See the Chinese landscapes of ancient poetry in Jingxian

"The Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep, but not as deep as Wang Lun's farewell to me." I memorized this line as a child and just thought it was catchy. It wasn't until I actually arrived in Jingxian that I realized how hard it must have been for Li Bai to leave when he wrote it. In autumn, southern Anhui's Qingyi River meanders slowly around the foot of the mountains, with willow branches brushing the water and ancient villages with white walls and dark tiles nestled in the embrace of the hills. This trip isn't about rushing to sights or checking off photo spots; it's about slowing down. · 🚄 How to get there: Taking the high-speed train to Jingxian Station is the most convenient option. It takes about 1.5 hours from Hefei or Nanjing, 1.5 hours from Hangzhou, and 2.5–3 hours from Shanghai. A taxi from the station to Peach Blossom Pool costs about ¥126, or you can take the local bus for ¥11 (you can even ride buses throughout the county for free with a same-day high-speed train ticket, which is a great deal). The scenic bus between Peach Blossom Pool and Zhaji is interconnected; you can ride for free with either admission ticket. It takes 20 mins, so you don't need to worry about transfers. · 🗺️ My 2-day leisurely stroll Day 1: Peach Blossom Pool (arrive in the afternoon, stroll along the river, stay by the pool) Day 2: Zhaji Ancient Village (morning) → China Xuan Paper Culture Park (afternoon, on the way back) · ① Peach Blossom Pool The pool from the poem. The Takege Pavilion still stands, and the boats at Dongyuan Ancient Ferry are still there. Take a small boat across the pool, past willow branches brushing the water, strange rocks, and ancient trees. It looks most like an ink wash painting when the morning mist rises. The ferry crossing where Wang Lun bid farewell to Li Bai is right here. Stand there for a moment, and you'll suddenly understand that poem. ② Zhaji Ancient Village One of the largest existing Ming and Qing dynasty ancient villages, about a 20-min drive from Peach Blossom Pool. "Ten miles of village, nine miles of smoke." The stone-paved alleys are worn smooth, horse-head walls rise and fall, and a stream runs through the village. The village is like a maze; getting lost is the right way to experience it. You can easily spend half a day wandering around. ③ China Xuan Paper Culture Park Jingxian is the home of Xuan paper. A single sheet requires 108 steps and over a year of waiting. Watch the paper-making and beating processes. The architecture itself is like an ink wash painting; wearing plain-colored clothing makes for the best photos. Stop by on your way back. · 🏡 Where to stay 🏠 Huazhu - Peach Blossom Pool Muyu Homestay Hotel [Comfortable and casual, enjoy a relaxing break] Nationwide Huazhu homestays: ¥418 for 2 nights, can be split Li Bai wrote "The Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep" right by this water. The homestay is next to the Peach Blossom Pool scenic area, a 2-min walk to the morning mist photography spot. It is about 20 mins from Zhaji and 5 km from Taiping Lake. It has a tea room and an observation deck, and you can see the pool when you open the window. You'll only understand why it's hard to leave once you stay here: stroll along the Qingyi River in the early morning before the mist clears; visit the ancient village of Zhaji in the afternoon, with its white walls and dark tiles nestled in the embrace of the hills; when autumn comes, the forest turns gold, and you don't have to rush all day. · 🔥 Huazhu Luyue Club promotion is underway, with rates as low as ¥159 per night! View more quality homestays👇