng in about an hour.

1. xuancheng hongcun

The alligator breeding centre south of town dates from 1979 and safeguards one of China's rarest reptiles; Shuidong old street, 30 km southeast, ends the trip with jujube sweets and a slow lane lunch before your train.

1. xuancheng chinese alligator lake
2. xuancheng shuidong old street