A renowned brush from the Song Dynasty, and one of the Four Treasures of the Study from Huizhou. According to the New Annals of Xin'an, during the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Boli from She County established the "Hall of Four Treasures" in the prefectural capital of Shezhou. The hall produced all four treasures—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—but it was particularly famous for its brushes. Also known as the "Huizhou Brush," the Wang Boli Brush was made with carefully selected materials, exquisitely crafted, and given ingeniously crafted names. Many sets of brushes were produced, some named after famous mountains such as Huangshan, Baiyue, and Piyun Peak, others after scenic waters like the Xin'an River, Jian River, and Lian Water, and still others after landscapes and historic sites such as "Shattered Stone Silver Light," "Wenzheng Jade Shoots," and "Golden Shed Osmanthus Branches." The materials used for these brush sets were extremely refined, featuring ceramic brush handles with blue-and-white designs specially made in Jingdezhen, and brush tips made from various types of animal hair. Sometimes, only one percent of the hair from a pound of fur would be selected to make a single brush tip. Such "one-hair-selected-from-a-thousand" masterpieces were often tribute items, naturally kept deep within the imperial palace, and few physical examples have been passed down in later civilian times. (Huangshan)
A collective term for four types of folk carving crafts in the Huizhou style: brick carving, stone carving, wood carving, and bamboo carving. The "Four Carvings" of Huizhou are most typical and best preserved in She County, Yi County, and Wuyuan County. They are primarily used for decorating residences, ancestral halls, temples, gardens, and other architectural structures, as well as in traditional furniture, decorative screens, brush pots, fruit trays, and other crafted items...
A historic famous liquor. Also known as "Jia Wine." Brewed from glutinous rice, about 80–100 pounds of liquor can be produced from 100 pounds of glutinous rice. The wine has a slightly yellow, clear color, an enticing aroma, and a mildly sweet taste that becomes richer and more robust when served warm. The longer it ages, the more mellow it becomes. In the novel *Flowers in the Mirror*, when characters discuss liquors, they list famous wines from across the country, among which is "Huizhou Jia Wine"…
“Huizhou Bamboo Weaving” originated in the Tang and Song dynasties, flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Surviving bamboo weaving artifacts from these periods mainly include bowls, cups, plates, bottles, as well as boxes, book chests, ceremonial trays, and fruit containers. For example, the Anhui Provincial Museum houses a “gold-traced polychrome lacquered fruit container” from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty and a “gold-lacquered embossed round fruit container” from the Qing Dynasty. Both feature bamboo frames with...
Anhui cuisine is one of China’s eight major culinary traditions. It refers specifically to Huizhou cuisine and should not be equated with Anhui cuisine as a whole. Hailing from Huizhou, Anhui cuisine is deeply rooted in the unique geographical environment that the region provides. Historically, Huizhou encompassed present-day Huangshan City and Jixi County in Anhui Province, as well as Wuyuan County in Jiangxi Province. Due to its location at the intersection of two climate zones, Huizhou enjoys abundant rainfall and a moderate climate...
Xiaorong Highland Pickled Chili Peppers are grown in dryland fields at high altitudes of over 400 meters above sea level in and around Xiaorong. Local villagers have years of experience pickling chili peppers. The resulting chilies are crisp, spicy, and pollution-free—greatly loved by urban dwellers. …
Kudzu root starch, also known as kudzu starch or kudzu powder, is a type of wild starch extracted from the tuberous roots of wild kudzu in the Bashan Mountain area through traditional processing methods. Kudzu root is an ancient traditional Chinese medicinal herb. The Ming Dynasty’s *Compendium of Materia Medica* states that kudzu root tastes sweet and pungent, and is non-toxic. It has the effects of reducing fever, clearing rashes, promoting fluid production to relieve thirst, detoxifying and treating sores, relieving pain, and stopping dysentery...
Sweet potatoes, also known as yams, red potatoes, white potatoes, batatas, or boniato, are annual plants of the Convolvulaceae family and are a healthy food that serves both culinary and medicinal purposes. They are rich in dietary fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as over ten trace elements such as potassium, iron, copper, selenium, and calcium, making them highly nutritious. They are...
Huangshan Tribute Chrysanthemum is produced in Huangshan, a world-renowned tourist destination in Anhui Province. It stands out from other chrysanthemum varieties due to its unique quality and processing techniques. With white petals, green stems, small flower centers, uniform and tightly packed blossoms, soft texture, fragrant aroma, and a mildly sweet yet slightly bitter taste, it has been hailed by the “Chinese Pharmacopoeia” as the “Crown of Chrysanthemums” and a “National Treasure,” ranking…
Water chestnut (also known as horse hoof): A dual-purpose aquatic crop used both as a fruit and a vegetable. The locally grown variety is "Huizhou Dahongpao," with an annual planting area of around 10,000 mu and a total output of 15,000 tons. The harvest season runs from November to March of the following year, and the main production area is Qiankou Town. This is a local variety characterized by large corms, a brownish-red outer skin,...
【Dish Name】Huizhou Peach Resin Braised Pork 【Ingredients】 Peach resin…250g, pork belly (with fat and lean layers)…500g, scallion bundle…15g, sugar…5g, soy sauce…10g, ginger slices…10g, salt…2g, lard…15g 【Preparation Method】 1. Wash the...
Lingshan is a mountain village in Chengkan Township, Huizhou District at the foot of Huangshan Mountain. Lingshan Rice was once famous far and wide as “tribute rice” due to its superior quality. Lingshan Rice is known for its soft texture, sweet taste, large grains, and high yield, among other characteristics.…
“Braised Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish in Soy Sauce” is one of the renowned specialty dishes of Huizhou. Originally known as stone-level fish, it is called Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish because it is at its plumpest and most delicious during the peach blossom season. These small fish often swim in the clear mountain streams, their color resembling that of the pebbles in the stream. Preparation: Select fresh stone mandarin fish caught during the peach blossom season, score the sides of the fish with lotus leaf-shaped cuts...
A Famous Dish of Huangshan In the early Ming Dynasty, Minister of Revenue Lian Xinrong presented turtles from the mountainous regions of southern Anhui to Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, after which they became a tribute dish. The mountainous areas of southern Anhui, surrounded by high peaks and shaded valleys, have clear streams with sandy bottoms. The turtles produced there are of superior quality—pale greenish-white bellies, tender flesh rich in collagen, and free of muddy odors. A local folk rhyme goes: “Clear water reveals the sandy bottom, white belly free of silt, thick flesh and humped back, sized about a horse’s hoof,” hence the name “Turtle from Sandy Bottom.” It is prepared with ham for flavor, rock sugar to enhance umami, and simmered slowly over a charcoal brazier. Once cooked, it gives off an inviting aroma, with a rich, gelatinous broth that preserves the original taste. The meat is tender and melts in the mouth, the skirt edge smooth and silky. Medical records state: “Turtle nourishes yin and supplements yang, softens hardness, and disperses nodules, while also clearing deficiency heat.” Modern research shows that turtle is rich in animal gelatin, iodine, copper, vitamins, and other nutrients, offering benefits such as nourishing yin and kidney, and treating swellings.
It’s called “stone chicken” because this animal lives in mountain valley caves alongside venomous snakes. To be honest, the stone chicken has nothing to do with chickens in appearance—it’s actually a type of frog, similar in shape to an American bullfrog but larger in size, with black skin. So I think “stone frog” would be more appropriate. The stone chicken is a special…
Hairy tofu is a famous vegetarian delicacy from Anhui, commonly known as Huizhou Hairy Tofu. As the name suggests, it primarily uses hairy tofu (which grows about an inch of white fuzz) produced in areas such as She County, Tunxi, and Xiuning in Huizhou (now all part of Huangshan City). After being pan-fried, it is cooked with ingredients such as scallions, ginger, sugar, salt, meat broth, and soy sauce...
"Preserved Fresh Mandarin Fish," originally called "Stinky Mandarin Fish," is a traditional famous dish from Huizhou. For hundreds of years, through the careful refinement by generations of chefs, the traditional cooking method has been updated and elevated, allowing this beloved delicacy to endure and maintain its widespread acclaim. Tourists from both China and abroad visiting Huangshan and Tunxi consider trying "Preserved Fresh Mandarin Fish" a must-do experience. It is said that around…
Torreya is a plant of the genus Torreya in the family Taxaceae and is a rare and precious dried fruit unique to China. The Torreya tree is highly versatile, serving purposes such as fruit production, oil extraction, medicinal use, landscaping, and ornamental value. Rich in protein, fat, sugar, and various vitamins essential to the human body, Torreya is not only extremely nutritious but also boasts high medicinal and health benefits...
The Longshan Lake Free-Range Chicken Farm is located by Longshan Lake in the Fengle Reservoir area, the highest-altitude lake in southern Anhui—Huangshan City. The farm raises pure indigenous chicken breeds, free-ranging them in the high mountains, yielding over 10,000 free-range chickens and more than 300,000 free-range chicken eggs per year. …
Wan Flower Ham is produced in Xiuning County and can rival the hams of Jinhua in Zhejiang and Xuanwei in Yunnan. Its raw material is the southern Anhui flower pig, a smaller-sized breed known for its excellent meat quality. The cured ham boasts vibrant color, delicious taste, and a crispy texture. Xiuning County has a thousand-year history of ham curing. …