Huizhou Autumn Charm Road Self-Driving Guide

“China’s Amalfi Coast”｜So beautiful even the GPS goes silent --- 🍁 If you think Huizhou’s autumn is just the ginkgo tree at the entrance of Hongcun, then you definitely haven’t driven the Huizhou Autumn Charm Road. It’s not just a road, it’s a flowing Chinese painting scroll. Stretching 128 kilometers, connecting five secret spots: Tachuan, Lucun, Mukeng Bamboo Sea, Yangchan Tulou, and Xin’an River Landscape Gallery, it never charges an entrance fee, nor does it ever trend online. Today, I’m handing you this— 👉 a top-tier autumn road privately treasured by National Geographic, hailed by photographers, yet overlooked by the public. This is not just a drive, but a 600-year ink-and-wash journey through time. --- 🗺️ 1. Route Overview｜How to Drive China’s Most Beautiful Autumn Road? ✅ Official Name: Huizhou Autumn Charm Scenic Road (X053 + S221 + County Road Y003) ✅ Recommended Route: > Huangshan City (Tunxi) → Cheng Dawei Former Residence → Qiankou Residential House → Chengkan → Yangchan Tulou → Tachuan → Lucun → Mukeng Bamboo Sea → Shendu Town → Xin’an River Landscape Gallery → Shexian County - Total distance: about 180km - Suggested duration: 2-3 days (slow down to truly travel) - Best season: November 10 - November 25 (golden 15 days) 📌 > Drive one day, see Hui-style architecture, millennia-old villages, forests dyed in autumn colors, and rivers like silk. --- 🍂 2. Autumn Color Forecast | Location | Best Viewing Period | Color Features | Recommendation | |----------|---------------------|----------------|----------------| | Tachuan | 11.12 - 11.22 | Chinese tallow red, ginkgo yellow, Masson pine green, a tri-color symphony | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | Yangchan Tulou | 11.15 - 11.25 | Tulou clusters + golden autumn drying + mountain reflections | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | Lucun | 11.10 - 11.20 | Century-old wood-carved building with ginkgo leaves like a carpet | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | Mukeng Bamboo Sea | 11.18 - 11.30 | Lush bamboo forest, autumn mist swirling, full wuxia vibe | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | | Xin’an River Landscape Gallery | 11.14 - 11.24 | Emerald river, red leaves reflected on both banks like a painting | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | --- 🚗 3. Vehicle Recommendations｜What Car Is Best for This Route? ✅ Recommended Models: - Urban SUVs (e.g., Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4) → accessible throughout - Sedans (higher chassis models) → can reach 90% of the route, avoid peak flower season days - Not recommended: large MPVs, low-chassis sports cars (some village roads are narrow) ✅ Must-Have Gear: - Dashcam (to avoid “internet celebrity cars” cutting in) - Phone holder (for easy navigation) - Thermos (to brew Huangshan Maofeng tea, refresh on the road) - Mirrorless/DSLR camera (wide-angle + telephoto combo) > 💡 Tip: > Use “Gaode Map - Voice Pack: A Duo (gentle female voice)” for navigation, it feels like listening to prose recitation. --- 📍 4. Six Must-Stop Spots Along the Way｜Every Frame Is Wallpaper 📸 1. Tachuan Autumn Viewing Platform · One of China’s Top Four Autumn Scenes - Location: beside Provincial Road X053, marked by “Tachuan” stone tablet - Best time: arrive before 6:00 AM to capture misty village scenes - Tip: use telephoto lens to compress space and highlight the fiery red Chinese tallow trees - Caption inspiration: “It’s not that autumn is too short, it’s that we walk too fast” --- 📸 2. Yangchan Tulou · Golden Honeycomb on the Earth - Location: Xiakeng Town, Shexian County, navigate to “Yangchan Tulou” - Feature: 300 tulou buildings built on the hillside, spectacular autumn drying scenes - Shooting suggestion: drone aerial shots (allowed, max altitude 120m) - Note: 10 RMB sanitation fee to enter the village (supports local maintenance) --- 📸 3. In Front of Lucun’s “Zhicheng Hall” · The Beauty of Hui Carving under Ginkgo Rain - Location: entrance of Lucun scenic area - Scene: century-old wood-carved building with golden ginkgo leaves falling in the wind - Best moment: afternoon sunlight slanting, dappled light and shadow - Optional: photo shoot with “oil-paper umbrella lady” (rental 30 RMB/hour) --- 📸 4. Mukeng Bamboo Sea · Filming Location of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” - Location: near Hongcun, navigate to “Mukeng Bamboo Sea” - Feature: 6 square kilometers of bamboo forest, autumn mist like gauze - Shooting tip: low-angle shots of bamboo reflections to create a “wuxia dreamscape” - Suggest walking 1 km into the mountain to avoid tour groups --- 📸 5. Xin’an River Landscape Gallery · Sailing Through a Painting - Location: Shendu Town dock - How to play: drive to Shendu, park, then take a boat (ticket 68 RMB) - Route: Shendu → Nanyuan Port, about 1.5 hours - Scene: mirror-like river, red leaves reflected on both banks, fishing boats singing at dusk --- 📸 6. Chengkan Bagua Village · China’s Only “Yin-Yang Fish” Ancient Village - Location: beside Provincial Road S221 - Feature: laid out according to the I Ching, autumn drying fields full of chili peppers and corn - Shooting spot: high platform at village entrance, overlooking the entire Bagua layout - Off-the-beaten-path: find the century-old maple tree behind “Luodongshu Shrine,” fewer people, beautiful scenery --- 🏡 5. Accommodation Recommendations｜Stay Right, Enjoy the Village Alone at Dawn ✅ 1. Tachuan · Guiyun Mountain Residence (Top Choice!) - Location: inside Tachuan Village, 5-minute walk to viewing platform - Room type: renovated Hui-style old house with mountain-view terrace - Price: 880 RMB/night (breakfast included) - Advantage: exclusive sea of clouds at 6 AM, owner offers photography guide ✅ 2. Lucun · Qixin Courtyard - Location: core scenic area of Lucun - Feature: century-old house with courtyard to enjoy ginkgo trees - Price: 680 RMB/night - Suitable for: couples/families, quiet and private ✅ 3. Shexian · Shilili Qingmei Academy - Location: inside Shexian ancient city - Pros: new facilities, strong cultural vibe, good for those who don’t want to stay too remote > 💡 Suggestion: > Stay in Tachuan the first night, Lucun the second night, the pace is most comfortable. --- 🍵 6. Food List｜Huizhou Autumn Flavors, Soulful Bites | Location | Must-Try Dishes | Recommended Restaurants | |----------|-----------------|-------------------------| | Tunxi | Mao tofu, stinky mandarin fish | Old street “Tongjulu” | | Chengkan | Laba tofu, dried bamboo shoots with pork | Village entrance “Grandma’s Country Kitchen” | | Yangchan | Native chicken soup, autumn dried mixed grain rice | Inside Tulou “Huang Family Stove” | | Shendu | Xin’an River fish head soup | Dock “Old Fisherman’s House” | > 🍂 Autumn exclusive: > “Chinese tallow seed fried rice” — only available in November, uniquely fragrant. --- 🚫 7. Taboos and Pitfalls｜Things You Must Not Do | Wrong Behavior | Consequence | |----------------|-------------| | Weekend self-driving | Severe traffic jams, Tachuan entrance queues over 1 hour | | Entering villagers’ drying fields casually | Possible compensation claims (chili peppers and corn count as property) | | Staying long daytime at Tachuan | Tour groups arrive at 9:30 AM, crowds everywhere | | Not booking accommodation in advance | After November 15, good homestays fully booked a month ahead | | Using flash photography on wood carvings | Damages cultural relics, stopped by managers | > ✅ Correct way: > Depart on weekdays + stay in local homestays + shoot photos at 6 AM + relax with tea in the afternoon 🌄 Some roads are meant to forget “checking in” When you stand on Tachuan’s hillside at dawn, watching the mist slowly rise, Chinese tallow trees ignite the valley like flames, you suddenly understand— The beauty of Huizhou is not in photos, but in the moment you’re willing to get up early for it. So, stop asking “Is it worth it?” Just go. Because— true autumn is never on the calendar, but in the sound of your footsteps on fallen leaves. --- 📍 Route Overview Card Route: Tunxi → Chengkan → Yangchan → Tachuan → Lucun → Mukeng Bamboo Sea → Shendu → Shexian Length: about 180km Best time: 11.15 - 11.25 Recommended vehicles: SUV/sedan Duration: 2-3 days Must bring: camera, thermos, reverence