[2025 She County Attraction] Travel Guide for Memorial Archways And Bao's Private Garden (Updated Jul)

Hey guys🌼 I recently visited the Xin'an River Painting Gallery in Shexian and was literally speechless by its beauty! Here's my fresh-off-the-press travel guide for you👇 ✨Classic Attractions Recommendation‌ 📍‌Huizhou Ancient City‌ ‌Highlights‌: One of China's four great ancient cities, featuring well-preserved Ming-Qing architecture including Xu Guo Stone Archway, Huizhou Government Office, and Doushan Street. ‌Experience‌: Stroll along ancient city walls to feel centuries of history; visit Huizhou History Museum to understand Huizhou culture. ‌Tips‌: Some minor attractions require separate tickets - combo tickets offer better value. ‌📍Tangyue Memorial Archways & Bao's Garden‌ ‌Highlights‌: Seven magnificent Ming-Qing archways in a row; Bao's Garden represents Huizhou-style bonsai art. ‌Experience‌: Hear stories of loyalty and filial piety behind the archways; admire exquisite bonsai. ‌Tips‌: The archways and garden are adjacent - visit both together. ‌📍Xin'an River Landscape Gallery‌ ‌Highlights‌: Boat cruise showcasing picturesque riverside scenery with white-walled villages against green mountains. ‌Experience‌: Visit Zhangtan Bridal Museum, Jiusha Ancient Village, and watch fishing performances. ‌Tips‌: Best viewed during spring rapeseed bloom; morning cruises offer softer light. ‌📍Yangchan Earth Buildings‌ ‌Highlights‌: Terraced yellow-earth buildings with black-tiled roofs showcasing primitive beauty. ‌Experience‌: Hike or drive to hilltop for panoramic views; perfect for sunrise/sunset photography. ‌Tips‌: Wear comfortable shoes for rugged paths; bring snacks as no restaurants available. ‌📍Xucun Village‌ ‌Highlights‌: Millennium-old village preserving Ming-Qing architecture like Gaoyang Covered Bridge and Five-Horse Archway. ‌Experience‌: Enjoy tranquil atmosphere; visit Xu Clan Ancestral Hall and Dabangbo Hall. ‌Tips‌: Less crowded - ideal for quiet travelers. ‌🍛Local Delicacies‌ ✅‌Huizhou Stinky Mandarin Fish‌ ‌Specialty‌: Fermented fish with pungent aroma but tender, delicious meat. ‌Recommended‌: Longfeng Huizhou Cuisine (Ancient City branch), Piyun Mountain Villa. ‌✅Hairy Tofu‌ ‌Specialty‌: White-mold-covered tofu, crispy outside and tender inside, best with chili sauce. ‌Recommended‌: Shendu Wu Shengli Hairy Tofu, snack stalls near Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory. ‌✅Stone Griddle Cakes‌ ‌Specialty‌: Crispy fried pies with preserved vegetable/pork fillings. ‌Recommended‌: Zhangji Stone Griddle Cakes in Yuliang Community. ‌✅Huizhou Noodles with Toppings‌ ‌Specialty‌: Handmade noodles with pork belly/bamboo shoot toppings in rich broth. ‌Recommended‌: Shexian Old Noodle House (inside Huizhou Ancient City). ‌✅Huizhou Pastries‌ ‌Specialty‌: Dingshi Crisp (sesame candy), Huimo Crisp, frozen rice candy - sweet but not cloying. ‌Recommended‌: Feihu Food Factory on Doushan Street, Two Trees in Yuliang. ‌🏠Accommodation‌ ✔️‌Luxury Hotels‌ ‌Anruo Hotel Shexian‌: Historic building renovation blending tradition with modern design. ‌Parkview Lakeside Hotel Shexian‌: Lakeside location with excellent facilities. ‌✔️Boutique Stays‌ ‌HUALUXE Tea Culture Homestay‌: Tea-themed lodging offering tea ceremony experiences. ‌Yongshe Homestay Shexian‌: Spacious riverside rooms ideal for families. ‌Budget Options‌ ‌Hanting Hotel (Huizhou Ancient City Branch)‌: Great value with convenient location. ‌🚗Practical Tips‌ ‌🚘Transportation‌ ‌Getting There‌: Direct buses from Huangshan North Station; drive via Jingtai/Shangrui Expressway. ‌Local Travel‌: Walk within ancient city; charter cars/day tours recommended for Yangchan/Xin'an River. ‌ ‌⚠️Notes‌ Huizhou Ancient City is free but minor attractions require tickets - combo tickets recommended. Watch your step on Yangchan's mountain paths - wear anti-slip shoes. When trying hairy tofu/stinky fish, sample small portions first in case the flavors are too strong.

Autumn drifts from north to south, arriving in mid-November in southern Anhui. That autumn, I visited the Tangyue Memorial Archways and Bao's Family Garden, capturing a spectacular sunset. From my perspective, it was three-dimensional, warm, lush, and eternal. Photo taken at Tangyue Memorial Archways and Bao's Family Garden, She County, Huangshan, Anhui. Some tips: 1. As a representative of the many ancient residential complexes in southern Anhui, the Tangyue Memorial Archways and surrounding ancient residences are a must-see on a tour of Huizhou-style residences. Some information about Tangyue: Tangyue is located on the East Avenue of Tangyue Village, Zhengcun Town, She County, Huangshan, Anhui, and is a representative of ancient Huizhou architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The seven memorial archways of Tangyue (some perspectives give the impression of a group of archways) not only reflect the ethical and moral outlook of the Cheng-Zhu School of Neo-Confucianism, but also include a rich human history centered on people, and are an important testament to the 300-year history of Huizhou merchants. Each archway has a touching story. When Emperor Qianlong visited the south, he praised the Bao family, the owners of the archways, calling them "the most filial family in the world, the most prosperous village in Jiangnan." 2. The Tangyue Memorial Archways and Bao's Family Garden consist of the ancient town of Tangyue to the north and Bao's Family Garden to the south, with a combined ticket price of around CNY 90 on online platforms (guides charge extra on site). 3. Like many ancient towns in southern Anhui, Tangyue's autumn scenery usually begins in mid-November and ends in early December. During this time, the golden and colorful scenery of Huangshan, Jixi, Wuyuan, and other places emerges. If you happen to have free time, you can enjoy the autumn scenery in Tangyue and the surrounding ancient towns.

The Tangyue Archway Group is located in Tangyue Village, She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province. It was built by the Bao family of the village during the Ming and Qing dynasties and covers an area of ​​about 500 acres. The Tangyue Archway Group Scenic Area is not large. It mainly consists of Dunben Hall, which is the ancestral hall of the Bao family, and a series of seven archways. It is also the only group of seven archways in China. The scenic area is not large and the tour time is about 1 hour. The ticket is a bit expensive, 65 yuan. Contact for self-driving or taxi.

The Tangyue scenic area is famous for its 7 Ming and Qing dynasty archways, and right beside the archways stands an ancestral hall that dates back to the Ming Dynasty - the 【Dunben Hall】. This grand hall was built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522-1567 AD) by Bao Xiangxian, the Left Vice Minister of War, who retired and returned to his hometown to gather his clan and honor the eighth ancestral patriarch, Qingyun Gong. At the beginning of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, Bao Zhidao, the chief merchant of the Lianghuai Salt Administration, and his son Lai Fang, donated private funds for major renovations and expansions, resulting in the current layout. The hall faces south with a northward orientation and has a three-section, five-bay structure. The entrance hall features a high-soaring Wufeng Tower with winged corners, reminiscent of the Kunpeng with a blue sky on its back from the carefree wanderings described in literature. The ceremonial gate is enhanced with door studs and drum-shaped stones, and a delicate brick-carved 'eight-character' wall is built outside the gate. Dunben Hall is a model of Qing Dynasty Huizhou ancestral hall architectural art, with the characteristic Huizhou architectural features of 'fat beams and thin pillars with an inner courtyard'. The pillars are slender and tall, all made of stone, sturdy and durable, and the horizontal beams are thick, forming the beautifully curved 'winter melon beams'. Inside the hall, there are 17 steles, including the Yitian Rules Stele and the Imperial Edict Stele from Emperor Jiaqing. Next to Dunben Hall, there is also a unique national women's ancestral hall, Qingyi Hall, which breaks the old tradition of women not entering ancestral halls. Address: Zhengcun Town, She County, Anhui Navigation: "Tangyue Archway Group" Ticket: 90 yuan. Free every Wednesday in the first quarter of 2024.

The archway is a building built by the feudal society to recognize merits, science, morality, and loyalty. The archway was derived from the Xingxingmen. It reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and became a monument. Ancient Huizhou enjoys the reputation of state of etiquette. There are more than one thousand original arches. There are still more than one hundred, and each form is different. It is known as the hometown of the archway. , which is equivalent to today's Huangshan City, the village of Zhengcun Town, Jixian County, where the ancient Huizhou Prefecture is located, is famous for retaining the complete archway of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, attracting tourists to visit, and a row of seven arches is called For the archway group. Each archway has a story, all from the local Bao family, which is a famous family in Huizhou. The construction time of the seven archways has spanned 400 years. It is best to listen to the explanations during the tour to better understand. Ming Yongle Eighteen Years (AD 1420) Jian Ci Li Li Fang, the "Royal System" on the dragon and phoenix on the archway means that the square was built by the emperor from the national treasury. Yuan County Shougang Li Da led a rebellion, burning and killing. The father and son of Baos father were arrested by the chaotic army, and they were asked to kill one. They asked them to decide who was killed and who was born. They expected the father and son to fight for death, in order to ask him to live, to feel the earth, and even the chaos could not bear to cut the knife. Later, the court gave them a plan to show them.