Yixian Ancient Town: A Journey Back in Time Through the Hidden Gem of Huizhou

At 6am in Yixian Ancient Town, the bluestone slabs glisten with morning dew. Standing by the Sanyuan Well, I watch elderly women carrying wooden buckets to fetch water. The creaking sound of well ropes against stone railings suddenly brings 1,600 years of history to life. This living ancient town, nestled in the mountains of southern Anhui, tells untainted Huizhou stories in its most natural way. 1. Transportation Guide Take the tourist bus from Huangshan North Station for a 2-hour direct ride. You'll encounter terraced tea mountains and ancient villages with white walls and dark tiles. Choose a window seat - when passing Yuting Town, have your camera ready. The Zhanghe River emerging through the morning mist creates an ink-painting scene that perfectly explains why Yixian is called "Little Peach Blossom Land." 2. Ancient Architecture Tour Route On the winter melon beam of the Cheng Family Residence, Ming Dynasty craftsmen's carving of "Hundred Children Celebrating Spring" remains vivid. Sunlight streams through the square courtyard, casting shifting patterns on the gray brick ground. Around the corner at Xingdun Academy, I met 83-year-old Mr. Wang making rubbings of couplets. He taught me to decode riddles hidden in the "Farming in Sun, Reading in Rain" brick carvings - a bonus you won't find in travel guides. Strolling along the main street in the afternoon, 138 well-preserved Ming and Qing shops hold surprises: the bamboo ruler in the old tailor shop still bears Republic-era business marks, and the hundred-drawer cabinet in the traditional pharmacy emanates aged medicinal fragrances. At Biyang Academy's teahouse, order Huangshan Maofeng tea and watch the tea smoke curl up to the "Cloud-climbing Pavilion" plaque, where it seems to mingle with the echoes of Zhu Xi's lectures. 3. Local Food Map Wangji Crabshell Yellow near the South Gate starts wafting fragrance at 5am. Their fresh baked biscuits burst with salted vegetables and crispy pork cracklings. At the locals' hidden gem Three Aunts' Eatery, don't miss the fermented mandarin fish - perfectly fermented with a chewy texture, paired with the owner's homemade rice wine for an authentic "Yixian flavor." Don't miss the Matian Street Night Market after dark. Bamboo lanterns illuminate freshly made mugwort cakes, while grandmothers grill stinky tofu on charcoal stoves - crispy outside, creamy inside. Buy some Wucheng dried tofu to snack on while walking, and you might encounter a blind artist playing the three-stringed instrument, singing tales of Huizhou merchants' journeys. 4. Exclusive Experience Guide At the Huimo Workshop, experience traditional ink-making. As I pound smoke ash and glue clay, my sweating brow mirrors the old ink makers in the wall photos. The owner says each ink stick requires 100,000 strikes - a dedication matching the town's preservers. Stay at Guiyun Mountain House, a boutique hotel converted from a Qing Dynasty salt merchant's mansion, where real swallows nest in the carved doorways. As dusk reddens the horse-head walls, rock in the courtyard chair reading the host's collection of genealogy books. When moonlight washes over the "Respect Written Words" stone inscription, you'll understand the cultural heritage deeply rooted in Huizhou people. TIPS: 1. Traditional markets run Wednesday/Saturday mornings, offering dewy thunder bamboo shoots and handmade wooden combs 2. North Gate wall ruins offer the best panoramic view, most stunning at sunrise 3. Bring cash! Many old shops still use traditional wooden cash boxes While modern ancient towns become mere photo backdrops, Yixian Ancient Town stubbornly lives in its own time. Here, no hawking disturbs the peace - only elderly men tending ancestral tablets, preserved vegetables drying on windowsills, and bronze wind chimes tinkling under eaves. These authentic details compose Huizhou's most touching poetry.