[2025 Yi County Attraction] Travel Guide for Xidi Ancient Village Scenic Area - Sightseeing Park (Updated Apr)

Compared to Hongcun's gentleness, Xidi appears more dignified. The Hu Wenguang Memorial Arch stands majestically at the village entrance, with horse hoof prints still faintly visible on the bluestone slabs. Walking between "Scholar's Mansion" and "Peach and Plum Garden," the couplets and inscriptions all reflect the wisdom of cultivating both farming and scholarship. From the viewing platform on the hill behind, cherry blossoms wrap around the mountainside like pink ribbons, while scattered rapeseed flower fields just beginning to bloom extend from the mountain foot to the village entrance, creating a symphony of lush green and gray-white with the ancient village. The overlapping, staggered gray-tiled upturned eaves compose an ancient and eternal melody amid this boundless spring scenery. What moved me most was the scenery along the roadside near Xidi: vast fields where rapeseed flowers bloom freely, brilliantly dazzling like a golden ocean. A clear stream meanders around, with several graceful weeping willows along the banks. In the distance, white walls dot the landscape, creating a beautiful scroll of peaceful times. I think this must be the legendary paradise beyond this world. Xidi Ancient Village Travel Guide, Yixian County, Huangshan I. Transportation and Driving Tips Driving route: From Huangshan City, take the Hangrui Expressway and Huangfu Expressway for about 1 hour to reach Xidi (navigate to Xidi Scenic Area parking lot) II. Classic Village Tour Route Enter through the scenic area gate and follow the bluestone path to visit Hu Wenguang Memorial Arch, Zhuimu Hall, Jingai Hall, Peach and Plum Garden, Dongxian Hall, Sanli Hall, Lufu Hall, and other ancient buildings. Admire the exquisite wood, stone, and brick carvings while experiencing the unique charm and historical cultural atmosphere of Huizhou architecture. The tour takes approximately 2-3 hours. IV. Accommodation Recommendations: 1. Huizhou-style guesthouses: Various levels of guesthouses are available in the scenic area. Recommended is Hanmo Residence: Located within the scenic area, offering panoramic views of the ancient village like a Chinese ink painting from your window, traditional Hui cuisine, and cheongsam photography experiences, averaging 300+ yuan per person. 2. During off-season, you can find clean and comfortable guesthouses near the attraction for around 200 yuan. V. Special Local Cuisine 1. Stinky Mandarin Fish: A signature dish of Xidi with tender fish meat that smells pungent but tastes delicious. After special pickling and cooking, the flavor is quite unique. 2. Hairy Tofu: Tofu with white fuzz on the surface, fried and dipped in chili sauce, with a crispy outside and tender inside, rich in bean flavor. 3. Laba Tofu: Golden in color, firm in texture, and delicious in taste, can be served cold, stir-fried, or in soup. Huangshan Double Stone: A soup made from stone chicken and stone ear fungus, nutritious, delicious, and has nourishing health benefits. 4. Braised Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots: Local dried bamboo shoots cooked with pork, where the shoots absorb the meat's flavor while the pork becomes rich without being greasy, perfect with rice. 5. Acanthopanax Bark with Scrambled Eggs: Acanthopanax bark is a wild vegetable stir-fried with eggs, fragrant and nutritious. VI. Nearby Attractions 1. Hongcun: 20-minute drive, compare Xidi's architecture with Hongcun's "ox-shaped" water system; joint tickets are more economical. 2. Mukeng Bamboo Sea: Filming location for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," great for hiking through bamboo forests; joint ticket approximately 118 yuan. 3. Bishan Village: An artistic, niche village with the avant-garde "Bishan Bookstore" worth visiting, 15-minute drive. VII. Important Notes 1. Tickets and Fees: Online tickets 94 yuan (104 yuan on-site), valid for 3 days with multiple entries. 2. Best Seasons: March-April for rapeseed flower seas, November for autumn foliage, winter for occasional serene snow scenes. 3. Photography Tips: - The viewing pavilion is perfect for sunset shots; Lantern Alley (when red lanterns light up at night) is highly photogenic. For more travel tips, check the "Retired Couple Traveling the World" public account.

Huizhou has always been a favorite on my travel list, with its white walls and black tiles, and the endless aftertaste of Huizhou cuisine. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, architecture and rural mountain forests are perfectly integrated, guarding the unique tranquility with time. It is not an escape into the wilderness, nor is it an insincere seclusion, but rather engraving the ordinary life into the rings of Huizhou's years, adding a touch of Taohuayuan-style leisure. You must come to Huizhou when the rapeseed flowers are in bloom. The golden color is splashed between the black tiles and white walls, as if a painter accidentally overturned the paint can and dyed the entire village. At the entrance of Xidi Village stands a stone archway with the words "Hu Wenguang Governor Archway" inscribed on it, which has been blurred by wind and rain. Entering the village, the stone roads are lined with old houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The horse head walls are towering, and a few clusters of moss grow from the corners of the walls. It is in this simplicity that a golden color suddenly jumps out—rapeseed flowers protrude from behind the houses, swaying in the breeze, contrasting with the black tiles and white walls. Several sketching students sit by the roadside, smearing exaggerated colors on their drawing boards, which are three points more vivid than the real scene. Early morning in Xidi is a good time for strolling. The village in the morning mist is like ink and wash rendering. Only the yellow of the rapeseed flowers stubbornly penetrates the mist, adding a bright yellow color to this ancient Huizhou village picture. The old woman by the stream is busy washing clothes, the laughter of children going to school early in the alley comes from the alley, and the cleaner in front of the ancestral hall also swings his broom. Isn't this a timeless symphony of ancient village life... 🌟Highlight features: 1. At about 8 o'clock in the evening, you can enjoy the musical fountain and light show in the small square where the archway is located. 2. The best viewing period for rapeseed flowers is from the end of March to the Qingming Festival. We arrived in Xidi on April 2 and caught up with the rapeseed flower season. The pond behind the village is shaded by the ancient village with white walls and black tiles and the yellow rapeseed flowers, which is a good place to take pictures and check in. 3. The viewing platform on the small hillside behind the village is the best spot to watch the sunrise and sunset and overlook Xidi. 📌Tips: Breakfast: Wang Yitiao Wonton Huizhou cuisine: Hui San Shuo, Zhai Xiang Li, San Wei Tang, Hui Niang It is recommended to stay in Xidi for one or two nights. There are many B&Bs in Xidi, which can be booked in advance. You can also go directly to Xidi to find them if it is not a holiday or peak season. Mobai Li, located in the scenic area, with high cost performance and good location, is especially recommended. The B&B is decorated in the style of old Huizhou objects and log colors. The spacious and bright rooms are simple but not simple. The first time I came to Xidi, I stayed in the Daoxiang twin room. The unique camphor wood pier bedside table filled the room with a faint camphor wood fragrance. The second time, I booked a tatami twin room on Trip.com. The enthusiastic owner upgraded the room for free, and the space was more spacious, but the floor of the room has height differences, so those with elderly and children need to pay attention. Among the three-story B&B, the public leisure area on each floor is the highlight, and the large terrace on the top floor offers a panoramic view of Xidi.

Xidi is more than just an ancient village. In Xidi, every brick and tile tells the thousand-year-old story of Huizhou. When the morning mist lingers and the ancient houses shine in the morning sun, you know this will be a cultural journey through time and space. Stepping into Xidi is like being gently embraced by nature. The verdant mountains and clear streams add a sense of tranquility and harmony to this ancient village. Stroll through the ancient village, walk over the bluestone slabs, through the winding alleys, and touch the mottled walls with your fingertips, as if you can feel the pulse of time. Every building is a masterpiece of Hui-style art. Flying eaves and exquisite Hui-style carvings. In Xidi, the academies and ancestral halls of the Ming and Qing dynasties carry the cultural memory and spiritual pursuit of the people of Huizhou. Here, time seems to slow down. Sit in a teahouse, sip a pot of fragrant tea, and feel the leisurely attitude of the people of Huizhou. Walk through the village to the fields outside, and climb the viewing pavilion on the opposite hillside for a panoramic view of the ancient village.