Huizhou region, the predecessor of Huangshan City, has a history of 892 years. Centuries-old folk residences and villages can be found in the valleys of the region’s wide-stretching mountains. The ancient path used by Anhui merchants to travel between Huizhou and Hangzhou and the Xinan River connects the picturesque villages and fairyland sceneries.

-- “Huangshan folk customs and art exchange” four-day cultural tour

Highlights: Tunxi Hui Inkstick Workshop, Tunxi Ancient Street, “Charm of Hui Culture” show, Mount Huangshan Scenic Area, Xidi or Hongcun Ancient Village

D1: Arrive at Tunxi District of Huangshan City. Visit the Tunxi Hui Inkstick Workshop where you can learn the techniques to produce Hui inksticks. Stroll along the Tunxi Ancient Street and visit the 300 Inkstone Company’s outlet located there to appreciate the arts and crafts of Hui inkstone carvings. Watch the late night show “Charm of Hui Culture”to help you learn more about Huizhou history and folk customs.

D2: Take a bus to the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area. Take the Yungu Cableway to ascend the mountain and tour the North Sea Scenic Area in the morning. You will be climbing the Shixin Peak to watch famous Mount Huangshan pines like the Black Tiger Pine, the Couple Pine, the Dragon Claw Pine and the Overlooking the Sea of Clouds Pine. You will also be able to view several oddly-shaped rocks like the Flower Growing out of A Writing Brush and Monkey Watching Sea of Clouds. Tour the West Sea Scenic Area in the afternoon and enjoy the dreamlike sceneries of Mount Huangshan at the Cloud-Dispersing Pavilion and the West Sea Grand Canyon.

D3: Watch the sunrise early in the morning. After breakfast, our tour guide will take you to the Turtle Peak, the Hundred-step Cloud Ladder and the Guest-Greeting Pine. A fun thing to do at the Jade Screen Scenic Area is to decipher the cliff engravings and learn about their history at Mount Huangshan. Head to Tunxi in the afternoon. Visit local painters at the Huangshan Academy of Painting and discuss with them the artistic styles and history of the Huangshan School of painting. In the evening, take in an Anhui opera performance.

D4: Take a bus after breakfast to the World Cultural Heritage site Xidi Ancient Village or Hongcun Ancient Village, where you can engage in painting of the picturesque villages. Here, you will fully experience the profoundness of the Hui culture and architecture and get to know what villages in Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) were like. Return or make your own plans after lunch.

-- “Experience Huangshan folk customs” three-day cultural tour

Highlights: Mountain and River Gallery of Xinan River, Xidi Ancient Village, Number One Scholar Musuem, Tunxi Ancient Street

D1: Arrive in Shendu Town, Shexian County, Huangshan City. Take a boat to enjoy the Mountain and River Gallery of the Xinan River. During the boat ride, you will be taken on a nostalgic visit to the Folk Wedding Customs Museum to learn more about the wedding customs of the Huizhou people in times gone by. After the boat ride, head out to Yangchuan, an undeveloped village that keeps its original ecology in the depth of the Shexian County mountains, to explore the cluster of clay buildings, a far cry from the common Hui-style architecture featuring black tiles and white walls. Have some country-style food at Yangchuan for lunch and learn about the folk dining customs of ordinary Huizhou people. Return to Tunxi in the evening to enjoy a local Huangmeixi opera performance. You will get a sense of traveling back in time as the performers sing on stage.

D2: Head out to Xidi Ancient Village of Shexian County after breakfast. There, you will be watching the folk performance“Ball Throwing,”a traditional courtship ritual. Afterwards, enjoy a “court feast,”a sumptuous and health-improving feast exclusive to wealthy families in previous times at Nanping village. In the afternoon, visit Guanlu Ancient Village where you will be offered a visit to the eight mansions occupied by the eight brothers of the Wang family. Through the visit, you will get a general idea of the family concept of the Huizhou people.

D3: Take a bus to Xiuning in the afternoon, where you will visit the Number One Scholar Culture Museum to learn more about the educational philosophies of ancient Huizhou. Return to Tunxi District in the afternoon. Stroll along the Tunxi Ancient Street (dubbed a lively version of the famous painting ‘Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival’) and enjoy the beautiful Mountain and River Gallery on Xinan River. Afterwards, return or make your own plans.

Tour supplier: Huangshan Zhonghai International Travel Service Management Comapany