The ancient city of Huizhou A unique place to visit
The ancient city of Huizhou Overview
The ancient city of Huizhou, also known as Shexian Ancient City, was historically referred to as Xin’an Prefecture. It is recognized as a National Historical and Cultural City, and is one of the “four best-preserved ancient cities” alongside Langzhong in Sichuan, Lijiang in Yunnan, and Pingyao in Shanxi. The ancient city of Huizhou is located in Huicheng Town, Shexian County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, covering a total area of 24.7 square kilometers.
It is the birthplace of “Huizhou Studies,” one of China’s three major local schools of thought, and is praised as the “Confucian Heartland of the Southeast” and the “Land of Etiquette.”
*Panoramic View of the ancient city of Huizhou.
*City Gate of the ancient city of Huizhou.
The city was first established during the Qin Dynasty and has served as the administrative center of Huizhou Prefecture, county, and government since the Tang Dynasty. This has led to a unique “city within a city” layout where the county and prefectural governments coexisted. From the Song through the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the ancient city of Huizhou underwent multiple expansions and renovations.
Although its landscape suffered damage during the Republic of China era, various protective measures have been implemented since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the city has been restored. The ancient city is divided into an inner city and an outer enclosure, with four gates in the east, west, south, and north, as well as preserved city walls, gates, ancient streets, and alleys.
Major attractions within the city include Huiyuan Garden, Yuliang Dam, Xuguo Stone Arch, Doushan Street, the Tao Xingzhi Memorial Hall, Xin’an Stele Garden, and Taibai Tower. The ancient city of Huizhou was the administrative center of the ancient city of Huizhou Prefecture and the birthplace of Huizhou culture and the national art of Peking opera, as well as the main origin of the Huizhou merchant community.
In 1986, the city was designated as a National Historical and Cultural City by the State Council, and in 2014, it became part of the National 5A-rated Ancient Huizhou Cultural Tourism Area. In 2022, it was recognized as a model unit for civilized tourism in Anhui Province.
City Layout🪹
The ancient city of Huizhou is divided into an inner city and an outer enclosure, with four gates positioned in the east, west, south, and north. The city features the Chaoshui West Gate with its Moon Gate and the Xin’an North Gate and Wenzheng East Gate of the county city. Numerous cultural relics are found within the city, which is divided into northern and southern sections by Xuguo Stone Arch.
The northern section houses attractions like the Huizhou Government Office, Tao Xingzhi Memorial Hall, Doushan Street, and Huiyuan Garden, while the southern section contains landmarks such as Nanqiao Tower, Taibai Tower, Xin’an Stele Garden, and Yuliang Dam.
*View from Above of the ancient city of Huizhou.
*Architecture of the ancient city of Huizhou.
Key Attractions
Xuguo Stone Arch🏮
Also known as the “Great Academician Arch,” or colloquially, the “Eight-Legged Archway,” Xuguo Stone Arch was built in 1584 during the reign of the Wanli Emperor in the Ming Dynasty by Xu Guo, who served as the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the East Cabinet. Located outside Yanghe Gate in the ancient city of Huizhou , it is the only “eight-legged archway” still standing in China.
The arch features a meticulous design with a rectangular structure, resembling wooden architecture, and is made from tea-green stone. It spans 11.54 meters from north to south, 6.77 meters from east to west, and reaches a height of 11.4 meters. The archway consists of a combination of two three-bay, four-pillar, three-story arches in the front and back, and two single-bay, double-pillar, three-story stone arches on the sides.
Decorated with intricate carvings, it embodies the essence of Huizhou folk architecture. Twelve lions sit atop the stone bases, each with a unique stance. Xuguo Stone Arch serves as a physical testament to China’s feudal culture, symbolizing achievements in government, scholarship, and morality, and is often called the “Eastern Arc de Triomphe.” It was designated a National Key Cultural Relic by the State Council in 1988.
*Xuguo Stone Arch.
Huizhou Ancient Government Office🛕
Located at the heart of the ancient city of Huizhou in Shexian, the Huizhou Government Office symbolizes the authority of Huizhou Prefecture. Built during the late Yuan to early Ming period, it has preserved its original configuration from the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, with one central axis and five gates. Covering a total area of 24,000 square meters, with a built area of 9,800 square meters.
the office complex includes structures such as Nanqiao Tower, the Main Gate, Court Halls, and the Magistrate’s Residence. In 2009, the government office was restored following the architectural standards of the Hongzhi period. Facing south, the office follows a symmetrical, hierarchical layout with a central main hall and auxiliary sections on either side.
The design, akin to a scaled-down version of the Forbidden City, is a typical example of official architecture from that era. Its three courtyards, pathways, and east and south-facing towers, combined with the ancient city walls, form a representative group of ancient buildings in Huizhou. Today, it serves as a multifaceted space for academic research, cultural exchanges, education, tourism, and leisure.
*Huizhou Ancient Government Office.
Tao Xingzhi Memorial Hall🗿
Situated on Zhonghe Old Street in Shexian, the Tao Xingzhi Memorial Hall was renovated from the former Chongyi School, where Tao Xingzhi studied as a child. The hall was established in 1984, with its name penned by then General Secretary Hu Yaobang. It underwent expansions in 1991 and 2003 and now covers 1,700 square meters.
The entrance, facing south, features a blue-grey brick archway with a plaque bearing Hu Yaobang’s six-golden-character inscription. Inside the main hall is a full-body white marble statue of Tao Xingzhi, with the upper floors housing exhibitions of his life and related artifacts. The back of the hall preserves the original site of Chongyi School.
The memorial consists of a hall of reverence, a projection room, a calligraphy gallery, and five large exhibition rooms. In 1996, it was designated as a “National Patriotic Education Base for Primary and Secondary Schools,” and in 1997, it was named a “National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base” by the Central Propaganda Department.
*Tao Xingzhi Memorial Hall.
Doushan Street🧱
Doushan Street is located within Shexian, taking its name from the nearby Doushan Mountain. It is a protected cultural heritage site featuring ancient residences, streets, carvings, wells, and archways. Built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the street stretches over 300 meters and is home to typical Huizhou-style residences like the Wang Family House, the Yang Family Mansion, the Xu Family Hall, and more. Among its notable features are the thousand-year-old “Toad Well” and the rare wooden arch, “Ye Family’s Lu Festival Arch.”
*Doushan Street.
Doushan Street🧱
Doushan Street is located within Shexian, taking its name from the nearby Doushan Mountain. It is a protected cultural heritage site featuring ancient residences, streets, carvings, wells, and archways. Built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the street stretches over 300 meters and is home to typical Huizhou-style residences like the Wang Family House, the Yang Family Mansion, the Xu Family Hall, and more. Among its notable features are the thousand-year-old “Toad Well” and the rare wooden arch, “Ye Family’s Lu Festival Arch.”
*Doushan Street.
Huiyuan Garden
Huiyuan Garden lies at the center of Huizhou’s bustling district, connecting Zhonghe Street to the south and Huizhou Road to the north, covering 20,000 square meters with a built area of 18,000 square meters. Known as the “Grand View Garden of Huizhou Culture,” the garden incorporates ancient Huizhou architectural principles, utilizing the city’s west wall as its foundation. Huiyuan, completed in 2000, embodies a synthesis of Huizhou’s three architectural wonders—arches, ancestral halls, and residences—and showcases the finest examples of Huizhou’s three carvings—brick, wood, and stone.
*Huiyuan Garden.
Nanqiao Tower
Originally built at the end of the Sui Dynasty and reconstructed during the Xuanhe period of the Song Dynasty, Nanqiao Tower was extensively renovated during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty. It served as the gate tower of Wu Wang’s city during the ancient Shezhou era. With a height of about 20 meters and a width of 15 meters, it is characterized by its brick and wood structure with a double-eaved roof. In 1997, it was restored by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, maintaining its original architectural style.
*Nanqiao Tower.
Taibai Tower🛖
Located at the end of Taiping Bridge, Taibai Tower is a classic Huizhou-style building that pays homage to the famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. The tower’s interior displays books, calligraphy, plaques, and couplets related to his life. The main plaque reads “One Scoop from the Vast Sky,” symbolizing Li Bai’s talent and aspirations.
Legend has it that Li Bai once visited Shexian to meet a reclusive friend but ended up drinking at this site instead. In his honor, the tavern was later renamed “Taibai Tower.” The area is also home to other historic landmarks such as Li Bai’s Resting Place, Broken Moon Beach, and Immortal Bridge.
*Taibai Tower.
Xin'an Stele Garden
Located on the western bank of the Lianjiang River in Shexian, Xin’an Stele Garden is a typical example of a private Huizhou garden, with pavilions, bridges, and natural scenery that blend harmoniously with its surroundings. The garden features a corridor called the “Ink Corridor,” dedicated to displaying ancient steles and calligraphy tablets.
with over 250 stone inscriptions from various dynasties, showcasing the works of famous calligraphers such as Wang Xizhi, Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, and Zhao Mengfu. Two sets of ceramic plates in the garden record the historical evolution of Shexian from the Qin to the Qing Dynasties, and a group of rubbings illustrates Huizhou’s local history and customs.
*Xin’an Stele Garden.
Yuliang Wharf🐟
Yuliang Wharf is located south of Shexian Town, beginning at the Yuliang Wharf in the north and extending to the base of Ziyang Mountain in the south. It is the largest ancient water conservancy project in Shexian and is renowned as the most significant of its kind in ancient Huizhou, earning the title “The First Dujiangyan of Jiangnan.” The dam is 138 meters long, with a base width of 27 meters, a top width of 6 meters, and a height of approximately 5 meters.
Constructed from stone blocks, it has an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section. The dam is equipped with three sluice gates that gradually lower from north to south, allowing water to pass during normal conditions while directing flow over the dam’s surface during floods. The stone structure is interconnected with stone dowels and keys, with vertical stone columns placed every 1.5 meters to strengthen the structure.
Originally built during the Tang Dynasty, the dam underwent repairs in subsequent eras, with the present structure restored based on renovations made during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1688-1693). In 1989, Yuliang Dam was designated a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, and in 2001, it was included in the fifth batch of National Key Cultural Relic Units by the State Council.
*Yuliang Wharf.
Huizhou Merchant Mansion🏙️
Also known as “Xiyuan,” the Huizhou Merchant Mansion is located in Shexian Town and is a comprehensive ancient architectural complex that includes arches, theaters, pavilions, gardens, and waterside pavilions. It boasts over 14,000 examples of the “three carvings” (brick, stone, and wood) of ancient Huizhou. Covering 13,000 square meters, with a construction area of 9,000 square meters, it consists of 26 buildings, hundreds of rooms, 36 courtyards, and 1,580 pillars.
The mansion has been assembled by combining several ancient houses that were once scattered across Huizhou, each with its own story and unique cultural significance. Structures within the mansion, such as Guixi Bridge, Yangliu Kuaiqing Pavilion, Wutong Yuyu Studio, Qiangwei Luoshe, Chunhuang Pavilion, Jasmine Fragrance House, Hibiscus Pavilion, Red Liao Covered Bridge, Huaxin Workshop, and Baihe Pavilion, are arranged with a central hall extending outward.
Additionally, the mansion houses several museums dedicated to Huizhou culture, such as the Museum of Huizhou Architecture History, Huizhou Carving Art Museum, Huizhou Folklore Museum, and the Huizhou Celebrity Hall.
*Huizhou Merchant Mansion.
Cao Family Residences✨
The Cao Family Residences, situated on Dagujing Street in Huicheng Town, Shexian, were built by descendants of the Huizhou merchant Cao family in the late Qing Dynasty. Neighboring the Huizhou Government Office and Xuguo Stone Arch, these residences are strategically located within the city.
With a combined width of 11 meters and a depth of 13 meters, the two houses are designed in a unique and practical layout that reflects traditional Huizhou architectural style. The residences, positioned west-facing east, feature interconnected structures with four-sided courtyards and exquisite carved brick door covers.
The interiors exhibit the “three carvings” art, with intricate brick, wood, and stone carvings. Today, the Cao Family Residences serve as a Huizhou Opera Memorial Hall, showcasing the history of Huizhou Opera and the story of its spread to Beijing during the late Qing Dynasty.
*Cao Family Residences.
Yuliang Street
Yuliang Street, located in Huicheng Town, Shexian, is paved uniformly with cobblestones, resembling fish scales. The shape of the ancient street resembles a carp, which gives it the nickname “Fish Scale Street.” Established as a marketplace in 759, Yuliang Street was a key route for Huizhou merchants traveling for business and a vital path for government officials.
Spanning one kilometer, the street is lined with shops, ancient temples, ancestral halls, and traditional residences. Midway along Yuliang Street is the Ba Weizu Memorial Hall, which was meticulously restored by Ba’s descendants. The memorial hall, consisting of Ming and Qing architectural elements, features a three-sided courtyard with east and west wings, a rear garden, and plaques gifted by the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors.
*Yuliang Street.
Taiping Bridge
Taiping Bridge, also known as Hexi Bridge, is located at the confluence of four tributaries of the Lianjiang River. In ancient times, it served as the main route for travel between Wuyuan, Qimen, Yixian, Xiuning, and the Huizhou Government Office in Shexian. Built during the Ming Dynasty, it is the longest ancient stone arch bridge still standing in Anhui Province. The bridge measures 268 meters in length, 7.1 meters in width, and 13 meters in height, with 16 arch openings.
Originally, a pavilion stood at the center, housing a Buddhist statue, and stone tablets listed the names of those who contributed to repairs. The pavilion and tablets were removed after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China to facilitate transportation. In 1969, a flood damaged the bridge’s railings and surface, which were later rebuilt using reinforced concrete. Cantilevered sidewalks with protective railings were also added.
*Taiping Bridge.
Huizhou National Forest Park🌳
Established in 1992, Huizhou National Forest Park covers 53.27 square kilometers and consists of areas including the Shexi State-Owned Forest, Shexian Qingliang Peak Nature Reserve, and parts of Huicheng and Xiong Village. The park combines cultural and natural landscapes, as well as Buddhist cultural elements, making it a diverse scenic area.
It includes notable historical sites such as Xigan Mountain, Ziyang Mountain, Shengseng Temple, and the ancient Ziyang Academy, along with natural features like Wuming Temple Springs and the tomb of landscape painter Wang Caibai. In 2016 and 2018, the park was designated as a national pilot base for forest health and a national scenic photography destination.
*Huizhou National Forest Park.
Cultural Related📓
The Three Carvings of Huizhou
The “Three Carvings of Huizhou” refer to the traditional wood, brick, and stone carving crafts that originated in the Huizhou region during ancient times. These intricate carvings were prominent decorative features in the architecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties, characterized by a distinct regional cultural flavor. Huizhou architecture mainly consists of residential houses, official mansions, ancestral halls, temples, covered bridges, and memorial archways, all of which showcase a strong emphasis on decorative carvings.
Wood carvings were commonly used on structural elements such as beams, crossbeams, brackets, eaves, and window panels. The interiors of homes, including furniture like beds, chairs, cabinets, tables, and dressing stands, often featured intricate wood carvings. Brick carvings adorned doorways, especially the lintels and eaves, while stone carvings were primarily used for ancestral hall railings, foundation stones, lattice windows, and stone archways.
These carvings utilized a variety of techniques, including relief, openwork, round carving, and line engraving. The craftsmanship reveals a continuity of Chinese architectural decorative arts from the Han and Tang dynasties. Additionally, the influence of other Huizhou art forms, such as the Xin’an painting school, Huizhou woodblock printing, seal carving, inkstone carving, and mold carving, can be seen in the stylistic features of Huizhou architectural carvings.