Xiaren Scenic Area

　　   Xiaren Scenic Area, situated among the eastern mountain ranges of Ningguo County in Xuancheng City, Anhui Province, sits at the junction of the Huangshan and Tianmu Mountain ranges. To its west are the spectacular views of Huangshan, and to the south, the beautiful scenery of West Lake. The area boasts countless strange peaks and secluded caves, isolated cliffs and precipices; its rugged valleys and gorges are abundant with cascading waterfalls and flowing springs. Towering wild vines and ancient trees, along with forests of bamboo and pine, create a harmonious symphony. Xiaren is famed for its unique landscapes featuring waterfalls, divine pools, deep ravines, peculiar rocks, and perilous gorges, earning it the title “The Five Wonders of the World’s Scenery.” It is also known as the “No. 1 Waterfall Group in Southeast China” for its numerous size-varied waterfalls, each with its own distinctive charm.

　　   Here, you can find the resting place of Red Army soldiers and the resonant bells of ancient temples. Folklore stories reveal the area’s profound cultural heritage. Immersed in this pristine, magical beauty, visitors feel their spirits lifted and find it hard to leave.

　　   The Shimen (Stone Gate) area is where many of the scenic spots are densely clustered. Two steep cliffs, over a hundred meters high, stand upright and face each other. Standing inside the Stone Gate stirs the imagination—does it suggest, reject, mark, or signify a turning point? Interpretations are left to the visitors’ speculation and imagination. Outside the Stone Gate, as you climb the steps, you’ll encounter the vividly lifelike Stone Turtle Probing the Buddha, which never fails to amaze and inspire awe. Crossing a small wooden bridge, you’ll see an exquisitely elegant cluster of wooden houses built against the mountain and beside the water. With murmuring streams and lush trees providing a natural screen, the scene is idyllic. Passing through the Stone Gate, you enter a suddenly open and expansive space. Just a few steps ahead lies the affectionate Four-Tiered Spring. Water reigns supreme in Xiaren, and within the graceful, silky-smooth Four-Tiered Spring, it takes center stage—a piece of fabric, or a pool, surrounded by green aquatic plants and nameless wildflowers along the edges and shores.

　　   Along the paths and streams of Xiaren, there grows a plant called the orchid tree. They grow in clusters, large and small, by the roadside and streams. Their dark green leaves cradle numerous newly sprouted leaf buds, clustered together, still in bud and seemingly more leaf than flower. Breathing in the moist air unique to Xiaren, they grow elegantly to the music of the streams and the company of peculiar rocks. Perhaps it is the unique moisture of Xiaren that nourishes the existence of the orchid tree, making it a unique biological symbol of the area.

　　   The bamboo tube rice of Xiaren is an essential delight in the scenic area. Deep within the endless bamboo forests, the clever locals of Xiaren saw fresh bamboo into sections, then fill them with glutinous rice and minced cured meat mixed with water, packing them tightly. These are then placed into specially made large iron boxes, heated from below with charcoal fire—an entirely different processing method from traditional cooking or modern culinary techniques. The moment the baked bamboo tube rice is split open with a bamboo knife, its fragrant aroma bursts forth, offering an authentic taste that instantly stirs one’s appetite.