July Off-the-Beaten-Path Travel: Budget-Friendly Trips to Three Cozy Cities

📍Datong, Shanxi 🚗Transport Tips Self-drive/Charter: Scattered attractions, charter car ~¥400-500/day (essential for distant sites like Hanging Temple & Yingxian Wooden Pagoda) City transit: Cycling + taxis within ancient town (<¥100/day) 🍜Must-Eat Zini 369 Kaige Restaurant (Shanxi cuisine), Longjuxiang Shaomai, Hunyuan Liangfen Gulou East Street Night Market: Daoxiao noodles, lamb offal soup 🏠Accommodation Downtown: Hotels near ancient town (convenient for Yungang Grottoes & old city) Hunyuan County: Homestays (kang beds, great value, early Hanging Temple visit next day) 🌆3-Day Itinerary Day1: Yungang Grottoes (3hrs) → Nine-Dragon Wall → Dai Prince Palace → Ancient city wall cycling Day2: Yingxian Wooden Pagoda → Hunyuan Liangfen → Hanging Temple → Tulin Sunset (time permitting) Day3: Huayan Temple (45m chiwen murals) → Shanhua Temple → Datong Museum (exceptional municipal collection) 📍Xiuning, Anhui 🚗Transport Tips Self-drive: ~1hr from Huangshan downtown, Qiyunshan parking ¥20/day Bus: Take Xiuning Line 1 from Huangshan North Station (40min) 🍜Food Guide Specialties: Huangshan stinky mandarin fish, stone ear stewed chicken, hairy tofu, taguo (bamboo shoot & pickle filling), Wucheng tea dried tofu Hidden gems: Huizhou guo at Zhonggulou Market (stone-mortar pounded), ¥10 noodle toppings (wild fern/black pork) at Lao Mian Guan 🏠Stays Pusu Weilan Homestay: Near Qiyunshan, designer vibe Liangshe Yunxi: Rustic charm, family-friendly 🏙️3D2N In-Depth Tour Day1: Qiyunshan (full-day hike + cliff carvings) Day2: Huizhou Grand Canyon (hiking + rafting) → Jiantan Scenic Area (Bridal Chamber Waterfall) Day3: Huangcun Ancient Village (Huizhou architecture) → Runyi Rui Lan Tea Workshop (handmade tea experience) 📍Wuyuan, Jiangxi 🚗Transport: Via Hangrui Expressway, self-drive/charter recommended (~¥400/day) 🏠Stays: Book Huangling Sunshine Autumn Homestay 1 month ahead; Sixiyan Village homestays feature carved patios 🏙️3-Day Classic Loop Day1 East Route: Moon Bay (free photo ops) → Likeng (visit early) → Wangkou → Overnight at Huangling (mountain homestay with private view deck) Day2 Terraces: Huangling morning mist → Jiangling Terraces (drive & shoot) → Qingyuan Ancient Village (free pear blossom valley) → Hongguan's millennium-old camphor tree Day3 North Route: Sixiyan Village (Huizhou architecture) → Zhang Village Plank Bridge (fisherman photo ops) → Yantian Ancient Village (countryside slow living)