[3 Days, 2 Nights, Deep Dive into the Hidden Wonders of Dazhouyuan, Huizhou]

Ditch the typical tourist traps! Live among the sea of clouds, dine amidst flower fields, and experience a day in the life of a true Huizhou local. 📅 Itinerary Overview 🌟 DAY 1: Journey to a Cloud-Kissed Village 07:00 Depart from Hangzhou East Railway Station by high-speed rail → 09:30 Arrive at Shexian North Railway Station (1.5-hour chartered car ride into the mountains) 11:30 Check in to "Cloudrise" Guesthouse (600m above sea level, rooms with stunning mountain views) 14:00 Explore the hidden gem of Zhutongtan Village ▫Join the villagers in spring tea picking: Learn the art of picking tea leaves with a bamboo basket, and witness the tea master's炒茶 (tea roasting) techniques. ▫Discover the century-old communal houses: Watch a 72-year-old artisan craft Huizhou's famed "hairy tofu" using traditional methods (you can even participate in the fermentation process). 18:00 Dinner on the guesthouse terrace: Savor stinky mandarin fish, steamed cured meats, and freshly picked wild vegetables, all while toasting to the sea of clouds. 🌟 DAY 2: Hike Through a Thousand-Year-Old Trail 05:30 Witness the sea of clouds at Miaoqian Village ▫Embark on a pre-dawn hike with flashlights to catch the 6:12 sunrise (hiking poles and warming ginger tea provided by the guesthouse). ▫Drone filming service: A local guide will pilot a drone to capture breathtaking footage as you traverse the clouds (get the footage directly). 09:00 Gentle hike along the Wenchang Ancient Trail ▫Walk the "time tunnel" of bluestone slabs: Discover stories etched in the Ming and Qing Dynasty post road (the old tea pavilion wall bears a donation inscription from the Tongzhi era). ▫Unlock hidden photo spots: Follow the guide on a shortcut to the "Z"-shaped terraced flower fields (wear non-slip shoes). 15:00 Experience a day as a Huizhou local in Shitan Village ▫Step into a Qing Dynasty house: Learn to make Yuting Cake, a Huizhou heritage pastry, using intricately carved molds. ▫Join the village women in rice wine brewing: Experience the entire process, from steaming glutinous rice to sealing the坛 (clay jar) (take home your own small wine jar). 🌟 DAY 3: Explore Mountains Beyond Mountains 08:00 Morning mist walk through the Yangchan Earth Buildings ▫Avoid the crowds and take a wild path: Wander through the clusters of earth buildings shrouded in morning mist (discover perspectives unseen from the usual routes). ▫Visit the last guardian of the earth buildings: Listen to the 90-year-old grandmother's tales of "silver dollars hidden within the rammed earth walls." 12:00 Enjoy a "Sha Zhu Fan" (pork feast) in Chakoucheng Town: Dine at an eight-immortal table, savoring dishes cooked on a wood-fired stove (must-try: Daobanxiang and spring water-stewed stone chicken). 14:00 Embrace the wild beauty of the Xin'an River ▫Board an old fisherman's wooden boat: Learn to cast a net and catch river fish (grill your catch on the spot). ▫Discover hidden blossoms along the riverbank: Capture picturesque scenes at the abandoned ferry crossing, where wild Astragalus sinicus flowers bloom in vibrant purple. 🛏 Accommodation Upgrades ✔ Stay in a rammed earth house: Choose a guesthouse converted from the former Dazhouyuan Commune site (warm in winter and cool in summer, with underfloor heating). ✔ Spend a night in a tent: Camping gear is available at Viewing Platform No. 4 (includes guidance on astrophotography). ⚠ Warning: Avoid trendy Instagram-worthy guesthouses! Inadequate air conditioning can lead to catching a cold. 🍜 Local Food Guide 🔥 Must-try Dishes ▫ Spring water, stone fungus, and stewed stone chicken (wild stone fungus harvested from cliffs). ▫ Daobanxiang with fermented rice wine buns (pressed using a 300-year-old camphor wood chopping board). ▫ Pre-Qingming snails: "Clear water snails" handpicked by villagers at night with flashlights. 🍴 Hidden Culinary Gems → Sister Wu's in Miaoqian Village: Wood-fired stove cooking requires a 3-day advance reservation. → The Old Granary in Chakoucheng Town: A retro restaurant converted from a former granary (must-try: bamboo rice). 📸 Photography Tips ❶ Sea of Clouds Forecast: Check the guesthouse's hygrometer the night before; a reading above 90% guarantees a sea of clouds. ❷ Ancient Village Lighting: Capture stunning side-lit photos of the earth buildings at 3pm, showcasing the beautiful shadows cast by the wooden window lattices. ❸ Prop Magic: Borrow a straw raincoat or bamboo tea basket from the villagers for an extra touch of authenticity. ❹ Starry Sky Settings: F2.8 | 30s | ISO3200 | 24mm focal length (avoid the 15th day of the lunar calendar). 💡 Mind-Blowing Trivia ❗Rapeseed flowers were once a "strategic resource": Ancient Huizhou residents used rapeseed oil to barter for salt. ❗The high 60cm thresholds of Shitan Village's old houses weren't for theft prevention, but for accumulating wealth (water symbolizes wealth, and the high thresholds prevented rainwater from flowing out). ❗The Wenchang Ancient Trail hides a Morse code: The arrangement of the bluestone slabs corresponds to the secret language of Huizhou merchants. 🚗 Transportation Guide ⚠ Self-Driving Warning: Not for novice drivers! Some sections are only 3 meters wide with continuous hairpin bends. 💡 Hassle-Free Option: Take the high-speed rail to Shexian North Station → Book a 7-seater chartered car through your guesthouse (600 yuan/day, including a guide). ⛑ Safety Tip: Motion sickness patches are a must! 186 hairpin bends are no joke. 🌧 Rainy Day Plan B ▫ Press rapeseed oil in a century-old oil mill (entirely handmade process, from roasting the seeds to extracting the oil). ▫ Learn Huizhou paper cutting from a heritage artisan (take home a set of flower-themed window lattice paper cuttings). ▫ Gather around the fireplace at the guesthouse and roast sweet potatoes while listening to local tales of "Zhu Yuanzhang's refuge in Dazhouyuan." This trip isn't about "seeing," but about "becoming"— Becoming the tea picker with green-stained fingertips in the morning light. Becoming the guardian of the earth buildings, whose wrinkles whisper stories of the past. Becoming the awestruck observer as the sea of clouds rolls in. Take this guide and embrace the true spring of Huizhou! 🌸