Half-Price, Full Magic: How I Beat the Crowds at Hongcun’s Painting Bridge

#discoverchina #anhui Determined to photograph Hongcun’s iconic Painting Bridge without the weekend crowds, I arrived at South Lake by 6am,my tripod in tow. The 104 RMB entrance fee(a delightful surprise—half-price for foreigners!) was worth every yuan, granting me three days of access—though even overnight guests must pay. As mist curled over the lake’s ink-black surface, the bridge’s reflection merged with reality, turning the scene into a living ink-wash painting.The overcast sky amplified the village’s monochrome poetry, every willow and eave softened by the diffused light. By 7:30am, as the first tour buses arrived, I packed up, my camera full of crowd-free perfection—proof that Hongcun’s soul is best tasted at dawn.