I believe every city is worth exploring for its beauty because I love my motherland!

People from Suzhou don’t even know! The neighboring Xiaoxian County is the hidden champion? Three days and two nights experiencing a “Chu-Han + Ink Painting + Barbecue” triple universe, staying in a Zen-style mountain guesthouse for just 1,200 RMB per person!

> Stop squeezing into Huangshan Hongcun like sardines! This treasure small town, Anhui’s Xiaoxian County, regarded as the “backyard” by Suzhou locals, is the true niche top spot!

Hello everyone, I’m Danqing, today I’ll unlock a hidden gem overlooked by 90% of Anhui residents—

📍 Xiaoxian County, Suzhou City, Anhui Province (Note: Not the “Xiaoshan” in Hangzhou, Zhejiang!)
Sounds like a county town? But it’s actually:
✅ Core battlefield of the Chu-Han contention (Liu Bang’s hideout × Xiang Yu’s training ground)
✅ Hometown of Chinese calligraphy and painting art (50% of rural murals nationwide come from here)
✅ Rare “Jiangnan landscape” in the north (Huangcangyu Forest has 96% coverage)
✅ Night market barbecue skewers only 2 RMB each, paired with beer for an amazing experience!

Here’s the key point—
📌 Three days and two nights, all-inclusive for 1,200 RMB per person! Actual cost only 1,138 RMB/person
(Includes transportation + accommodation + food & drink + tickets + souvenirs)

Don’t believe it? Keep reading, I’ll show you how to enjoy a “culture + nature + local vibe” three-in-one trip with the lowest budget and highest quality!

---

Itinerary Overview: Three days and two nights · Slow-paced deep travel

Day Itinerary
------ ----------
D1 Arrive at Xiaoxian → Check in at Huangcangyu mountain guesthouse → Explore Canghuang Cave + Night hike for stargazing
D2 Full day at Huangcangyu Forest Park → Bamboo forest hike + Ancient temple blessing → Stroll through Xiaoxian Old Street
D3 Breakfast at Liu Sanjie Lamb Restaurant → Check in at Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum → Return to Suzhou or home

---

💰 Budget Details (per person)

Item Cost Explanation
------ ------ ------
Round-trip transport (Suzhou → Xiaoxian) ¥60 Bus/carpool round trip, taxi about ¥100 max
Accommodation (two nights mountain guesthouse) ¥360 Recommended “Yunqi Mountain Lodge,” ¥180/night with breakfast, window overlooks bamboo sea
Meals (three meals + snacks daily) ¥300 Local dishes about 40 RMB/meal, barbecue night market about 30 RMB
Attraction tickets + internal transport ¥50 Huangcangyu ticket ¥50, free shuttle inside park
Souvenirs (paper-cutting/calligraphy pieces) ¥100 Local intangible cultural heritage paper-cut or ink fan, great for gifts
Emergency fund ¥68 Taxi/water/snacks
Total ¥1,138 Remaining 862 RMB buffer, easy to stay within budget!

✅ With good control, you can complete the trip under 1,000 RMB!

---

Daily detailed activities & must-visit checklist

D1: Entering the “Chu-Han Secret Realm” | Canghuang Cave Night Talk of a Millennium

-🚌 Morning: Take the urban-rural bus from [Suzhou East Station] to [Xiaoxian] (about 50 minutes, ¥15)
-🚗 Transfer to park shuttle or carpool to the entrance of [Huangcangyu National Forest Park] (¥20)
-🏡 Check in recommended: “Yunqi Mountain Lodge” mountain guesthouse (¥180/night, room with tatami, window facing a bamboo forest)

-🌄 Afternoon check-ins:
- [Canghuang Cave]: Legend says Liu Bang hid here when chased by Xiang Yu; spiders quickly spun webs to cover the entrance, fooling the pursuers
- 👉 Inside the cave, cool breeze and stone walls carved with inscriptions from various eras, atmosphere is amazing!

- 🌌 Evening highlight—night hike in Huangcangyu for stargazing!
- Very little light pollution in the mountains, the Milky Way is right above
- Guesthouse owner often hosts bonfire tea parties, sipping mountain spring tea while listening to Chu-Han stories

---

D2: Full day deep tour of Huangcangyu | Forest lung cleanse + Old street stroll

-🌿 Morning hike on [Huangcangyu Trail]
- About 5 km long, passing:
- [Ruiyun Temple]: Founded in the Tang Dynasty, incense burning continuously
- [Sword-drawing Spring]: Legend says Xiang Yu angrily drew his sword, causing the spring to gush out
- [Lover’s Valley]: Babbling creek, a popular photo spot for couples
- 🍃 Feature: Thousand-year-old trees, ginkgo and green sandalwood towering, air so fresh it’s like a purifier is on

-🍜 Lunch at a farmhouse outside the park with [Clay Pot Chicken] + [Wild Vegetable Cornbread], about ¥35 per person

-🏘️ Afternoon return to Xiaoxian town, stroll through [Longcheng Old Street]
- This is the heart of the “Hometown of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting”
-👉 The street is full of calligraphy and painting studios, elderly artists paint as naturally as eating and drinking
-✍️ Experiences available:
- Custom name ink fan (starting at ¥20)
- Learn Han clerical script calligraphy (¥30 per class)
- Buy a student artwork as decoration (¥50-100)

- 🍢 Evening must-visit: [Xiaoxian Shengli Road Night Market]!
- 🔥 Must-eats:
- [Lamb Skewers] local mountain goat, charcoal grilled fresh, ¥2/skewer, can eat 10 without getting tired
- [Santang Soup] soul breakfast soup of northern Anhui, also sold at night, ¥8 per bowl
- [Crispy Sesame Cake with Pork Tenderloin] crispy outside, tender inside, ¥6 each, carb bomb happiness takeoff!

---

D3: Cultural finale + divine breakfast | Pack up the poetry

-🖼️ Morning check-in at [Xiaoxian Museum] or [Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum] (both free)
- 👉 Collections include many Xin’an School paintings and folk paper-cut exhibitions
-🎁 Tip: You can customize a calligraphy scroll with “Your Name + Poem” on site, ¥80 for a unique souvenir

-🍲 Last meal must be at [Liu Sanjie Lamb Restaurant]!
- Xiaoxian old brand, founded in the 1980s
- Recommended: Lamb soup + sesame cake + braised liver, about ¥15 per person, so good you’ll be full to bursting!

-🚐 After meal, take transport back to Suzhou or directly return home, perfect ending!

---

Xiaoxian Food Highlights (safe bets)

Name Recommended Place Price Features
------ -------- ---------- --------
Liu Sanjie Lamb Soup Old shop (Minbing Road) ¥15/set Clear and fragrant broth, perfect with sesame cake
Xiaoxian Barbecue Shengli Road Night Market stall ¥2/skewer Fresh lamb, generous cumin seasoning
Crispy Sesame Cake with Pork Tenderloin Street cart ¥6/each Crispy crust, solid filling
Santang Soup Morning market stall ¥8/bowl Barley + old hen broth, stomach warming magic
Clay Pot Chicken Huangcangyu farmhouse ¥35/person Cake sticks to pot edge soaking up juice, incredibly fragrant

---

⚠️ Pitfall Guide (learned the hard way)

❌ Mistake 1: Thinking Xiaoxian is “rustic” → Actually, it’s full of artistic vibes
✅ Correct approach: Visit calligraphy studios, chatting with masters is more rewarding than just taking photos

❌ Mistake 2: Missing the night market lamb skewers → Miss the “Barbecue hometown”
✅ Correct approach: Go to Shengli Road after 8 PM, the local vibe is strongest

❌ Mistake 3: Not buying calligraphy souvenirs → Miss the most distinctive keepsakes
✅ Correct approach: Spend a few dozen RMB on a student painting or paper-cut, much more meaningful than trendy keychains!

---

🌟 Final words: Why must you visit Xiaoxian at least once?

Because it’s full of “contrast”—
On one side, the sword and spear drama of Chu-Han history,
On the other, the refined elegance of ink and brush;
By day, explore caves and hike in deep mountains,
By night, enjoy barbecue and drinks in lively night markets.

1,200 RMB is not just travel cost,
It’s a redefinition of “poetry and the distant place.”

---

📣:
If you had to pick a label to describe Xiaoxian, which would you choose:
A. Chronicle of Chu-Han Struggles
B. Northern Little Jiangnan
C. The World of Calligraphy and Everyday Life