Trudging through snow in search of plum blossoms, decoding the Huizhou genes, savoring the charm of culture

Once Huizhou is mentioned, it represents not only a culture, but also a flavor, and even more so, a spirit. During our seven-day cultural exploration trip in Jiangxi and Anhui, we arrived at Shexian County in Southern Anhui, where we experienced more deeply the local customs and styles of Huizhou, its ancient charm, the spirit of farming and reading, the culture of ancestral halls, and the way of Huizhou merchants. The first stop in Shexian County brought us to the Anhui Huizhou Historical Museum. Located in the ancient city of Shexian, the museum is newly built with a grand and spectacular appearance, a beautiful layout, and showcases the historical evolution and cultural development of Huizhou. It is a great place to learn about the life in the ancient city, the culture of ancestral halls, archways, Huizhou merchants, villages, and residential houses, and to understand the history and culture of Huizhou. Huizhou was formerly known as Shezhou, governing today's Huangshan, Jixi, Wuyuan in Jiangxi, as well as Chun'an in Zhejiang, with the administrative center in Chun'an. During the Song Dynasty, Shezhou was renamed Huizhou, a name that has been used to this day. Shexian County was established during the unification of the six states by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, with the establishment of Yi and She counties. The names are a bit of a mouthful and hard to remember. Fortunately, frequent travels here have left their memories. Shexian County is known for She inkstones and famous Huizhou merchants, and it has also nurtured masters such as Wang Maoyin, Huang Binhong, and Tao Xingzhi, who founded the Xin'an school of painting, Xin'an medicine, and other schools of thought. Huizhou cuisine and Huizhou opera have been leading the trend for hundreds of years. Here, you will experience the unique culture of Huizhou and taste the unique 'salty and colorful' flavors of Huizhou cuisine.