Zhejiang-Jiangxi-Fujian Road Trip (2) - "The Ancient Village Hanging on the Cliff": Huangling

Hand in Hand Travel Season 10 - Zhejiang-Jiangxi-Fujian Road Trip (2) "The Ancient Village Hanging on the Cliff": Huangling Hangzhou, Zhejiang → Shangrao, Jiangxi October 12, 2020 Weather: Sunny to cloudy, 18-26°C. We set off at 8 AM, taking the Chunyang Line, Jingtai Expressway, and Hangrui Expressway with very few vehicles. The first 30 km of the Chunyang Line is a scenic route—narrow but smooth, with mountains on the left and lakes on the right, offering charming views. The road has many bridges, tunnels, and curves, with a speed limit of 60 km/h, so we couldn’t drive fast. After 172 km, we arrived at Huangling at 11:30 AM. Huangling, located in the eastern part of Wuyuan County, Shangrao, Jiangxi, is known as "the ancient village hanging on the cliff" and is a typical mountain settlement (Figure 1). We decided to stay overnight in the village, so we booked in advance and confirmed with the scenic area. Today, we parked our car at the foot of the mountain, traveled light, and took the cable car up. The rooms at "Sunny Autumn Boutique Hotel" are renovated from old houses scattered throughout the village. The exterior walls retain their original, aged appearance, while the interior decor remains rustic yet harmonious. The facilities are modern and exceeded our expectations, though the prices are on the higher side (Figure 2). Huangling is a 600-year-old ancient village nestled in the Shier Mountains of Wuyuan, with Hui-style houses built along the mountain slopes (Figures 3-4). Every autumn, villagers dry their harvests on racks outside their homes, a tradition called "shai qiu" (sun-drying autumn) (Figure 5). In recent years, this custom has become a stunning attraction, drawing photography enthusiasts. Once a remote and impoverished area, Huangling was revitalized for tourism a decade ago. The original residents were relocated, and the village was restored to its historical charm, launching the "Sunny Autumn Boutique Hotel." After years of development, it officially opened in 2015. The "Sun-Drying Workshop," located at the highest point of Huangling, offers the best photography angles and views. On clear days, you can capture the layered white-walled, black-tiled houses and the vibrant colors displayed on bamboo drying trays (Figure 6). Famous for its "sun-drying autumn" scenes, the village becomes a world of bamboo trays during harvest season. Long wooden frames hold round trays filled with red chili peppers and yellow corn, creating a striking contrast against the gray-white houses (Figures 7-8). Huangling also features some man-made attractions, including the quirky "Upside-Down House," where everything inside is inverted, allowing visitors to take fun, disorienting photos. The slanted floor adds to the illusion, making people wobble as if gravity is off—prolonged stays might even cause dizziness! Despite it not being a holiday or weekend, the narrow Tianjie Street in Huangling was bustling with tourists, far busier than during our June road trip in Shandong and Jiangsu. This shows how quickly tourism has rebounded after the National Day holiday (Figure 9: night view). Tomorrow, we head to our next destination: Sanqingshan.