Today let's talk about going to Wuyuan during the Qingming Festival. Friends who see this can refer to it if they plan to visit Wuyuan in the future.
Wuyuan is a place I have always wanted to visit. The reason for my interest is that Wuyuan has many Hui-style buildings with blue tiles and white walls. I have also seen such architectural styles in the Chinese paintings of Master Wu Guanzhong. As someone who loves minimalism, I have long wanted to experience it. However, it was too difficult to travel there from Beijing before. Now that I have returned to Wuhan, it only takes a little over three hours to reach Wuyuan by high-speed train. So, after discussing with my friend, we decided to book tickets for the second day of the holiday early in the morning, even though we couldn't get tickets for the first day. We also agreed to only spend two days and one night there before returning.
We booked our tickets for the same high-speed train separately, so we were not in the same carriage. Unexpectedly, during the journey, she sent me a message saying that return tickets were tight, and she had already booked a fast train departing the next afternoon around two o'clock. She told me there were still two tickets left for me to grab. Upon hearing this, I realized that this trip would only allow us to play for one day, so I decided to stay an extra day. I could also spend half a day in Jingdezhen, which is next to Wuyuan, and then book a ticket to return on the afternoon of the third day. I told her my plan and we discussed the itinerary for that day.
The night before the trip, my friend only slept for two hours and felt uncomfortable. She was unwilling to look at the itinerary materials I sent her on WeChat, so we agreed that she would come to my carriage before getting off to discuss the itinerary together. At the same time, she quickly booked a hotel in Wuyuan County. During this time, I planned the itinerary. Through Xiaohongshu, I learned about several tourist routes in Wuyuan. Combining it with my friend's desire to visit Huangling, I planned to hire a car to visit the villages along the northern route, such as Chaguan and Hongguan, on the first day, and then take a taxi to Huangling the next morning. I also contacted a car rental company online, and as soon as the itinerary was confirmed and payment was made, they could send a car at any time.
Half an hour before getting off, my friend finally appeared. At first, she disagreed with my itinerary, thinking it would be better to go to Huangling that day. I explained the reasons for my planning. Although we would only have half a day if we hired a car that day, the villages along the northern route were relatively far away. Compared to the next day, if we hired a car to go to the northern route in the morning, we would have to return to the county town at noon to catch the train, which would be less flexible in terms of time. We could return to the hotel a little later, and there would definitely be many people at tourist attractions like Huangling, which would not provide a good experience. My friend quickly agreed to my plan, and we discussed checking into the hotel first, resting a bit, and then going out to play. Before getting off, I booked the car service and arranged for the driver to pick us up at the hotel at one o'clock in the afternoon to go to the northern route.
This trip was to fulfill a promise we made ten years ago. At that time, she brought her mother to Beijing for a visit, and I treated them to a meal, and we promised to travel together in the future. I didn't expect that it would take ten years for this to actually happen, but we kept our promise. This time, we both coincidentally only brought a small bag with us, and we were both wearing striped shirts as our base layer, which was quite a tacit understanding. Upon arriving at the hotel, my friend looked at several types of rooms and finally chose the most comfortable business room. This is her habit; wherever she travels, her first consideration is the environment of the hotel, and she prefers places that offer self-service breakfast. However, I actually prefer to eat local breakfast, but this time I went along with her arrangements.
In the afternoon, the driver arrived at the hotel on time, and we set off happily. The driver was a very steady-looking gentleman. During our conversation, we learned that he was a few years younger than us, had attended a military academy in Wuhan, and was a retired soldier. This brought us closer together, and he switched to tour guide mode, introducing us to the scenery along the way and the history of Wuyuan. Through his narration, we understood why Wuyuan, located in Jiangxi, has a strong Hui-style character. It turned out that during Chiang Kai-shek's rule, in order to punish the Anhui warlords for their ineffective suppression of bandits, Wuyuan, which originally belonged to Anhui, was transferred to Jiangxi. A few years later, it was returned to Anhui. However, after the liberation, due to military reasons, Wuyuan was once again placed under Jiangxi's jurisdiction. The people of Wuyuan still have a Hui-style sentiment because Hui-style culture carries not only nostalgia but also a history of many scholars and literati who were educated in ancient times. Just at the end of the northern route we were about to visit, crossing a mountain, we would reach Dongbanqiao Township in Xiuning County, Anhui.
If in the past I only knew about Wuyuan through Hui-style architecture, this time I fell in love with this county because of its culture and scenery. The natural environment here is very fresh and pleasant, especially in spring, where the greenery is particularly eye-catching. At the same time, we did not see any dirt or disorder wherever we went, which proves that the people here have a strong awareness of environmental protection.
The first place we arrived at, as recommended by the driver, was Fengshan, the authentic hometown of Mr. Jin Yong. This was stated by Mr. Jin Yong himself, and during his lifetime, he expressed to the Wuyuan government his wish to have a street named after him. The driver said that on the day after his death, the government officially named a road Jin Yong Avenue, allowing Mr. Jin Yong to rest in peace. At Fengshan, we saw the Longtian Tower, a brick-wood structure built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli period, with a tower body made of fired blue bricks and eaves built using the edges and corners of the bricks, creating a unique beauty that blends ancient and modern styles. After enduring over four hundred years of wind and rain, the originally white tower walls have become mottled, but they blend harmoniously with the surrounding rapeseed flower fields and Hui-style architectural villages.
Perhaps because this route is relatively niche and also a free viewing spot, there were not many tourists, which contributed to a good experience. The next place, Chaguan, especially highlighted this advantage. The most wonderful aspect of Chaguan Village is an arch bridge over the creek, and an old man on the bridge, in order to attract tourists for photos, was walking back and forth with a water buffalo, showing great dedication. We took some beautiful photos from a distance, not to mention the camphor trees on both sides of the creek, some of which are hundreds of years old. At first, I didn't dare to recognize these as camphor trees because Wuhan also has many camphor trees, but their trunks are very tall, with branches extending out to form a crown. However, the camphor trees in Wuyuan, at a glance, have branches that extend gracefully at only three or four meters high, and of course, their trunks are much thicker. In Chaguan Village, there is an 820-year-old camphor tree, which is considered a treasure of the village!
The next stop, Hongguan Village, allowed us to fully appreciate the beauty of Hui-style architecture. The ancient buildings in this village are very well preserved, and the village has a relatively wide bluestone road. Just as I was marveling at the humility of the Wuyuan people in building their houses, the driver said this was an ancient official road, equivalent to today's national road. No wonder the width of this bluestone road is suitable for horse-drawn carriages to pass through! The shops on both sides of the road tell the story of Wuyuan's long-standing openness in welcoming visitors, which is why we can chat with locals everywhere.
The driver told us that many families in the village do not close their doors. Once, a tourist stole a valuable inkstone worth thousands from a homeowner, but the tourist was caught as soon as he got off the train on his return journey because the homeowner immediately reported it to the police, and rural surveillance cameras are quite common. His whereabouts and personal information were quickly identified, which truly confirms the saying that "the net of heaven is vast, but nothing escapes it!" I am grateful for this era, where the cost of crime is increasing, which forces people to enhance their legal awareness and personal qualities. If our every word and action could be recorded, should we be more responsible and aware of our behavior?
While slowly appreciating the architecture in Hongguan Village, I noticed that every household had its own family motto plaque at the entrance. At the entrance of a government-marked protected building, we found the door open, and there were newspaper clippings framed on the wall facing the door. Peering inside, we discovered that this house could be visited for free. At the entrance to a room facing the courtyard, an old man was inviting us in. So we entered the house, and he asked where we were from. My friend answered him, but he misheard it as Nanchang. It turned out that the old man had poor hearing, so we raised our voices. After discussing the function of the courtyard with him, the old man enthusiastically took us on a tour. We learned that he was already 92 years old and had previously worked as a teacher in Shanghai. After retiring, he returned to his hometown to enjoy his old age. The newspaper clippings at the door were articles he had written for the Xinmin Evening News about his hometown, Wuyuan. He still lives in this old house left by his ancestors, and his son runs a guesthouse at the village entrance called Hongrui Mountain Villa. Coincidentally, I had seen this guesthouse on Xiaohongshu while checking the itinerary.
The old man told us that in ancient Hui-style villages, many men went out to do business, and after making money, they returned to build grand houses, which is why the houses are so well constructed. His family also belonged to the Zhan family, who were engaged in Hui ink production (the entire Hongguan Village is descended from the Hui merchant Zhan family). The wood used in the old house is very exquisite, and it has not deformed after hundreds of years. I took a look, and indeed, the doors and frames of the rooms on both sides of the old man's courtyard are perfectly fitted. The beams have been replaced with better wood in recent years, which is very sturdy fir. The fragrant smell of wood filled the house, and we marveled at the craftsmanship and materials used in ancient times. Unfortunately, I was so fascinated by the old man's introduction that I forgot to take photos.
After bidding farewell to the old man, I developed a deeper fondness for this village. I hope to bring my parents here next time and stay at the guesthouse run by the old man's son to gain a deeper understanding of the local customs. While walking, we also discovered that the village has a water channel running through it, with each house surrounded by a water ditch. The driver said it can be used for firefighting and washing clothes and vegetables, and for daily water use. Although the flowing water does not meet drinking standards, it is still clear.
In this village, there are also high-end guesthouses built along the creek, with rooms facing the water. It is said that during peak season, the room prices can reach four figures per night. Here, we also saw a café with a great atmosphere. I looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows and saw quite a few people inside. If it weren't for the afternoon, I would have really wanted to go in for a drink!
The last stop on the northern route was Lingjiao Village. When we arrived, it started to rain lightly. Since the buildings were quite similar, we only looked at a wonder at the village entrance—the resilient tree.
It is said that this tree is over 300 years old. In 2007, a thunderstorm struck this tree, and after catching fire, it burned for three days and nights. The trunk was almost completely burned out, and the interior was completely carbonized and missing, leaving only the bark on both sides to support its remains. Originally, the tree was over 40 meters tall, but now it is only about ten meters. Everyone felt sorry for this tree.
However, in one spring, a miracle happened—the tree actually sprouted tender buds. It "rebirthed" itself. Who would have thought that it could come back to life relying solely on its bark? I crawled into the tree hole and took a photo from below looking up. The inner wall of the tree is still a mottled carbonized structure, but the outside is already lush and green, telling the story of the power of life!
On the recommendation of the driver, after we returned to the county town and had dinner together, we went to see the large-scale live performance "Dreaming of Home." That night it started to rain, and my friend was dressed lightly, so she could only wear a raincoat to keep warm. However, we still insisted on watching the performance to the end. The hardest part was for the actors, who performed for 80 minutes in the rain while wearing very little. We both thought the most rewarding part was the air on a rainy night, mixed with the smell of cattle (there were cow actors in the performance), combined with the distant mountains and lighting, turning what could have been a miserable experience due to the rain and cold into a rare experience.
After the performance, the driver kindly took us back to the hotel. Originally, according to the scheduled plan, he was supposed to finish work at 7 o'clock, but this is the wonderful connection between people, and I am very grateful!
The next day, we got up to have breakfast at the hotel, and it was already past 8:30. The hotel breakfast environment was relatively simple, and there were not many varieties. A dozen types of food were concentrated in a small area, and some guests complained that they would never stay here again. However, after my friend and I plated the food and started eating, we both agreed that it was delicious. I said it would be even better if they could pay attention to the presentation, but this is the most interesting part of traveling. Some hotels may focus on visual aesthetics, but the food may not be tasty, while some may not look good but taste great. If both are present, it feels like winning the lottery. Of course, there is also the possibility that it is neither good-looking nor tasty, in which case we can just treat it as a chance to reminisce about hardships.
After breakfast, it was already past nine. My friend originally insisted on going to Huangling, but she hadn't slept well the night before and was feeling drowsy. I wasn't very enthusiastic about going to this scenic area either. The best time to visit Huangling is during the autumn harvest season, so I suggested she take a nap while I went out for a walk, and then we could explore the Diao Miao Old Street together. She agreed.
I walked directly to a café within two kilometers to have coffee and checked the accommodation for that night and the return tickets from Jingdezhen for the next day. I found that tickets for the next day were still tight, which meant that if I stayed, I might have to be stranded for two more days. Considering the time and budget would exceed limits, I decisively checked if there were any return tickets available for that day. I found that my friend's train had standing tickets available, and I could transfer to a high-speed train in Yangxin. I would arrive in Wuhan more than an hour earlier than her, so I booked the ticket without hesitation.
The return journey was also very smooth. After my friend got up, we intentionally skipped lunch and saved it for when we got on the train to eat in the dining car to pass the time. She said she would accompany me until I transferred and then return to her own carriage. The K423 train we were on belongs to the Chengdu Railway Bureau, running from Ningbo to Chengdu. The service on the train was excellent, and here’s the highlight: the food in the dining car was delicious, and we could order stir-fried dishes made by the chef on the train! However, when we got on the train around two o'clock, only boxed meals were available, and we were too hungry, so we ordered a chicken and a twice-cooked pork boxed meal. Then, when it was around four o'clock and we could order stir-fried dishes, we ordered a mapo tofu to go with the leftover rice. In this way, we ate through two rounds of diners and stayed in the dining car until I got off. There were also some interesting things that happened on the train, but I won't elaborate on them here; they remain in my memory.
In summary, this spontaneous trip had effective travel time of only half a day and the evening performance, but we both felt like we experienced three or four days' worth of activities. I am also glad that I ultimately chose to return the next day. This flexibility helped me rest well after getting home.
For friends who value experiential travel, I recommend driving to Wuyuan. You can choose a point of interest and spend two days exploring deeply, chatting with locals about topics of interest, and eating at places where locals dine. Overall, Wuyuan is not very large; if you just want to see the scenery, three days and two nights covering the four routes in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest would be sufficient. However, if you have enough time, you can also visit nearby places like Sanqing Mountain, Hongcun, and Huangshan. There are many guides available on Xiaohongshu and online, so it's better to check out the places you are interested in and plan your trip accordingly.