UNESCO village of Hongcun .....

Vegetable gardens like this are found all over the village, all hidden behind stone walls

Second on my 'to-do' list in the Anhui province was a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage listed village of Hongcun. This small village is one of several ancient villages in the area, all which were considered very wealthy back in the day. Men left the village to become merchants, sending all the money back to their family, who used it to enhance their homes, leading to the beautiful architecture that Chinese tourists flock to see today.

Bridge on the lake

My timing was perfect - I arrived in the late afternoon by public bus (now, that was a hair raising experience!), just as the hordes of tourists were leaving. I found a local family to stay with, ordered my home cooked meal and then went for a wander before dinner. It was an eery feeling to walk through such an old village with no one else around - so still and quiet. The family I stayed with were wonderful - clean, quiet room and a delicious home cooked dinner of rice, spicy shredded potato and mapo dofu (tofu), my favourite Chinese dish.

The waterways are used to wash clothes, vegetables and who knows what else!

The next morning, I got up early to enjoy the village at its quietest again. However, I was unaware of how early Chinese tourists are up and about! At 6am, art students were already setting up their easels and other tourists were preparing to listen to their megaphone wielding, flag carrying guides. I left not long after the hordes arrived.

Such still waters

The village seemed to be just as it may have been many years ago. A complex system of water ways weaves its way through the alleyways, providing each household with drinking water (I'll stick to bottled water, thanks!) as well as a place to wash clothes, vegetables and dishes. Inside the homes, it is also still very traditional, if you ignore the televisions! Hongcun was definitely a highlight of my trip to Anhui province and with more time, it would be a wonderful area to explore further.

Dinner in the home of a local family - Grandma is in the background!

Hongcun in the morning