[2025 Yi County Attraction] Travel Guide for Shouzhuo Park (Updated Jul)

Yixian County, Southern Anhui｜Step into the Real-Life "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains"! Escape Guide‌  ✨“A lifetime of obsession, no dream reaches Huizhou” This summer, I found the most fairy-tale escape spot in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai! Blue bricks, small tiles, horse-head walls, corridors with hanging lattice windows... The ancient villages of Yixian County in Southern Anhui are like landscape paintings forgotten by time, with bamboo forests, streams, starry skies... All the beautiful imaginations of summer come true here! · 🖼️Must-Visit Scenic Spots ‌1️⃣ Shouzhuo Garden · Geometric Aesthetics in Ink Painting‌ The "Returning to the Garden to Keep Clumsiness" described by Tao Yuanming is right here! Faint green mountains, rippling blue lakes, white walls and black tiles, small bridges and flowing water... Strolling through Shouzhuo Garden, every step reveals a new scene. Check in at the same round gate featured in "Joy of Life"! See the clear water reflecting a perfect concentric circle, as if stepping into a period drama, wearing Hanfu and posing for an ancient-style masterpiece. 2️⃣ ‌Nanping Scenic Area · The Living Huizhou Museum‌ A mysterious secluded ancient village with 8 ancestral halls and over 300 Ming and Qing dynasty ancient residences, known as the "Chinese Ancestral Hall Architecture Museum." A maze of 72 ancient alleys crisscrosses the village, where you might meet leisurely strolling cats around every corner. Backed by green mountains, with curling cooking smoke, fragrant fruits and vegetables in front and behind houses, watch dragonflies skim over rice fields, and listen to frogs croaking over lotus ponds. Enjoy a cup of Huangshan Maofeng tea in a century-old ancestral hall, climb to the rooftop of a Huizhou-style ancient residence, and wait for the sunset glow to dye the horse-head walls honey-colored. ‌3️⃣ Zizai Valley · Live in a Secluded Mountain Paradise The "Peach Blossom Spring" described by Tao Yuanming comes to life! Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with water nearby on one side. Mountain, water, and farmland, leisurely and free. A blend of Huizhou architecture and tulou, simple and elegant. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is a rolling sea of bamboo🎋 The green waves hide the cicadas’ summer chorus. Living in the mountains and fields, the heart wanders with the clouds. Awakened by birdsong in the morning, fall asleep under the stars at night. 4️⃣ Xiuli Wansong Art Institute · A Vacation Style for Young People The charm of Southern Anhui in ink painting, meeting the gentlest summer. July winds sweep past horse-head walls, blue stone slabs reflect the broken tile sky. Vine shadows crawl over old brick carvings, a courtyard mottled with age, a lane full of laziness. Experience ancient plant dyeing in a century-old ancestral hall. Listen to a concert on the open lawn. At Wansong Art Institute, immerse yourself in the joy of intangible cultural heritage study tours. 5️⃣ Yixian Ancient City · Attend a Lantern City Rendezvous The treasure "City of a Thousand Lanterns" hidden in Yixian City! Here, Huizhou-style architecture stands densely, white walls and black tiles, full of rustic charm. The ancient city has many small alleys; strolling through them feels like traveling back in time. At night, the ancient city is brilliantly lit, with the sounds of bells and drums swaying the grand chapter of a prosperous era. ‌🏡Accommodation 📍Moss Homestay Close to Yixian Ancient City, facing it across a bridge. Lying in bed, you can see the beautiful ancient city through the window. The small courtyard in the middle is surrounded by greenery; drink coffee and daydream during the day, enjoy the river breeze quietly and leisurely at night. 🍛Food Recommended to try Huizhou delicacies such as stinky mandarin fish, Mao tofu, and small river shrimp. · This summer, come to Southern Anhui with your loved ones and live a few days in a painting～

The most enchanting nearby travel destination for me is the ancient Huizhou villages in Southern Anhui. Whether under clear skies, drizzling rain, or during midsummer and golden autumn, it exudes a unique charm. Summer in Southern Anhui perfectly embodies everyone's beautiful imagination of their hometown. Based on my multiple visits to Southern Anhui over the past two years, I've compiled a three-day travel guide suitable for working professionals from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. 🙋‍♀️ Three-Day Tour in Yixian County, Southern Anhui DAY1: Nanping Ancient Village—Hongcun (optional) DAY2: Watch morning mist at Lucun Viewing Platform—Visit the Woodcarving Buildings in Lucun—Shouzhuo Garden—Zizai Valley DAY3: Bishan Village—Pingshan Village 🚴 Transportation Guide High-speed rail🚄: Direct to Yixian East Station. Travel options: Taxi or self-driving (self-driving is more convenient) 🏠 Accommodation Recommendations There are many homestays around the attractions, and driving to each ancient village takes only 15-20 minutes. Guzhu Village: Zhuwangyuye Homestay (This homestay is truly great! Clean and tidy, with exceptionally comfortable bedding. Located at the village entrance, the surroundings are tranquil, offering a panoramic view of the ancient village and the mountains of Nanping.) PS: Among all the ancient villages, my personal favorite is Nanping Ancient Village. It's very close to Yixian County town. When I visited in 2023, it happened to be free of charge, with few tourists, and mostly locals living there. As the slogan of Nanping Village says: "This is everyone's beautiful imagination of their hometown~"

✅ Checking in at the concentric circle, the same courtyard as Fan Xian, may be the only purpose for trendy people to visit Shouzhuo Garden. For me, who is always late to the party, it was a pleasant surprise! ✅ I started from my own Yilin Meiju Ningxin Hall and planned to walk to Guanlu. I came to a fork in the road, with Guanlu on the right and Shouzhuo Garden on the left. I remembered how many times I had been attracted by the tower in the distance, so I decided to turn left and go to Shouzhuo Garden! 📍 Main entrance. The tall archway and the delicate residential-style gate are eye-catching. The bare vines on the time-stained white wall look like veins, giving a sense of movement. If this is a winter exclusive, what would it look like when it is green or red? Using plants to transform solid buildings into colorful ones shows the wisdom of our ancestors in garden design. 📍 Inside the gate. The path between the two walls is winding, creating a sense of "seclusion." At the end of the path, you cross a finely carved gate tower "Zhongyu Place" and suddenly see a large infinity lake, as if suspended in the air. The distant mountains and fields come into view, and on the other side, the houses are neatly arranged, with reflections in the lake swaying in the wind, like an ancient village. 📍 Several courtyards are connected, all with white walls, black tiles, flying eaves, and four waters returning to the hall. The small landscapes are also carefully designed, and every door, window, and alley is worth taking a picture of. 📍 Be sure to climb to the highest building for a panoramic view. The staggered roofs, courtyards, water surfaces, and horsehead walls are connected with the layers of distant mountains and fields, creating a full-frame picture. The level of borrowing scenery in this garden is first-class. 📍 Don't miss the "concentric circle," which is at the exit of the garden. 📍 Detailed address: Chiling Village, Yixian. Tao Geng, the 35th grandson of Tao Yuanming's second son, visited four places and determined that Yixian was the origin of his ancestor's "Peach Blossom Land," so he moved his family here. Shouzhuo Garden, a specially designed scenic spot, is named after Tao's poem "Returning to the Garden."

😄 The Shouzhuo Garden of Huizhou Ancient Architecture is the former residence of Tao Yuanming. The biggest highlight is the "Gu Yuan", which covers an area of 12 mu and has a water depth of 1.8 meters. Its design uses the concept of "harmony between man and nature", giving people a sense of boundlessness and a view of the water and sky merging into one. ☑️ Check-in location: Shouzhuo Garden Scenic Area in Tao Village, a model of the protection and utilization of ancient buildings relocated from other places. ☑️ Opening hours: 8:00 am to 5:30 pm. It is recommended to set off early. ☑️ Ticket pre-sale: Tickets purchased one day in advance can enjoy a discount. The specific prices are as follows: ✔️ Single ticket: CNY 80 ✔️ Child/senior/student ticket: CNY 40 ✔️ Family ticket (two adults and one child): CNY 200 ☑️ Transportation guide: You can take a bus or drive to the scenic area. However, please note that during peak hours on weekdays and non-holidays, you may encounter taxi refusals. In this case, you can consider the free shuttle service provided by the scenic area. ☑️ Tour route: After entering the scenic area, you can choose to walk or ride a bike to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. The picturesque scenery along the way is unforgettable. ☑️ Food recommendation: There are many specialty restaurants and snack stalls in the scenic area, where you can taste local delicacies, such as Huizhou stinky tofu, baked cakes, etc. ☑️ Tips: The visitor center in the scenic area provides map navigation services, making it easy for you to find the attractions you want to visit. At the same time, there are many rest areas in the scenic area for you to take a break. Have fun!

Returning to my hometown, I came to the pastoral life described by Tao Yuanming. It was not until I came to Huangshan Yi County that I realized that the returning to the countryside described by Tao Yuanming actually existed. After more than 1,600 years, go and experience Tao Yuanming's pastoral life. Location: Guanlu Village, Yi County, Huangshan Transportation: 30 minutes drive from Yixian East Station Opening hours: All day Equipment: Sony a7m4 Travel guide Shouzhu Garden, a garden on the cross paths of Nanping Scenic Area It takes about 30 minutes to drive from Yixian High-speed Railway Station to Nanping Scenic Area. There is a parking lot in the scenic area. Nanping has relatively intactly preserved the local Hui-style architecture. Hello everyone, I am a paper youth~ It was not until I came to Huangshan Yi County that I realized that the returning to the countryside described by Tao Yuanming actually existed. After more than 1,600 years, go and experience Tao Yuanming's pastoral life. Location: Guanlu Village, Yi County, Huangshan Transportation: Yixian East Station → 30 minutes by car Opening hours: All day Equipment: Sony a7m4 Play guide Shouzhu Garden, a garden on the cross paths of Nanping Scenic Area It takes about 30 minutes to drive from Yixian High-speed Railway Station to Nanping Scenic Area. There is a parking lot in the scenic area. Nanping has relatively intactly preserved the characteristics of local Huizhou architecture, and many students come here to sketch. ❷Nanping has a very beautiful rural path. With the arrival of the autumn harvest season, a large area of ​​golden rice fields is particularly photogenic. From Nanping back to the Garden Accommodation at the Crossroads Trail, there is a very typical S-shaped bend at the entrance of the village, which is also a favorite check-in spot for many tourists. ❹You can watch the sunrise here in the morning. The rice fields are filled with morning mist, and the sunlight shines on the rice fields, presenting a golden color. ❺ While experiencing the pastoral life, you can go to Tao Yuanming’s former residence, “Shuzhuo Garden”. The saying “clearing the wasteland in the southern fields, returning to the garden and fields with simplicity” comes from here, and there is also the same archway as in “Joy of Life”. Accommodation O I live in the garden of the cross trails, with rice fields at the doorstep. You can check in and take photos here by taking a taxi from the campsite. ❷The B&B provides breakfast and lunch, and can pick up and drop off at nearby attractions.

Shouzhuo Garden is the former residence of Tao Yuanming, located in Tao Village of Yi County, which is known as the 'Arcadia of the World' and features Huizhou-style architecture. Tao Village was the place where Tao Geng, the descendant of Tao Qizhi, the second son of the famous poet of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Tao Yuanming, relocated four times. The village still retains a large number of historical relics and cultural sites, such as the well-preserved 'Tao Family Genealogy', the ancestral burial ground of the Tao family, the Tao family ponds, the ancient Tao Ridge plank road, the Tao family ancestral hall, and so on. Shouzhuo Garden includes the Wenchang Pavilion, the ancient plaque with the inscription 'A mind unfettered by worldly ties finds its own peace', the large stone stele inscribed with 'The Peach Blossom Spring', the stele inscribed with the poem 'Returning to My Farm to Dwell', as well as the Peach Blossom Spring Cultural Museum, the Residence Exhibition Hall, the Tao Family Ancestral Hall, the Wuliutang Hall, the Juxiantang Hall, the Taogong Pavilion, and more, recreating the production and living scenes from Tao Yuanming's 'The Peach Blossom Spring'. The reason why it is called 'Shouzhuo Garden' comes from Tao Yuanming's poem: 'I open up wasteland on the southern border, and return to my garden farm to maintain simplicity.' 'Zhuo' means clumsy or unskilled, but 'Shouzhuo' implies steadfastness and integrity, as well as simplicity, which extends to the meaning of freedom. The 'Shouzhuo Garden' here is about preserving this innocence and simplicity.

🏯✨Shouzhuo Garden is said to be the relocation place of the descendants of Tao Sizhi, the second son of Tao Yuanming, a famous poet of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Tao Yuanming may have never thought that his 'Peach Blossom Spring' would be so popular in today's society. Like most people, I yearn for poetry and the distance, and am fascinated by the magical utopia described in the text. 🏯✨The houses in Shouzhuo Garden are still these Huizhou-style buildings, but they are more grandiose than those traditional ancient villages. Each household's courtyard has been expanded, which is actually not seen in ordinary Huizhou-style buildings. Think about Hongcun and Xidi, the houses are all built next to each other, each household is a two or three-entry layout, the lighting basically relies on the patio, and there is no such large courtyard. 🏯✨Stepping out of the courtyard, what comes to your face is a small pond as flat as a mirror. It seems to have created a Peach Blossom Spring version of the Sky Realm. The reflected mountains and green bamboo forests are all divided into two and reflected on the water surface. In this small garden, it encompasses endless wisdom, as long as you are 🏯✨The deeper you go in Shouzhuo Garden, the more you discover that this garden is becoming more and more full of lively fairy spirit. There are always those different sceneries hidden in front of the house and behind the house. Here, it seems that the body has escaped from the shackles of the world, and the thoughts are also free to soar. 🏯✨The black and white of Huizhou-style architecture are versatile colors. Whether it's sunny or rainy, blue or gray, they all have a unique flavor when paired together. The horseshoe wall stands proudly in the regular white wall, making the building more layered. The cloudy and rainy weather is misty, and coupled with the fewer tourists in the scenic area, it really feels a bit of the meaning of being far away from the world.