Turning the poetic charm of a thousand-year-old village into everyday life

Staying right in Huangshan! The Xixinan Ancient Village Homestay next to the North Station turns the poetic charm of a thousand-year-old village into everyday life. Before coming to Huangshan, I was always worried, "The North Station is far from the scenic area, and staying in an ancient village might be inconvenient," until I booked Wu Family Elegant Courtyard and finally relaxed—it’s hidden in Xixinan Ancient Village, just a 15-minute taxi ride from Huangshan North Station. Dragging my luggage through the maple and poplar forest at the village entrance, I only realized how close "convenience" and "poetry" could be when I saw the wooden sign "Wu Family Elegant Courtyard" hanging on the white walls and black tiles. Opening the door, the courtyard immediately caught my eye: it’s not a deliberately styled trendy spot, but the look of an old Huizhou family—the bluestone slabs paved under the corridor, a purple clay pot nurtured for years in the corner with a Huangshan pine planted inside; dried corn and red chili peppers hanging on the corridor pillars, rough cloth cushions on wooden chairs, and the landlady sitting by a small square table sifting tea leaves. Seeing me arrive, she handed me a cup of freshly brewed Huangshan Maofeng tea, "Just picked from the tea fields behind the mountain, cool it down and it tastes fresh." There’s no flashy check-in wall; the wooden door of the main house is made of old wood carved with faint cloud patterns, and even the front desk’s registration book is thread-bound, filled with messages from previous guests: "So comfortable soaking feet in the stream outside the courtyard," "Woken up by the morning drum," warming the heart. The room I booked on the second floor with a view was a surprise when I opened the window! The room features light wood furniture, bedding made of cotton-linen fabric with fine checks, soft and cozy like a sun-dried quilt; the best part is the small window seat by the window. Pulling back the sheer curtain, it faces the horse-head walls of the ancient village—white walls stacked with blue tiles, with a few crooked old camphor trees in between. At dusk, smoke drifts from the eaves, slow and leisurely, even more beautiful than a painting. The bathroom is sparkling clean, toiletries are in rustic pottery bottles with a faint pine needle scent; even the bedside lamp imitates Huizhou bamboo weaving, soft and not glaring at night. Lying down reading a book I brought, the only sound is the tinkling stream outside the courtyard, incredibly peaceful. Days at Wu Family Elegant Courtyard are all about the slow flavor of the ancient village. In the morning, no need to set an alarm, awakened by the calls of breakfast vendors at the village entrance and the quacking ducks in the stream outside the courtyard. Going downstairs for breakfast, the auntie’s freshly steamed Huangshan rice cakes are still steaming hot, filled with dried bamboo shoots and meat, paired with thick kudzu root porridge and crunchy pickled radish—much more substantial than breakfasts in the scenic area. After eating, I followed the landlady to tour the ancient village. She led me expertly through the stone-paved alleys, pointing out "This is a century-old oil press," "That house’s horse-head wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty." At the Fengle Stream behind the village, she even helped me find a flat stone to sit and rest, "The stream water is cool, you can soak your feet to relieve fatigue." The location is so convenient it deserves praise! If you want to go from Huangshan North Station to Hongcun or Xidi, the landlady arranges shared rides in advance, saying "It’s cheaper than taking a taxi yourself and can drop you right at the scenic entrance." After a tiring day, if you don’t want to go out for dinner, just tell the landlady, and she’ll cook authentic Huizhou dishes—the stinky mandarin fish is fragrant, bamboo shoot skin with pork is oily but not greasy, even the stir-fried vegetables are freshly picked from the backyard. Sitting at a small table in the courtyard, enjoying the ancient village breeze, it’s ten times more comfortable than squeezing into a restaurant. At night, if you want to see the ancient village’s night scene, it’s a 5-minute walk to Lantern Alley at the village entrance, where red lanterns hang on old trees, reflecting on white walls, quiet and peaceful. When tired, returning to the homestay, the landlady will even make a bowl of rock sugar stewed snow pear, served in a rustic ceramic bowl and brought to the room, "It gets chilly in the mountains at night, so have a warm drink." On the morning of departure, I picked a Huangshan pine leaf in the courtyard to press into my book. The landlady smiled and said, "Next time you come, you’ll catch the red maple leaves behind the village." Carrying my luggage through the maple and poplar forest, I looked back at the wooden door of Wu Family Elegant Courtyard, the corn and chili peppers swaying in the wind, and suddenly understood the meaning of "Elegant Courtyard"—it’s not a fancy courtyard, but a place in a thousand-year-old ancient village, like a Huizhou relative’s home, where you can stay comfortably, explore freely, and turn the poetry and everyday life of Huangshan into a solid, real daily experience. Next time I come to Huangshan, I’ll definitely stay here again! Huangshan Scenic Area