Taohuatan, Jing County, Xuancheng

Taohuatan, Jing County, Xuancheng

Taohuatan in Jing County, Xuancheng, is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national water conservancy scenic area.

The Taohuatan Scenic Area, located in Chencun Town, Jing County, on the upper reaches of the Qingyi River, is 34 kilometers from the county seat. The area blends natural and cultural landscapes, featuring both the fresh, elegant, and lush mountain scenery of southern Anhui that showcases the spirit of the land, as well as well-preserved ancient buildings with unique styles that evoke a sense of historical nostalgia.

There are various theories about how Taohuatan became famous. Some say it’s because the ancient people admired the clear, misty waters that reminded them of the Wuling Source described in “The Record of the Peach Blossom Spring,” hence the ancient name. But the fame of Taohuatan mainly comes from a beautiful legend. During the Tang Dynasty’s Tianbao era, Wang Lun, a local notable from Jing County, was overjoyed to hear that the great poet Li Bai was staying with his uncle Li Bingyang in Nanling. Excited, he wrote a letter saying: “Do you enjoy traveling, sir? This place has ten miles of peach blossoms. Do you enjoy wine, sir? This place has ten thousand wine shops.”

Li Bai happily came, and Wang Lun then told him the truth: the “peach blossoms” were actually the name of the pond, and the “ten thousand” referred to the fact that the shop owner’s surname was Wan (which also means ten thousand). Li Bai laughed heartily and wasn’t offended—in fact, he was deeply moved by Wang Lun’s warm hospitality. During the season when spring winds blew and peach and plum blossoms bloomed, painting the hills red, coupled with the deep, crystal-clear green waters of the pond and the reflections of emerald-green mountains, Li Bai and Wang Lun recited poetry and drank together, reluctant to leave. When parting at the Ancient Shore of Stepping Songs, Li Bai composed the timeless classic “To Wang Lun”: “Li Bai boards his boat and prepares to depart, / When suddenly he hears footsteps and song on the bank. / The waters of Taohuatan run a thousand feet deep, / Yet not so deep as Wang Lun’s love for me.” Though the poet and the notable have long since passed, Taohuatan remains immortalized because of this story. To this day by the pond there stands a gravestone for Wang Lun inscribed with “Here lies Wang Lun, Historian of the Tang Dynasty,” which is said to have been written by Li Bai—though its authenticity is unverifiable.

Chencun Town, where Taohuatan is located, was historically known as Nanyang Town. It is a place rich in natural beauty and talented people. The town houses the most well-preserved cluster of ancient dwellings in southern Anhui, with more than 700 structures from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, the Zhai Family Ancestral Hall is the worship site for the prominent Zhai clan, surnamed Zhai. Records show that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, fifteen members of the Zhai family achieved the rank of Jinshi (advanced scholar), hundreds became Juren (presented scholars), and thousands passed as Xiucai (licensed students). In the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, General Zhai Guoru of the Jiangnan Pacification Command died heroically suppressing a rebellion in Yunnan, and the ancestral hall was bestowed the imperial title “Zhongxiao Hall” (Hall of Loyalty and Filial Piety). Zhongxiao Hall has three sections and covers an area of one thousand mu, built entirely with nanmu wood and white marble. Its stone and wood carvings are extraordinarily rare, and it has been praised by Luo Zhewen, a renowned expert in ancient architecture from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, as “the foremost ancestral hall in China.”

The Wenchang Pavilion was built in the 32nd year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign during the Qing Dynasty. It has three stories and an octagonal shape. The first to third floors respectively hang plaques inscribed with “Prosperous Era of Civilization,” “Literary Light Piercing the Heavens,” and “Together Ascending the Cloud Ladder.” It stands as a testament to the scholarly and martial virtues of the Zhai clan in former times, and due to its elegant and delicate design, it is also one of the famous scenic spots. In addition, other historic structures such as Huai Xian Pavilion, Wanxing Yi Men (Gate of Ten Thousand Surnames), Da Zi Lou (Tartar Tower), Fu Feng Guild Hall, and Sima Mansion also hold significant historical importance and research value.

From 1989 to 1993, Chencun Town conducted a comprehensive investigation and restoration of the cultural landscapes in the Taohuatan Scenic Area, and constructed the “Mengtan Pavilion” Museum of Ancient Relics. The museum displays collected historical materials, celebrity-inscribed plaques, ancient carvings, stone tablets, and wood carvings related to the scenic spots of Taohuatan throughout history. Today, “Mengtan Pavilion” has become a new attraction within the Taohuatan Scenic Area.

Traveling upstream along the waters of Taohuatan leads to the Chen Village Hydropower Station, the largest in the mountainous regions of southern Anhui. Climbing to the top of the dam and looking out, you’ll see the world-renowned “Huangshan’s Companion,” Tai Ping Lake, which is connected to Huangshan Mountain like a strip of water—you can even take a sightseeing boat all the way to the foot of Huangshan. The lake features vast blue waters and layers of emerald mountains, offering a completely different kind of scenery. In the middle of the lake lies Golden Island, like a pearl in the palm of Tai Ping Lake, standing gracefully with dense forests, birdsong, floral fragrance, and picturesque views at every step.

Taohuatan Town: Taohuatan Town is a culturally rich ancient town with a history of a thousand years (provincial-level protected), covering a total area of 86.03 km². It neighbors the tourist destination Huangshan to the south and the famous Buddhist site Jiuhua Mountain to the west. The town administers six administrative villages and one neighborhood committee, with a population of 13,122. The area has a subtropical climate with distinct seasons. The arable land area is 10,800 mu, with main crops including rice, rapeseed, beans, peanuts, sesame, and tea. Notable local products are yam and orchid tea, while aquatic products mainly include high-quality fish such as carp, salmon, silver carp, and snowflake carp. Mineral resources include coal, limestone, and quartzite. With abundant natural resources... More detailed information on Taohuatan Town++