No more crowded places! This small, lesser-known city in southern Anhui is perfect for kids!

Take your kids away from the crowded big cities on weekends. We discovered this lesser-known small city in southern Anhui—Chizhou! Here you'll find crystal-clear green glass ponds, ancient villages with towering old trees preserved in their natural state, mysterious e performances, and Lake Pingtian, which Li Bai described as "water like a piece of silk, this place is where the sky meets the earth"... We came on a weekend and experienced comfortable crowd levels without the hassle of people squeezing together. Let me share our three-day, two-night itinerary: 🚄Transportation: High-speed train + rental car Day 1: Friday afternoon, 3.5-hour high-speed train from Shanghai Station to Chizhou Station 1+ hour drive to Guniujiang in Shitai County, check in at Shitai Julong Guniujiang Hotel ✅Guniujiang is one of Chizhou's more popular attractions. Worried about traffic jams at Guniujiang Scenic Area on Saturday, we chose to check in at the Guniujiang Hotel on Friday night. The hotel provides shuttle buses to the scenic area, so we didn't have to worry about traffic issues. Day 2: Shitai Julong Guniujiang Grand Hotel—Guniujiang Scenic Area—Baishiling Village—Nuoxian Town—check in at Chizhou Pingtian Peninsula Hotel in the evening ✅Shitai Julong Guniujiang Grand Hotel I must say, the hotel is as beautiful as a scenic spot! Every step reveals a new view, it's peaceful and quiet, and you can even feed small fish. ✅Guniujiang Scenic Area This is the "Little Jiuzhaigou" of southern Anhui, featuring glass-clear streams + emerald pools. The most beautiful water is at Longmen Pool. 🌟Lazy version (no mountain climbing route): Visitor Center-Longmen Pool-walk forward to Zhongliu Dizhu-return-Shigong Bridge-Yanjia Ancient Village-Mandarin Duck Pool-Four-tiered Waterfall. This route covers the most essential scenic spots and is suitable for those who don't like hiking. It takes about 2 hours to explore. Remember to bring water shoes in hot weather—super fun! 🌟If you want to hike, the entire loop is 5.6 kilometers and takes about 3+ hours. ✅Baishiling Village A 600-year-old village in southern Anhui that still preserves the most original Hui-style architectural features. The village has towering ancient trees, terraced rapeseed fields, and crystal-clear streams. It's truly beautiful and perfect for playing in the water during summer! ✅Nuoxian Town China's first Nuo culture town: a 2,000-year-old living heritage site for Nuo opera, certified by CCTV as "China's most mysterious carnival"! It's even more interesting at night with immersive Nuo opera performances and fireworks. Day 3: Hotel activities—driving around Lake Pingtian Scenic Area—Lake Pingtian cruise—return journey ✅Chizhou Pingtian Peninsula Hotel 🌟The hotel itself is inside a scenic area with many activities: afternoon tea in the bamboo grove, lawn concerts—super chill and comfortable enough to stay all day! Oh, and you can feed little rabbits too. ✅Lake Pingtian Scenic Area 🌟Enjoying the breeze by the lake is super comfortable! 🌟Cycling around the lake: 7.5km rainbow boardwalk, rent parent-child bicycles (20 yuan/hour) to chase the wind and watch the sunset 🌟"Pingtian No. 1" cruise ship: round trip takes about half an hour 🌟Wanghua Tower: the highest point of Lake Pingtian with great views 👍🏻