Qiyun Mountain | A Town of Hui Culture and Taoist Harmony with Nature

| A Town of Hui Culture and Taoist Harmony with Nature. At the foot of Qiyun Mountain in Xiuning County, Anhui, lies Qiyun Town—a thousand-year-old settlement blending Taoist culture, Hui-style architecture, and pastoral charm, captivating visitors with its unique local character. Here, nature and culture coexist harmoniously, where every brick and tile tells a story of Huizhou, and every wisp of smoke carries the Zen essence of Taoism. Hui-Style Architecture and Scenic Landscapes The town is dominated by the white walls and black tiles of Hui-style architecture, with winding alleys and staggered horse-head gables resembling an ink-wash painting. Shanhui Street is the soul of the town, where small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, rockeries, and distant misty mountains create a picturesque scene. Strolling here feels like stepping back into the Ming and Qing dynasties, the golden age of Huizhou merchants. The shops along the street are mostly traditional craft workshops selling intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items like the "Three Carvings of Huizhou" (wood, stone, and brick carvings) and She inkstones. The focused expressions of artisans and the rhythmic sounds of chiseling add a lively touch to the town. Taoist Culture Qiyun Mountain has long been a sacred Taoist site, and the town embodies the philosophy of "Tao following nature." Yuehua Tianjie is where Taoist culture merges with daily life, with Taoist priests and villagers living side by side, and temples interspersed with shops. Qiyun Mountain is not too high, making it suitable for children and the elderly to climb gently. In the morning, the hotel offers Tai Chi classes taught by local instructors. ICH Experiences and Rural Delights The town gathers 27 Hui ICH projects, where visitors can try ancient wood-pressed oil extraction, handmade papermaking, or cut auspicious patterns in a paper-cutting workshop. For those seeking nature, farming activities like planting rapeseed in spring or harvesting rice in autumn offer a taste of pastoral poetry. The ICH experiences here are truly exceptional! Eat There are dining options in the town, but we ventured outside the scenic area to eat at Huangshan Laoma·Local Cuisine·Huizhou Dishes (Xiuning Branch), highly recommended and not far from the China Zhuangyuan Museum (Zhuangyuan Square Branch, Xiuning County, Huangshan City, Anhui). Next door, Ziyoujia also has a scenic restaurant offering a music-and-lobster buffet at an affordable price. Explore At night, the "Baiyue Night Stroll" lights up the town: fish lantern parades flow like a starry river, iron-spark displays mimic falling meteors, and a 100-meter golden dragon firework leaps across the Heng River, blending ICH performances with landscape light shows into a fantastical dream reminiscent of *Spirited Away*. Street performances like shadow puppetry, iron-spark displays, fire pots, and fish lanterns keep the two-day itinerary packed. Stay Highly recommend Qiyun Mountain Xiangfurui Resort Hotel—unbeatable value! During the peak summer season, we booked two nights for just ¥899, including vouchers for Ziyoujia Farm, cable car rides, coffee, tea tasting, bamboo rafting, dragon boating, and various ICH craft experiences. The stay felt almost free, with spacious rooms accommodating two adults and two children. The hotel also provides shuttle bus tickets to the train station. A big thumbs-up to Qiyun Mountain Xiangfurui Resort Hotel! For those with a bigger budget, Ziyoujia·Treehouse World next door is an option. We initially planned to stay there but switched to Qiyun Mountain Resort Hotel due to unavailability—a fortunate change, as the treehouses are deep in the primal forest, too quiet and less convenient to access. Conclusion Qiyun Town is a living museum of Huizhou culture and a spiritual retreat for urbanites seeking pastoral tranquility. Perfect for a 3-day getaway from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, or Shanghai, it offers ultimate relaxation and a resort-like experience for just a few hundred yuan—the highest travel happiness index we've ever experienced. The king of cost-performance!