Xidi and Hongcun can easily be reached from Huangshan City. Until quite recently, foreigners required a permit when visiting this region (and especially the little villages). This has been abandoned now so it seems, at least I wasn't bothered. Transport is abundant too. I was on my way to the bus station to take a bus to Yixian from where minibusses are leaving to both towns when I was 'highjacked' by a taxi driver. The friendly guy offered to drive me around for the day, and we quickly agreed on a price. The drive from Huangshan City takes about 45 minutes and is a pleasant one through the hilly and rural landscape of Anhui.

We first stopped at Xidi, where 124 traditional houses remain. Especially near the entrance of the village, every inhabitant seems to have opened a souvenir shop, which is a bit annoying. The highlight of the village is behind you then already: a great three-tiered stone arch.

The village is bigger than you'd expect, and one can easily spend 1,5-2 hours here. Besides the ubiquitous Chinese tour groups, I met many high school students painting the street scenes. Lots of local people were doing their laundry in the waters running through the village, probably taking advantage of this wonderful sunny day.

Hongcun, about 15 km away from Xidi, has several of the same features as Xidi but distinguishes itself by its pools and narrow streets. I found it a bit difficult to navigate here, the town has a strange shape (like a water buffalo, the Chinese say). But eventually, I reached the Moon Pond, a crescent-shaped pool surrounded by houses. What a great spot! I immediately decided to make this the place to unpack my lunch and just sit here for a while.

There are also a number of large houses open to the public in Hongcun. I was surprised by their lavish interiors. Carved wooden beams are the main feature here, which is so different from the whitewashed stone exteriors of these houses.

Both Xidi and Hongcun charge an 80 Yuan entry fee (8 EUR), and sometimes one has to pay a few Yuan extra to take a look inside a house. It is worth visiting both, though I found Hongcun the more picturesque and quiet one of the two.