Ultra Niche! A Complete Guide to Tongling, Anhui's Hidden Gem, with Local Tips!

🚄【Transport】 Shanghai to Tongling: 3-3.5hrs 🏨【Hotels】 Jinjiang Inn (Tongling Wanda Branch) Hanting Hotel (Tongling Wanda Branch) 🗺️【Attractions】 📍Tongling Museum A must-visit to explore the millennia-old copper culture. 📍West Lake Wetland Park Next to the museum. During our visit, the sky was filled with cumulus clouds, and the vast lawns made it feel like a real-life "Castle in the Sky." Highly recommended for a relaxing stroll if the weather is cool. 📍Liqiao Water Town 👉🏻Parking requires a restaurant reservation (book via dzdp and cancel later). 👉🏻Rich in performances—our favorite was the iron-flower show! Bamboo-stilt walking was thrilling too. 👉🏻The Huizhou-style architecture is stunning and photogenic. 📍Yongquan Town 👉🏻30-minute taxi ride from downtown. 👉🏻A man-made spot worth visiting, great for Hanfu photos. Hot springs in winter make it ideal for elders. 👉🏻Food plaza uses copper coins (60 RMB for 20 coins, refundable). Taste is average, but stir-fried rice noodles are decent. 💡Shuttle buses run between the entrance and "Twelve Scenes of Jiangnan," a hiking route (~3 hours round-trip, tiring even for fitness enthusiasts). 💡Skip the hike: Take the escalator up and slide down the glass slide (super fun!). 💡Holiday performances available. 📍Datong Ancient Town 👉🏻Less commercialized, accessible by ferry, full of local charm. 👉🏻Home to a freshwater dolphin reserve (12 finless porpoises; separate ticket required). 👉🏻Kawankaka Anhui’s local milk tea chain! Drank it three times—must-try! 🌟Recs: Black Full Set Milk Tea Mango Pomelo Sago Jasmine Green Snow Osmanthus Yogurt Coconut Qingbuliang 👉🏻Xiaocaiyuan New Huizhou Cuisine A chain but consistently delicious! 🌟Recs: Iron Pot Free-Range Chicken Huizhou Stinky Mandarin Fish Braised Tofu Dry Pot Deer Antler Mushrooms Hand-Held Ribs Stone Pot Garlic Shrimp Crispy Rice with Fish Sauce 👉🏻Yuling Spicy Veggies (Renmin 3rd Road) A childhood favorite of locals, intensely flavorful and huge portions—perfect for salty-spicy lovers! 🌟Recs: Rice Noodle Spicy Veggies Rice Flour Spicy Veggies 👉🏻Original Hongxing Pengji Liangpi The Anhui-style liangpi I craved for days! Unique mix of rice skin, noodles, and flour, with jellyfish—perfectly balanced sweet, sour, and spicy. Portions are huge (even a small serving stuffed me). Ask for less spice if needed. 👉🏻SCHNAUZER Café Hidden in a residential area, French-style decor (great for photos). Desserts are tasty; coffee is meh. 🌟Recs: Oreo Sea Salt Cheesecake Matcha Earl Grey Valrhona Chocolate Mille Crepe Lychee Rose Sparkle 🎁【Souvenirs】 Tongling White Ginger (SOOO good!) Tongling Crispy Candy Zhanji Peach Shortbread