The Ancient Wenchang Path in the Clouds.
【Introduction】:
Walking through ancient villages in the mountains,
Standing on the ridge with a broad view,
Distant mountains, villages, roads, rivers, and flower fields are all in sight.
The Huizhou-style horse-head walls, solid earth buildings, and flower fields are reflected,
In the season of blooming spring,
The ancient path is as flat as a whetstone,
Walking on it, steps are light,
On both sides, the sea of rapeseed flowers is like a tide (during the rapeseed flower season),
The fragrant wind brushes against the sleeves.
Those hidden in the mountains and waters,
The unknown ancient Huizhou.
🕘【Opening Hours】: Open all day
💴【Ticket Price】: Currently free
⛺【Activities】:
The Ancient Wenchang Path, located within Shexian County, is about 42 kilometers from the ancient city of Huizhou, centered around Wenshan Village in Chakou Town, connecting the three towns of Chakou, Wuyang, and Changxi in Shexian County. It is 6 kilometers long and 1.8 meters wide, entirely paved with fine bluestone slabs. The bluestone slabs along the road are well-preserved, winding and secluded, with an ancient charm.
The Ancient Wenchang Path connects two mountain ridges over 600 meters above sea level, Wenshan Ridge and Ba Ridge, with a 2000-meter-long horizontal road in between. Six pavilions were built along the way for mountain people to rest while working or visiting relatives. The Ancient Wenchang Path was once the main passage for the people of Dazhouyuan to the outside world. The people of Dazhouyuan used this path to carry rice to Jingde, study in the county town, and do business in Zhejiang.
The ancient path from Chakou Village to Wenshan Village is about 2.5 kilometers long, with 1736 stone steps. Wenshan Village is a true mountain village, with almost no flat land. The houses are built on the mountainside at an altitude of about 600 meters.
There is a place called "Hundred-Step Ladder" in the middle of the ancient path, with more than a hundred steps built along the cliff, curving around the mountain pass. The people of Wenshan Village say that the stonemason who built this place boasted that if any stone slab became loose decades later, he would use silver dollars to level it. Nearly a hundred years have passed, and the "Hundred-Step Ladder" is still firm and neat.
After passing the Hundred-Step Ladder and walking for another three to five minutes, you will reach the three-way intersection of the ancient path: left to Chengfuyuan Village in Wuyang Township, right to the foot of Ba Ridge in Bayuan Village, Changxi Township. Standing at the three-way intersection, looking around at the ancient path winding through the mountain ridges, the hurried figures of Huizhou merchants from a hundred years ago seem to reappear in the morning mist.
🚌【Transportation Guide】: (Recommended to drive)
1: Hangrui Expressway/G56 (Huihang Expressway) Shexian Jinshan Exit: 30 kilometers to Chakou (entrance of the Ancient Wenchang Path), about 45 minutes by car, passing through S324 and X012 lines; 32 kilometers to the middle section of the ancient path (Wenshan Village), about 50 minutes by car.
2: Jingtai Expressway/G3 (Hetonghuang Expressway) Huizhou District Exit: 59 kilometers to Chakou (entrance of the Ancient Wenchang Path), about 1 hour and 25 minutes by car, passing through S324 and X012 lines; 61 kilometers to the middle section of the ancient path (Wenshan Village), about 1 hour and 31 minutes by car.
👉【Itinerary】:
3 days and 2 nights itinerary
D1 Departure → Shitan | Chakou Town - (Ancient Wenchang Path hike - about 6 kilometers) - Changxi Xiabayuan Village - (1 hour) - Shitan Village [Stay in Shitan Village]
D2 Shitan → Shendu | Shitan Village - (Shitan Loop - Xiatian - Hushan - Beishan 3-5 hours) - Yangchan Earth Building (2 hours) [Stay in Shendu or Yangchan]
D3 Shendu → Departure | Xin'an River Landscape Gallery Cruise (2 hours) - Huizhou Ancient Town (3 hours) - Return
4 days and 3 nights itinerary
D1 Departure → Shitan | Chakou Town - (Ancient Wenchang Path hike - about 6 kilometers) - Changxi Xiabayuan Village - (1 hour) - Shitan Village [Stay in Shitan Village]
D2 Shitan → Shendu | Shitan Village - (Shitan Loop - Xiatian - Hushan - Beishan 3-5 hours) - Yangchan Earth Building (2 hours) [Stay in Shendu or Yangchan]
D3 Shendu → Huangshan City | Xin'an River Landscape Gallery Cruise (2 hours) - Huizhou Ancient Town (3 hours) - Tunxi Old Street
D4 Huangshan City → Departure | Tangyue Archway Complex and Bao Family Garden - Tangmo Ancient Town - Return
Shitan Village Yangchan Earth Building Xin'an River Landscape Gallery Huizhou Ancient City Tangmo Tangyue Archway Complex and Bao Family Garden
🧡【Preparation】:
1. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as some sections of the ancient path may be steep.
2. Bring enough water and food, as there are few shops along the ancient path, and choices may be limited.
3. Please respect local customs and do not graffiti on ancient bridges, pavilions, and other relics.
4. Pay attention to sun protection and warmth, and be prepared according to the weather.
Tunxi Old Street, it is worth going, eating food, buying gifts, visiting the old street, watching the river view, doing 21 roads to Huangshan North Station. It took half an hour to arrive, and the fare was only two yuan.
The old street is1.5 kilometers long, the street is 7 meters wide, and the shops on both sides of the street are scaled up. Most of them are double-layer brick and wooden structures. The style of Huizhou architecture is clear and overflows with a strong ancient style. The old street storefront is generally not large, but the inside is deeper, forming a special structure of "front store back square", "front store back warehouse", "front store back household", because it shows the "old old taste" of the old street.
Tunxi Old Street is located in the center of Tunxi District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, with mountains to the north and water to the south, 1272 meters in length, 853 meters in essence, 5 to 8 meters wide. Including 1 straight street, 3 cross street and 18 alleys, the whole street composed of more than 300 Huizhou buildings built in different eras, is distributed in fish skeleton shape, narrow in the west and wide in the east. Because Tunxi Old Street is located in the confluence of Hengjiang, Yishui and Xin'an River, it is also known as the mobile "Qingming Shanghe Map"[1], which is the most complete and most ancient market in China with the architectural style of the Southern Song Dynasty and Ming and Qing Dynasties, and is also China's "key cultural relics protection unit nationwide." In 2009, Tunxi Old Street was elected as “China’s Historical and Cultural Street” along with Beijing Guozijian Street and Suzhou Pingjiang Road.
If you are traveling to Huangshan, you must go to Tunxi Old Street when you have time. This old street originally began to form at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Tunxi was one of the famous tea markets in China in the Ming Dynasty. The old street of the Qing Dynasty was constantly developing. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Tunxi Old Street had been developed into Qianzhuang, Pawn, Yinlou, Medicine, Silk, Jingguang Department Store, North and South Goods, Salt, Sugar, Daily Miscellaneous, Magnetic, Huangyan, tin foil, paper, restaurants, restaurants and other industries are relatively complete. That time we went to Tunxi, went to the street for a long time, visited various shops, tasted Huangshan hairy tofu, ate stinky salmon, and went to Xin'an River to enjoy the night view of Xin'an River at night. In 2009, Tunxi Old Street and Beijing's Guozijian and Suzhou Pingjiang Road were named "China's Historical and Cultural Street"
屯溪老街座落在安徽省黄山市屯溪区的中心地段,北面依山,南面傍水,全长1272米,精华部分853米,宽5—8米。包括一条直街,3条横街和18条小巷,由不同年代建成的300余幢徽派建筑构成的整个街巷,呈鱼鱼骨架形分布,西部狭窄,东部较宽。因屯溪老街座落在横江率水和新安江汇流之处,所以又被称为流动的”清明上河图”,是中国保存最完整,最具有南宋和明清建筑风格的古代街市,也是中国“全国重点文物保护单位”。