Secret of Southern Anhui: Days and Nights at Enlong Wooden House Village

Driving through the outskirts of Ningguo City and along an eight-kilometer winding mountain path, a vast emerald forest suddenly unfolds. Enlong World Wooden House Village—this AAAA-rated gem nestled in the mountains of southern Anhui—rests quietly amidst the peaks beside Ninggang Road. As the northern gateway station of the "Southern Anhui Tibet Line," it resembles a hermit, unveiling an ecological masterpiece of "Three Valleys and Eighteen Villages" across 150 hectares of lush forests and an expansive 88-square-kilometer plan. Knocking on the Door of the Earth Upon entering the scenic area, the towering statue of "Mother Earth" stands majestically. Surrounding it are sculptures depicting plowing, harvest, and joy, while a four-kilometer cobblestone wall winds like the veins of the earth. Running fingers over these pebbles, polished by billions of years of erosion, their cool, hard texture seems to connect with ancient energies, giving tangible form to Li Bai's verse: "The earth is the mother of all." A Kaleidoscope of Ethnic Cultures in the Forest Following a stone path deeper into the woods, the thunderous beat of drums suddenly fills the air. In the Enlong Folk Culture Park, Miao stilt houses, Dai bamboo dwellings, and Mongolian white yurts dot the 500-acre land. A Wa tribesman leaps barefoot onto a ladder of knives, the cold steel glinting in the sunlight; nearby, Dai girls in tube skirts twirl by the pool, splashing water into colorful arcs. Even more mesmerizing is the feather dance of Thai performers, their gold-embroidered costumes spinning, blending Eastern and Western aesthetics in a wondrous fusion. During a Miao "bridal snatching" ritual, I was draped in an indigo embroidered vest by enthusiastic Miao maidens. The rhythm of the bamboo pole dance quickened, my stumbling steps eliciting laughter, and before I could finish the glutinous rice wine in my hand, a dot of vermilion blessing was pressed onto my forehead. A Seasonal Ode to Ginkgos and Fruit Strolling eastward, a thousand-acre ginkgo garden unfolds its seasonal tapestry. In spring, new leaves adorn the branches like jade; imagine autumn’s golden spectacle—countless "butterflies" of ginkgo leaves fluttering, the boughs heavy with white nuts, as if the earth were offering gilded treasures. Nearby, the orchard wafts sweet fragrances: bayberries red as coral, honey pears tinged with yellow. Biting into a dew-kissed peach, the burst of juice carries the crispness of mountain breezes. The Wooden House Haven at Dusk As the sun melts into gold, over 70 pinewood villas emerge by Luoxia Valley. Built with premium southern Anhui pine, their grain still exudes the scent of resin. Pushing open the glass door to the balcony, the breeze, rich with negative oxygen ions, greets you—no wonder this place is hailed as a "natural oxygen bar." Leaning on the railing, the silhouette of a white pagoda reflects on the 1.8-million-cubic-meter water park’s mirror surface, while boats glide by, scattering the twilight glow. When stars stud the night, lanterns light up the pavilions, and neon hues dance over the streams, the entire valley seems to slip into a fairy-tale dream. The She Ethnic Culinary Code The next day, drawn by aromas, I arrived at the She Ethnic Culture Park, where the fragrance of black rice filled the workshop. A She grandmother steamed glutinous rice dyed with nanzhu leaves, serving the glossy purple grains in bamboo tubes—each bite carrying a bittersweet herbal note. Even more stunning was the drunken chicken marinated in red yeast wine lees: the amber-hued meat, fragrant with wine before it even touched the lips. These flavors, bearers of Anhui’s intangible cultural heritage, tell centuries-old She stories with every taste. Two days in the Wooden House Village revealed its role as a strategic node in the "Greater Huangshan" vision: facing Qinglong Lake’s azure waves to the east, linking the ancient Shamen Pass to the west, and drawing from Jingting Poetry Mountain to the north. This valley, where wood is the soul, is a hidden path weaving nature and culture, stringing together southern Anhui’s 227 A-rated attractions like a glittering chain. Departing, I glanced back—the wooden houses in the morning mist resembled birds resting in the forest, while the drums and songs amid the rustling pines had already built another home in my heart, one I could return to anytime. Enlong World Wooden House Village, Ningguo