Jianghuai Secret Realm! Tongcheng 4 Days 3 Nights Private Route

【Departing from Zhengzhou · Four-Day Tour of Tongcheng】Explore Wendu on a 6000 RMB Budget, a Couple’s Exclusive Off-the-Beaten-Path Route (Including the Most Comprehensive Pitfall Avoidance Guide Online) Hey friends, I’m a travel eagle who has been to every city across the country. Today, I want to recommend a seriously underrated treasure town—Tongcheng. This “Wendu” hidden in northern Anqing is no ordinary place: **the birthplace of Huangmei Opera + a gathering place of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture + an uncommercialized Jiangnan secret realm**. For my Zhengzhou buddies, it’s just a 2-hour flight away and the king of cost performance! 1. Trip Overview Duration: 4 days 3 nights Budget: 6000 RMB per couple (including airfare) Suitable for: Couples who love deep cultural tours + photography + food Recommended seasons: Spring and autumn (March-May / September-November) 2. Transportation Guide Outbound: 1️⃣ Flight: Zhengzhou Xinzheng → Hefei Xinqiao (6 flights daily, 1.5 hours), economy round-trip about 800 RMB per person 2️⃣ Airport shuttle bus: Hefei Airport → Hefei South Station (30 minutes, 25 RMB/person) 3️⃣ High-speed train: Hefei South → Tongcheng East (40 minutes, 60 RMB/person) 💡 Insider tip: Choose the early flight (07:20) to arrive in Tongcheng before noon and enjoy authentic Artemisia cake Return: Tongcheng East → Hefei South → airport shuttle bus → Zhengzhou (recommend booking flights after 8:00 PM) 3. Daily Itinerary DAY 1: First Encounter with Wendu · Through Ming and Qing ✅ Morning - 10:30 Head straight to “Liuchi Alley” (free), the story of “yielding one foot” is perfect for couples to check in; the cobblestone alley entrance is perfect for beautiful hand-holding back shots - 12:00 Eat the local-only **Earthen Stove Pot Chicken** (45 RMB per person), the pancake dipped in soup is finger-licking good ✅ Afternoon - 14:00 “Tongcheng Confucian Temple” (30 RMB entrance): See the thousand-year-old ginkgo + Hui-style wood carvings, wear Hanfu and shoot artistic photos at Lingxing Gate - 16:30 “Dongzuo Gate Ancient City Wall” (free): Wait for sunset to shoot silhouettes, the ivy-covered wall and evening glow create a perfect atmosphere ✅ Overnight - Stay at “Homestay at the foot of Longmian Mountain” (200-300 RMB/night), open the window to see the mountain, fall asleep to the sound of the stream at night DAY 2: Mountain and Water Secret Realm · Fairyland Check-in ✅ All day - Rent a car to “Longmian Mountain” (150 RMB round trip per car), known as the “Number One Mountain of Jianghuai” visited by Su Shi and his brothers - Must-visit "Nianyu Gorge" (60 RMB entrance): The heart-shaped pool under the waterfall is a hidden photo spot, best visited in the morning for soft light - Mid-mountain “Wanghu Pavilion”: Use a telephoto lens to capture couples gazing surrounded by a sea of clouds (a must for social media) ✅ Dinner - Descend to eat “Mountain Delicacy Hotpot” (70 RMB per person), wild bamboo shoots + native chicken broth so fresh it’ll blow your mind, homemade rice wine free to drink DAY 3: Ancient Town Romance · Huangmei Opera Experience ✅ Morning “Kongcheng Old Street” (50 RMB entrance): A cluster of Ming and Qing buildings, shoot lazy morning light by the window on the second floor of the **Sanlian Bookstore old site** - 10:00 Listen to **open-air Huangmei Opera** at the old teahouse (free), remember to capture your partner’s moved expression during the duet of “The Heavenly Match” ✅ Afternoon - Experience “Tongcheng Small Flower Tea Picking and Making” (80 RMB/person), the terraced tea mountains look like green piano keys from the drone - 17:00 “Pixue Waterfall” (40 RMB entrance): Bring a tripod for long exposure shots of flowing water, the hour before sunset has the best light ✅ Overnight - Change to stay in “Xizi Lake Ecological Area” (300 RMB/night), wake up the next day to morning mist over the lake DAY 4: Lake and Mountain Scenery · Return Fully Loaded ✅ Early morning - 06:00 Watch sunrise at **Xizi Lake Birdwatching Platform** (free), fishing boats silhouetted in the lake mist look like an ink painting - 08:00 Eat **freshwater seafood dim sum**, silverfish steamed egg + shrimp roe shumai you won’t find elsewhere ✅ Morning - 09:30 “Caijin Liziyuan” (free): Listen to intangible cultural heritage stories, bring handmade blessing sachets for family - 11:00 Last-minute shopping for “Tongcheng specialties”: Small flower tea (look for orchid fragrance), Qiushi cake (nourishes yin and kidneys), Green Herb Crisp (elderly favorite) 4. Pitfall Avoidance Guide Transportation pitfalls: Tongcheng has no ride-hailing! Use the local “Tong’s Travel” mini-program to call taxis, bargain black-market taxis at scenic spots by half Food pitfalls: - Avoid buying packaged “specialties” in scenic areas, go to “Heping Road Market” for loose small flower tea (half the price) - For all “century-old shops,” check if locals are queuing first Shopping pitfalls: - “Antique stalls” at Liuchi Alley exit are all Yiwu goods - Don’t buy silk shawls over 50 RMB on Kongcheng Old Street Photo pitfalls: - Confucian Temple closed on Mondays! Last entry at 4 PM - Drone flights on Longmian Mountain require registration; no-fly zone over Confucian Temple 5. Budget Breakdown Transportation: Airfare 1600 + High-speed train 240 + Car rental 150 = 1990 Accommodation: 300 × 3 = 900 Tickets: 30 + 60 + 50 + 40 = 180 Meals: 150 × 4 = 600 Experiences + Shopping: 1330 Total: 6000 RMB (within controllable range) The beauty of Tongcheng lies in its “uncarved sincerity”—the moment when ginkgo leaves fall on your shoulders at the Confucian Temple at dawn, the Huangmei Opera drifting from the old street corner, and the person squatting by the lake waiting for sunrise with you... Every word of this guide comes from my own experience avoiding pitfalls. Follow it with confidence, and your Tongcheng story will surely be even more wonderful than mine!