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Side Trips
Contact the translator (email address on our Contact Us page) to assist you in setting up side-trips from Tunxi or other travel in China.
Side-trip costs are estimated for groups of 4 to 6 people. A $5.00 tip for the taxi and
guide is appreciated but not required.
Xidi Village, The Memorial Archway, and the Ancient Huizhou Grotto Group: $52 per person,
including taxi, tickets, and guide service.
(1 1/2 hour drive from Tunxi)
The Yellow Mountains
$80 per person including taxi, entrance ticket, guide and cable car
service.
(1½ hour drive. If you intend to hike up the mountain instead of taking the cable cars
be prepared for a very challenging climb up hundreds of stone stairs.)
 The Yellow Mountains, located in the southern region of the Anhui Province, are without
question one of the most heralded destinations in all of China for tourists of today as
well as those in ancient times. The mountains extend across Shexian, Yixian, Taiping, and
Xining counties and Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) City itself is named for them. They are
the quintessential example of Chinese mountain scenery and have been the subject of
thousands of China's classic poems as well as many landscape paintings.
The Yellow Mountains are a place of importance in China's botanical research as well. They
are host to ancient Pines, Firs, Ginkgoes, Chinese Torreyas, Sweet Gums, Nanmus, Camphor
Woods, and the precious Magua trees. In addition to over 300 medicinal herbs, rare
flowering plants such as the Goddess Flower, the Camellia, Crape Myrtle, and Orchid, can
be found among its rocky promontories.
The Yellow Mountains transform in color and appearance with the change of the seasons. In
spring and summer, flowers decorate the slopes in splashes of color and fill the valleys
with their delicate fragrance. Autumn dresses the mountains in shades of crimson when the
maples blaze red and purple, and in winter, the ice-covered trees turn the mountains into
a frosty wonderland.
Mukeng and The Bamboo Forest
 Those who are feeling adventurous may wish to visit the remote village of Mukeng and its
surrounding bamboo forest where the bamboo forest fight scene in the movie: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed.
From Tunxi, a 1.5-hr. bus ride will take you as close as possible to the village, but
after that, you must complete the journey by taking a 25-minute walk up a mountain trail.
This walk is worth the trip. The views are extraordinarily beautiful with quaint hillside
villages dotting the valleys. There is a special feeling to the atmosphere as you enter
the cool and shaded bamboo forest. Not much further is Mukeng, a small village of
approximately 100 people who live a simple and traditional lifestyle. While there,
travelers should be sure to sample the local delicacies: fresh bamboo shoots and dried
bamboo leaves. Those who are flexible in their standards for comfort may choose to stay
overnight in Mukeng. Lodging can be negotiated with farmers who will supply home-cooked
meals, clean sheets, and an opportunity for bathing in a heated shower room. One of the
benefits of staying over is that many hosts will gladly tutor guests in the skills of
preparing traditional Chinese cuisine.
Jiuhua Mountain
$138 per person, includes transportation, overnight stay at a 3-star
hotel, meals and guide service.
(4 hour drive from Tunxi, however if one leaves from the Yellow Mountains there is a
shorter route that takes only 2 hours)
Jiuhua Mountain, a sacred place for Buddhist pilgrims, is dotted with temples and misted
with the smoke of burning incense. Because of its favorable climate, it is a popular
summer destination for tourists. Juihua has been established as one of the most important
Buddhist mountains in China. It is located to the Southwest of Qingyang County in the
South of the Anhui Province.
The Grottos
Located in the eastern suburbs of Tunxi, Huangshan City is the Huizhou Grotto Group.
Pedestrians can access the grottos and enjoy a scenic view by crossing the Xinan River via
the cable suspension bridge that links the Grottos to the outside world. Always a cool 68
degrees, these grottos are a series of colossal hand-dug rock caves. The great unsolved
mystery of the Grottos is that scientists have been unable to discern what became of the
huge amount of stone removed from the mountain at the time the caves were made. This
leftover stone, despite the fact that it must have been very large in size and weighed
many tons, has not been found in the area, nor has its location been discovered elsewhere.
Xidi Village
 Standing tall at the village entrance is the Hu Wenguang Stone Memorial Archway, a
structure of four tiers and three panels. The archway is a masterpiece of Ming Dynasty
architecture. It is not only a symbol of social status for the Hu Family who built it, but
also a testament to the prosperity of Xidi's rich cultural history.
The 122 houses of Xidi Village date back to the 18th and 19th centuries and are black,
white, and gray in color. Each has elaborately shaped eaves and courtyards. The entrance
gates and windows display traditional styles of wood, brick, and stone carving.
Villages: Nanping, Mukeng, Hongcun, and the Bamboo Forest: $86 per person, including entrance tickets to the villages, travel permit, guide service and lunch at "The Old
House." (1 1/2 hour drive from Tunxi)
Both Yixian and Shexian counties are known for their historic and cultural heritage.
The quiet and secluded Yixian County (the "land of peach blossoms") is hidden in the
mountains. It has been described as the "haven of peace" in classical Chinese literature.
Upon entering the county, you can hardly see any houses bordering the stream that flows
between the hills. However, once you enter the hill passes, an open basin comes into sight
where over 3,000 well-preserved, pre-20th Century, traditional Chinese houses nestle into
the shaded slopes of the green hills. Many travelers consider these villages to be the
most beautiful in the world.
Nanping
 Dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the tiny traditional village of Nanping
consists of about 300 houses along with their well-maintained, ancient family ancestral
temples. With its 72 maze-like lanes, tourists can quickly lose their way without the
assistance of a local guide. Like other old villages, Nanping has been an ideal setting
for films. The women's fight scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed in one of its
many courtyards.
Hongcun
 Not far from Mukeng, is Hongcun Village, also famed for its pre-20th Century dwellings.
Water corridors wind through the courtyards of these homes where flowers and fruits are
grown in abundance. Surrounded by mountains and beautiful landscapes, this village also
enjoys the peculiar distinction of being shaped like an ox. The Leigang Hill at the north
end is like the ox's head, the two big trees at the entrance form the ox's horns, the four
bridges across the Jiyang River are the four legs, while the hundreds of Hui-style
residences make up the ox's body. The water ditches that zigzag along are said to
represent the intestines and the moon-shaped Nanhu Lake the stomach. The opening scene of
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the entrance-bridge to this village.
Hangzhou
$241 per person, includes a 2-night stay, all meals, tickets to
main attractions, and guide service.
(5 hour drive from Tunxi with a stop for lunch)
 Hangzhou is considered one of the most beautiful locations in all of China. The city is
centered around West Lake, an ancient river that was transformed into a huge lake and
park area. There are walkways with ancient bridges, small shrines and the Flower Harbor,
an extraordinary botanical park that forms an Asian fairyland around West Lake.
Graceful willow trees dip their leaves into the lake creating peaceful shrines where
people come to relax, picnic, fish, play chess, and sip tea. Couples stroll through the
beautiful gardens on lakeside pathways that link picturesque teahouses with curling tile
roofs and delicate filigree walls. Rowboats glide serenely over the beautiful sparkling
waters. People come here to be married, take pictures, paint, practice Tai Chi. and even take hot air
balloon rides.
Qiyun Mountain and Taoist Monastery
$63 per person, includes taxi, entrance ticket,
cable car fare and guide service.
(1 hour, 10 minutes from Tunxi)
Visitors to Qiyun must pass through three ornate pavilions and three 'heavenly gates'
before reaching the panoramic view on the mountain's summit. This arrangement is intended
to reflect the pilgrim's journey on the pathway to the Taoist God. Qiyun Mountain, with
its 36 peaks and many unusual rock formations, is located to the west of Xiuning. For the
last 1,000 years it has been a center of Taoist activities. Qiyun is also known for its
variety of ancient stone carvings. In addition to visiting the monastery located on the
slopes of Qiyun, travelers may also tour many other points of interest like, the God
Watching Pavilion, the Cave of the Eight Immortals, the Immortal Bridge, and the Heavenly
Palace.
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