"Exploring the Liqiao Water Town in Tongling, Anhui: The Beautiful Secret of a Small Water Village"

In this bustling and noisy world, do you long to find a quiet and charming place where your soul can rest for a moment? Compared to the well-known but always crowded Wuzhen and Zhouzhuang, I would rather recommend you this niche water town hidden in Tongling, Anhui - Liqiao Water Town. It is like a forgotten pearl, emitting a unique and charming brilliance, waiting for someone with destiny to explore it. **TRANSPORTATION GUIDE** To reach this mysterious water town, transportation is very convenient. If you choose to travel by high-speed rail, after arriving at Tongling Station, it only takes about 20 minutes by taxi to step into this dreamland. Of course, if you like self-driving tours, you can also drive there. The scenery along the way may add more expectations to the journey. **Ticket Information** The ticket price for Liqiao Water Town is very affordable, only 39.9 yuan per person, and children under 1.2m in height can enter for free. With such a price, you can easily start this unique water town trip without worrying about the high ticket fees. **Accommodation Recommendations** Although this is a great place for a two-day and one-night trip, in order to allow you to better experience the charm of the water town, it is recommended that you choose to stay nearby. There are many characteristic homestays to choose from around the water town. Some of them are full of Huizhou architectural style, while others have a strong water village style. You can fall asleep to the sound of gurgling water at night and be awakened by the crisp sound of birds in the morning, and enjoy the tranquility and comfort to your heart's content. **Two days and one night in-depth travel guide** **Day 1: Encounter the dream of water town** In the afternoon, when you step into Liqiao Water Town, it feels like you have traveled through time and space and entered a poetic world. The first thing that catches your eye is the bluestone road, which is simple and elegant. Walking on it, you can seem to hear the footsteps of history. At this time, you may come across knight NPCs strolling casually. They are dressed in ancient costumes, and seem like characters from martial arts novels. When they pass by you, will you have the illusion of traveling through time and space? Walk along the bluestone path and you will soon see the flower boat parade. Colorful flower boats are sailing slowly on the river. The bows are decorated exquisitely and the actors on the boats are singing and dancing, as if bringing you into a fairy tale world on the water. When night falls, the real visual feast has just begun. On the square pond, a stunning iron flower performance was staged. The inheritors of intangible cultural heritage threw the molten iron high up, and in an instant, thousands of iron flowers exploded in the night sky, streaking across the sky like meteors. Sparks splashed onto the lake and shattered into pieces of golden scales, which bloomed synchronously with the finale fireworks, creating a magnificent scene of "fire trees and silver flowers in a nightless sky". At this moment, you will be shocked by the bright light, as if you are in a dream world. Then, the fish lantern parade began. Fish lanterns of various shapes sway in the night, as if a group of nimble fish are swimming in the water. Accompanied by cheerful music, the parade team shuttled through the ancient streets and alleys, adding a mysterious and lively atmosphere to the entire water town. **Day2: Experience the Anhui style** The next morning, we arrived at the ancient stage, greeting the first rays of sunshine. Here, you can enjoy authentic Huangmei Opera or Nuo Opera. The actors' superb acting skills and melodious singing will let you feel the unique charm of Hui culture. Sitting under the ancient stage, sipping a cup of fragrant tea, watching the performance on the stage, it seems as if time has stood still. After watching the opera, you may want to check in at the Upside-Down Building and the Coin Museum. The unique architectural style of the Upside-Down Building gives people a sense of disordered beauty, which makes people marvel at the wisdom and creativity of the ancients. The Coin Museum displays various ancient coins, showing the long history of China's monetary culture, allowing you to increase your knowledge while enjoying the beautiful scenery. At noon, come to "Jiangnan Flavor" to taste the special food of Huizhou. The dishes here are rich and varied, and each one is full of strong Huizhou flavor. It is recommended to sit along the river, order a pot of Tongling white tea, watch the boat girls rowing by, and spend half a day relaxing in the water town. While enjoying delicious food, you can also appreciate the beautiful scenery outside the window and feel the tranquility and comfort. In the afternoon, we came to the Dahu Center to watch the bamboo rafting performance. The inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage jumped and turned on the 10-meter-high pole and floated on the bamboo raft on one foot. Their agility and agility were amazing. This performance not only demonstrates the charm of intangible cultural heritage skills, but also allows you to feel the bravery and wisdom of the people in the water town. **Huizhou style on the tip of your tongue** In addition to the "Jiangnan flavor", there are also many snack stalls and restaurants in the water town where you can taste a variety of delicacies. For example, the fragrant stinky tofu, the delicate glutinous rice cake, the delicious river fish, etc., each delicacy can greatly satisfy your taste buds. **Outfit Tips** In order to make your photos look better, it is recommended that you wear Hanfu or new Chinese clothing. With the blessing of such clothing, you will be more integrated into this water town full of ancient charm, and the photos you take will be more beautiful and artistic. **Practical Tips** The performance schedule is available at the entrance of the scenic area, which lists in detail the time and location of more than 10 fixed programs every day, including NPC flash mobs, operas, acrobatics, etc. Be sure to arrange your time wisely and don’t miss out on exciting night shows like the iron flower show and fish lantern parade! In Liqiao Water Town, you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, avoid crowded scenic spots, and enjoy your own tranquility and beauty. Every scenery, every performance, and every delicacy here can make you feel the unique charm of the water town. If you don’t know where to go during the May Day holiday, or want to find a niche tourist destination on weekdays, then Liqiao Water Town is definitely a good choice. I believe that coming here will subvert all your imaginations about the ancient town and bring you an unforgettable travel experience.