Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang 2009
My August 2009 trip to China involved a two-week driving tour of outstanding natural and cultural attractions in Henan, Anhui and Zhejiang Provinces, as well as the capital cities of all three provinces.
This is the Photo Album from my trip – while viewing these pictures you can at the same time read the story from this trip (opens in new window/tab).
A modern city with an ancient history, Zhengzhou's old city area features tree-lined streets. The Erqi Memorial Tower and adjacent Erqi Square are at the centre of a major commerial area in downtown Zhengzhou.
3 Photos
The Shaolin Temple was established in the 5th century and is well known as the home of the Shaolin Kung Fu martial art. The 228 pagoda tombs of the pagoda forest are the resting place of prominent temple masters, with the oldest built in 791 AD.
42 Photos
The Yellow River Scenic Area is at the terminal point between China's loess plateau and the North China Plain. Here five thousand years ago Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang formed an alliance beginning thousands of years of Chinese civilization.
10 Photos
The Hefei city centre is ringed by a green belt of parks, waterways, lakes and historic sites.
1 Photos
Beautiful Taiping Lake is located in southern Anhui province, adjacent to the expressway between Anhui capital Hefei and the Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) World Heritage area.
2 Photos
Huangshan (Tunxi) city has tranquil riverside parks and paths and a fascinating old commercial street with buildings dating from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, some of them more than 700 years old.
7 Photos
The World Heritage listed boat-shaped Xidi village has a long history of over 950 years. It features 124 well-preserved residences with the distinctive Anhui architecture of whitewashed stone walls and ornate tiled roofs.
33 Photos
World Heritage listed Hongcun village has the shape of a buffalo and has more than 140 residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties said to be among the best of their kind in China. Beautiful South Lake and Moon Pond are prominent features.
27 Photos
The Huangshan Bamboo Forest is managed for bamboo timber production and was a filming location for the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
4 Photos
Reaching 1864m at its highest point, the spectacular scenery of the World Heritage listed Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) features jagged granite outcrops, mystical rolling cloud mists and the distinctive Huangshan pine tree.
23 Photos
Thousand Island Lake (Qiandao Lake) is a man-made lake featuring 1,078 large islands and several thousand smaller ones.
7 Photos
West Lake in Hangzhou is one of China's most famous attractions. We called in to Hangzhou for only a few hours - far too short a time to be able to take in all that West Lake and Hangzhou have to offer.
3 Photos
Wuhu city is located on the Yangtze River. We visited Wuhu for just a day on the way back from Huangshan, but several days could easily be spent here taking in the range of interesting historical and natural attractions.
2 Photos
For the stories and pictures from my other trips to China see My China Trips and the Galleries.