In the sweltering heat of the summer, some cooling and refreshing sights are just the right places to visit. Why not explore the palace of the Dragon King on earth or the limestone caves and discover a complete different world?

(i) Taiji Cave

Where: Guangde City, Xucheng City, Anhui Province

The cave measures over 5.4 kilometres in length in total and is located at the junction of Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces. Feng Menglong, an eminent man of letter from the Ming Dynasty, once praised Taiji Cave as one of the top four caves of the world.

The cave is a myriad of hills and caves that are interconnected, enormous and peculiar.

An endless array of stalactites lines the cave in their many forms. Visitors may take a boat through the underground river in the cave and enjoy the magical journey where different scenery awaits at each corner.The natural landscape outside the cave and ancient architecture such as Laojun Temple and Tianyou Pavilion dot the bamboo forest and blue water, offering visitors an altogether different and charming view.

(ii) Ziwei Cave Scenic Area　

Where: Mount Ziwei, Hefei City, Anhui Province

Ziwei Cave measures 1.5 kilometres in length in total. Located in central Anhui Province, the limestone cave is majestic and vast and is known for magnificence, uniqueness, precipitousness and tranquillity. It is said to be the largest cave in northern China.

With a river and a waterfall, visitors may travel along the underground river and appreciate the eroded rocks in their distinctive yet peculiar forms.

The most amazing scenes in the cave are the “four matchless sights and three peculiarities”, respectively Moon-Snail Tent, Stone Goose Tube, Flying Waterfall and Heavenly Trench, Trough and Board; and a chain bridge, double open wells and an underground river.

The meandering Ziwei Cave is full of twists and turns, while the scenic area is vast and complex, making it wonderfully fun to explore.

(iii) Dawang Cave Scenic Area

Where: Pailou Town, Guichi District, Chizhou City, Anhui Province

Located in the ecological area of Chizhou, Dawang Cave sits along the bank of the scenic Yangtze River. The limestone cave measures 3.5 kilometres in length in total, and research shows it is over 200 million years old.

The sound of murmuring water lingers in the cave, where endless stalactites meet the eye. The cave dwelling is a myriad of caves and towers that interconnect to form peculiar sights and make the cave a “Dawang” or the king of all caves.

Dawang Cave consists of a Heavenly Bridge, Fairy Valley, Dawang Cave Dwelling and Dawang Lake. An underground river traverses the scenic area, where the many peculiar sights resemble the Palace of the Dragon King, Phoenix Hall, Milky Way and Jasper Lake, which are truly magnificent.

Travelling through the winding cave, the magical sights intricately intertwine with sounds of water, ripples and light and shadow to create infinite fun.

Anhui is home to many ancient villages that are surrounded by rolling mountains and clear rivers and blanketed in cloud and mist. In the sweltering heat of summer, the idyllic and leisurely scenes are the best choice for summer retreats.

(i) Sanhe Ancient Town

Where: Feixi County, Hefei City, Anhui Province

Located in the provincial capital Hefei, Sanhe Ancient Town is 2,500 years old. Sanhe, meaning three rivers in China, got its name from the three rivers that traverse the town and is a national grade-5A scenic site.

The ancient town benefitted greatly from water transport. Stroll around its ancient streets and admire the ancient architecture lining them while appreciating the bustling daily life of the past.

Sanhe Ancient Town has a long dining history and is home to myriads of snack shops, local delicacies and shops selling pickled and dried vegetables.

In the evening, visitors may sample the fresh and crispy Sanhe rice dumplings and the rich and refreshing Sanhe rice wine while appreciating dazzling lights and glistening water of a picturesque ancient town. It is surely a great joy of life.

(ii) Tangmo Village

Where: Qiankou Town, Huizhou District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province

Construction for Tangmo Village began in the Tang Dynasty, and it thrived during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Wishing to express their gratitude towards the predecessors, the earliest ancestors of the Wang clan built a standard and classic village modelled after the style from the height of the Tang Dynasty and renamed it Tangmo, meaning “the Tang model”. The name is now over 1,400 years old and represents a village that has been continuously improved since the Tang Dynasty. Known for its water gardens and scenery, Tangmo boasts a beautiful natural environment and is steeped deep in the Hui culture. It is famed as “an idyllic village of elegant scenery and an ancient gallery of Hui-style structures”.

Upon entering Tangmo, visitors are greeted by a Hui-style water garden. The Tan’gan River traverses the village, where the dense camphor trees remain green all year round and shade the village with bridges, creeks and households in southern Anhui.

The exotic Tangmo French Family Hotel may be found in Tangmo Village. It is the first country-themed hotel in China co-developed by tourism experts from China and France.

The entire hotel is steeped deep in the culture of Hui-style architecture and integrates perfectly with local landscape, culture and residences through the help of the surrounding natural rural environment.

It will be truly wonderful to spend a few nights at this hotel and learn more about the history and culture of ancient Huizhou.

(iii) Zhaji Village

Where: Jing County, Xuancheng City, Anhui Province

Zhaji Village is a famous historical and cultural village in China that is far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Quaint, simple and classic, many painters are drawn here to copy and sketch its beautiful scenery, earning it the wonderful name “Painters’ Village”.

The village is home to many bridges, ancestral shrines and temples, and its ingenious integration and manipulation of classical Chinese garden landscapes in the architecture creates a one-of-a-kind village layout, whereby “the distant verdant mountains seem close by, as the water flows through and connects the neighbourhood”.

In the sweltering summer heat, come white-water rafting in Anhui. Whether it is soaring into the air or diving through the water, enjoy the ultimate fun of challenging nature and the pleasure of dancing with waves.

(i) White-water Rafting in the Grand Canyon of Huoshan

Where: Huoshan County, Lu’an City, Anhui Province

The white-water rafting in Huoshan grand canyon measures about 8 kilometres in length in total and has an overall drop of 160 metres, while the largest single drop is 19 metres. The winding course with surging waves offers a near 2-hour-long highly exhilarating and extremely fun white-water rafting experience, making it the deal place for thrill seekers.

The craggy slopes are dotted with waterfalls of various sizes, which, under the sunlight, radiate with colourful splatters, while the sounds of surging water echo throughout the valley with great momentum, making it the top white-water rafting experience in eastern China.

The continuous slabs that form the riverbed of the grand canyon in Huoshan is a rare sight and create a peculiarly beautiful course that resembles both a mirror and a sheet of ice. Visitors going downstream in rubber boats may enjoy the largest single drop of 19 metres. Imagine travelling down a gentle slope and appreciating tranquilly the scenery or going through a rapid current and rising and falling exhilaratingly – regardless of which, it will surely be an unforgettable water-sport experience.

(ii) White-water Rafting in the Jiaxi River

Where: Lantian Town, Xiuning County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province

The white-water rafting course in the Jiaxi River measures about 5 kilometres in length in total. Since it is found at the foot of Yellow Mountain, it is nicknamed “the top white-water rafting course of Yellow Mountain”. As visitors travel downstream in rubber boats, they may see clearly the bottom of the river at its shallower parts, while at its deeper parts the water is green like jasper. While white-water rafting, the chirping birds on the banks may be heard as the waves rage, making it truly exciting.

The current may be rapid or gentle, while the drops around turns are large, magnifying the impact of the waves and the excitement. Where the current is mild and gentle, the experience will be totally different, and adults and children may enjoy water fights and play in the water to their hearts’ content.

(iii) White-water Rafting in Guaitan

Where: Shitai County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province

The white-water rafting course in Guaitan measures 4.5 kilometres long and is praised as the “top white-water rafting course of southern Anhui” with its unique sights such as unusual rocks, trees and water.

The course has large drops and the water deep and clear. The scenic site also offers fun activities such as millstone turning, waterwheel pedalling and fishing.

The countless famous towns and ancient lanes in Anhui are the best witnesses and inheritors of the fleeting time, while the many lanes and their many façades become ever more appealing as the night falls.

(i) Tunxi Old Street

Where: Tunxi District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province

Tunxi Old Street thrived following the rise of merchants from Huizhou in Tunxi. The old street is home to the distinctive Hui-style architecture and is the most well preserved in China with the most traditional layout from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

As the night falls, the spectacularly bright lights illuminate the streets and lanes that throng with people. The elegant arches and spirit screens are drenched in bright colours while special merchandise dazzles the eyes. The unique periodic culture and local customs of ancient Huizhou are on full display, promptly taking visitors back in time to the bustling market of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

(ii) Liyang in Alley District

Where: Tunxi District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province

Visit Yellow Mountain by day and take a break in Liyang at night. Liyang in Alley, also known as Liyang Old Street, looks out to Tunxi Old Street across the river. It is made up of three main streets, namely Riverfront Bar and Leisure Street, Specialties Street and Hui-Cultural Street (Liyang Old Street).

The traditional Hui-style architecture with its plaster walls and black tiles is transformed into natural screens at night, telling visitors the bygones of Huizhou. The unique montages in Liyang in Alley present visitors one after another dreamy wash-painting scrolls.

With the highly fun and fashionable international craft-beer festival and rock-and-roll New Year’s Eve concert, dazzling lights and lively music, visitors may dive right into the vibrant nightlife here.

The district stages over two-dozen themed events each year to provide visitors with a unique, festive experience. The visits will be even more fun when coincided with festivals.

(iii)Lei Street, Hefei

Where: junction of South Ningguo Road and Shuiyangjiang Road, Hefei City, Anhui Province

In the darkness of night, both sides of Lei Street in Hefei are drenched in lights and colours and a scene of bustling activity. A visit to Lei Street is a must when visiting Hefei.

Lei, which resembles a modern-day wine jug, is a kind of bronze wine vessel from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties as well as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The people of Anhui enjoy drinking and particularly like to clink the glasses and finish off the drink with one gulp, a tradition known as “to blow up the leizi”.

In addition to being home to Anhui’s time-honoured brands of local delicacies such as Gengfuxing, Liuhongsheng and Luzhou Roast Duck, Lei Street has over two-dozen restaurants offering specialties from across China.

Regardless of the restaurant visited and the snacks tried, visitors may fully appreciate the lively local spirit as the cups go gaily round.