A Family-Favorite Autumn Outing — Anhui · Around Huangshan

Take your parents and kids on a 300-kilometer self-drive to fully savor autumn｜This hidden road holds China’s gentlest autumn

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🍁 Not every autumn is suitable for the whole family to enjoy together

Have you ever experienced this?
Wanting to take your parents out for a walk,
But finding the scenic spots overcrowded, with many steps and tiring walks;
Kids complain of boredom, and elders say, “Let’s not go next time.”

Today, I’m giving you this
✅ Elderly can walk easily ✅ Kids have a blast ✅ Parents get beautiful photos ✅ You feel like you’re on vacation
autumn self-drive route, all in one place.

This is not just a trip,
but a gentle escape—
bringing your family closer again.

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🗺️ 1. Route Overview｜Golden 7-day loop, only 420km total

> Theme: Slow down, savor autumn in your stomach and heart
> Area: Anhui · Around Huangshan (off the main Hongcun road)
> Recommended vehicle: Standard 7-seater SUV or MPV (e.g., Odyssey, Li Xiang L8)
> Best time: November 5 - November 25 (peak ginkgo gold and Chinese tallow red leaves)

✅ Recommended route:
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Day 1: Hangzhou/Nanjing → Yixian Yuting Town (Stay: Countryside homestay)
Day 2: Yuting → Lucun → Tachuan → Hongcun outskirts viewing platform (Stay: Tachuan village homestay)
Day 3: Tachuan → Yangchan Tulou → Xin’an River Landscape Gallery → Return trip

📌 Why choose here?
- Avoid Hongcun main entrance (skip 90% of tourists)
- No high mountain or dangerous roads, average elevation <300m
- Stay 2-3 hours at each spot, relaxed pace
- Asphalt roads to every village, stroller and wheelchair accessible

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🚗 2. Daily itinerary details｜Each stop designed for “family happiness”

🌄 Day 1: Scenery from the start｜Gentle transition from city to countryside

- Distance: about 180km, 3.5 hours
- Highlights: Golden rice fields along the way, village smoke curling up

✅ Must-stop: Yuting Town · Wang’s Old Teahouse
- Location: Beside National Highway G233, navigate to “Yuting Town Government”
- Experience:
- Elderly: Drink a cup of Huangshan Maofeng tea, listen to locals’ stories
- Kids: Feed goldfish in the courtyard, watch stone mill tea grinding
- You: Take a set of “autumn window view” cultural photos
- 🍵 Recommended snacks: Huizhou Baolu Pine (corn crispy rice), Osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root

> 💡 Accommodation recommendation: 【Guiye · Creekside Courtyard】
> - Built by the river, rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows
> - Free breakfast provided (pumpkin porridge + egg pancake)
> - Courtyard available for barbecue and sunbathing
> - Price: 580 RMB/night (family room, 4 people)

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🍂 Day 2: The heart of autumn｜Ginkgo, Chinese tallow, ink-wash villages

This day is the highlight of the entire route.

📍 First stop: Lucun · Ginkgo rain in front of the wood-carved building
- Time: 9:00-10:30 AM
- Feature: In front of the century-old Zhicheng Hall, a dozen ginkgo trees turn yellow, fallen leaves like a carpet
- Suitable for the whole family:
- Elderly: Sit on the doorstep drinking tea, watch dappled light
- Kids: Collect leaves for specimens, play “falling leaf rain” game
- You: Use slow-motion on your phone to capture “shaking tree moments”

> 📸 Photo tip: Have kids wear red clothes running, blur the golden leaves background, instantly create stunning shots

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📍 Second stop: Tachuan Village East Slope Viewing Platform｜China’s version of “Maple Valley”
- Time: 11:00-12:00
- No need to enter the village! Navigate directly to “Tachuan East Parking Lot”
- Scene: White walls and black tiles scattered, Chinese tallow trees burning like flames, morning mist lingering
- Family activities:
- Elderly: Walk along gentle slopes, breathe mountain forest air
- Kids: Use binoculars to find “birds hiding in trees”
- You: Take a “family back view” photo to remember this moment forever

> 🍲 Lunch recommendation: Grandma’s house at the village entrance
> Huizhou stinky mandarin fish (mildly smelly but not pungent), dried bamboo shoots with pork, pumpkin rice
> About 40 RMB per person, authentic and affordable

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📍 Third stop: Hongcun outskirts · Nanhu Academy Bridgehead
- Time: 3:00-4:00 PM (avoid peak hours)
- No ticket needed! Just stroll around the outskirts
- Scene: Nanhu Lake reflection like a mirror, withered willows in late autumn, scattered sketching students in the distance
- Emotional value maxed out:
- Elderly sigh: “This looks like our childhood Jiangnan.”
- Kids ask: “Why do they keep painting?”
- You suddenly realize: Education is on the road

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🌄 Day 3: Earth’s art exhibition｜Tulou and landscape paintings

📍 First stop: Yangchan Tulou｜Golden honeycomb hidden in the mountains
- Distance: about 60km, 1.5 hours (some mountain roads)
- Feature: Hundreds of earth-colored tulou built on the mountain, autumn drying yards covered with chili peppers, corn, chrysanthemums
- Family experience:
- Elderly: Visit old houses, recall “We used to dry grain like this”
- Kids: Play “find the color” game (red chili, yellow corn, brown tea leaves)
- You: Drone or telephoto shoot “earth textures”

> ⚠️ Note: Drones prohibited in core area, short flights allowed on village outskirts hills

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📍 Second stop: Xin’an River Landscape Gallery · Shendu Wharf boat ride
- Time: 2:00-4:00 PM
- Recommended route: Shendu → Zhangtan (about 1 hour one way)
- Scene: Emerald river water, red leaves reflected on both banks, fishermen casting nets like Song Dynasty paintings
- Why suitable for the whole family?
- Elderly: Can sit or walk on the boat, no fatigue worry
- Kids: Watch water birds, count bridges, listen to boatman stories
- You: Shoot a “people traveling in a painting” documentary-style video

> 🎫 Boat ticket: 85 RMB/person, children half price, seniors with ID discount

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🧭 3. Thoughtful details｜Make the trip truly “easy”

✅ Vehicle preparation checklist
| Item | Description |
|------|-------------|
| Baby safety seat | If you have children |
| Car thermos | For hot tea or porridge |
| Folding cane chair | For elderly to rest midway |
| Emergency medicine kit | Stomach medicine, motion sickness patches, band-aids |

✅ Driving tips
- Stop at service areas every 1.5 hours to stretch
- Use “Gaode Map - Family Group” feature to share real-time location
- Download [Anhui offline map], some mountain areas have no signal

✅ Accessibility information
- Main roads in Lucun and Tachuan are smooth, wheelchair accessible
- Xin’an River wharf has ramp access
- Yangchan Tulou has many steps, elderly should assess their ability

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🍱 4. Autumn on the palate｜These flavors will make your family remember forever

| Location | Must-try food | Reason for recommendation |
|----------|---------------|---------------------------|
| Yuting Town | Baolu Pine + Osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root | Crispy and soft, loved by elders and kids alike |
| Lucun | Huizhou Dao Ban Xiang steamed bamboo shoots | Savory and tasty, perfect with rice |
| Tachuan | Free-range chicken soup stewed with pumpkin | Warm and nourishing, autumn exclusive |
| Yangchan | Homemade fermented tofu + roasted sweet potato | Original ecological flavor, kids fight to eat |

> 📌 Hidden activity: At Tachuan homestay, sign up for “Family Huizhou Cooking” class (68 RMB per person), make bean dumplings and glutinous rice cakes together, double the fun.

🌾 The best trip is when your family smiles and says “Let’s come again”

You don’t need to go far,
nor spend a lot of money,
just a quiet road,
a few falling ginkgo leaves,
a hot farmhouse meal,
and the silhouette of your family watching the sunset side by side.
This autumn,
stop asking “Where’s fun to go?”
Take them on a trip.

Because—
Parents age quickly,
Children’s childhood is short,
And the memories you share,
are worth cherishing forever.