Xin'an River
Xin’an River, with its headstream in the Yellow Mountain area, stretches a length of 373 km (232 miles) and covers an area of 11,000 km² (4,247 square miles). It flows eastwards to the west of Zhejiang Province, becoming the source of the Qiantang River, which loops around Hangzhou.
- Location: Shendu Town, She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
- Best Time to Visit: 1 day between May and August
Highlights
Xin’an River originates in Xiuning County of Huangshan City. It flows northeastwards from Tunxi District to She County and flows into Xin’an Reservoir (Thousand Islets Lake) in Hangzhou. Touring Xin’an River from Huangshan to Hangzhou, the highlights you find along the river are more than your eyes can take in.
Tour with China Travel: Our English-speaking guide and experienced driver will make your trip easy and fun: 3-Day Huangshan and Hongcun Tour. Or you can CUSTOMIZE a private Xin'an River Tour with us!
1. Xin’an River Landscape Gallery
With a total length of about 50 km (31 miles), the Xin’an River Landscape Gallery Scenic Area is a popular section on the golden tourist line from Huangshan to Thousand Islets Lake in Hangzhou.
It is famous for its integration of unique Hui culture, natural landscape, and ancient villages. The scenery along the river is different according to the season, like a flowing landscape painting, hence the name.
2. Tunxi Ancient Street
Xin’an River flows through the Tunxi District of Huangshan City, while Tunxi Ancient Street is located at the junction of Hengjiang, Shuaishui, and Xin’an Rivers.
Tunxi Ancient Street came into being with the development of Hui business during the 1920s & ’30s, during a period when the ports of Shanghai and Hangzhou were flourishing. There are long lines of shops along either side of the street. All of the buildings are in Hui style and overflow with old-fashioned charm.
At the end of the old street is the riverside of Xin’an River and there’s a 100-year-old bridge connecting the two banks.
3. Thousand Islets Lake
Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Hu, 千岛湖), in Chun’an County of Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province, is China’s first artificial lake as well as its largest national park. It was built to intercept the lower reaches of the Xin’an River and to establish the Xin’an Hydropower Station. So it’s also called Xin’an Reservoir.
The Lake Scenic Area is rich in scenic resources, with the best water quality among many lakes in China and with many islets having different shapes and forms.
The lake has the largest number of islets in the world, with 1,078 land-bridge islets when the water level is at its highest. Along with West Lake, Huangshan, Taihu Lake, and Mt. Wuyi, it forms a travel network.
Food Along with the Xin’an River
Downy Tofu (毛豆腐) has been a traditional dish in Anhui since ancient times. Using artificial fermentation, a layer of white hair is grown on the surface of the tofu, hence the name.
Stone Fried Dough (石头馃) is a well-known Huizhou-style snack. It gets its name because it is flattened with stones as it is being cooked.
Cloth-Wrapper Dumplings (包袱饺), are bag-shaped square dumplings, that look like the cloth wrappers that people had to carry in ancient times when going on a long journey, hence the name.
How to Get There?
Xin’an River Landscape Gallery Scenic Area is located in Shendu Town, She County.
- From downtown: Take a shuttle bus from Huangshan Bus Station to She County and then change to another bus for Shendu Town. The whole journey takes about 3 hours.
- From Thousand Islets Lake in Hangzhou: Cruise from Qian Dao Hu Chunhang Pier (千岛湖淳航码头) to Shendu Town: 6:00, 11:40. This costs about CNY 22 and takes 5 hours.
It is recommended to take a drift-boating trip from Shendu Pier to enjoy fully the beautiful scenery of the Xin’an Landscape Gallery, especially in spring when rape flowers and loquat are blooming in the fields along the river.
- Ticket Price: CNY 50
- Opening Hours: 7:00 - 17:00