Each autumn rain brings about a cold spell. In autumn, the amazing scenery captures the interest of photographers. The autumn scenery in Tachuan is believed to be one of the top four autumn sceneries in China. In Tachuan, the towering Chinese Tallow trees guards the village entrance and embraces the village. In autumn, multi-colored leaves are scattered all over the mountains. Tachuan has become a must-see. In autumn, the sky is clear, the air is fresh and the wind is cool. As a photographic enthusiast, you may as well come and have a look!

Tachuan village in Yixian county, Anhui province, is reputed as one of the three best autumn scenery places to shoot photography in China. I went there and shot some pictures in the late autumns of 2008 and 2009. Shortly after I bought an SLR and learned photography in 2008, I went to Tachuan. There I was welcome with pleasant weather and was able to shoot many wonderful scenes. I’ve since become a shutterbug. It is all Tachuan fault! Now that it is autumn once more, we plan to visit Tachuan again. Below is something I wrote during photographing the scenary.

On the afternoon of November 11, 2008, we, four photographers headed to Tachuan and Xieli in Yixian county, Anhui. Two days ago, Lao Yu and a few photographers went there. They suggested we lodge at Lao Wu’s home in Xieli. At about 3: 30 pm, the landlord Lao Wu met us at a road junction of Hongcun village and led us to a place to take photos near the highway behind the village.

Standing at a high point, we looked at the mountain villages of Xieli and Tachuan. They were tidily arranged at the foot of the mountains. The maple leaves on the hills behind the villages were red. They were mixed with green trees and yellow leaves, creating a strong feeling of autumn. In front of the villages, there was a medium-sized reservoir. The water glistened in the sun. What a rural scene in Southern Anhui!

At 5: 30 pm, the sun went down and it was getting dark. Lao Wu, riding a motorcycle, led the way. The road was full of twists and turns. After we crossed a spur, entered into a col and passed the reservoir, without notice we had arrived at the foot of the mountain foot that we had taken photos of only hours before. Lao Wu’s home was right there. The house was a typical farmhouse in Huizhou. In order to provide accommodation for tourists, he built a four-room guest house in the south of the courtyard a few years ago. As more tourists and photographers come here, Lao Wu mainly provides reception service. He offers free meals and tour guidance for the guests lodging in his home. The photo sites he chose for us were very good. This saved us a lot of time. After dinner, we sat in the courtyard, drinking tea. When I saw the bright moon hanging above the horse-head wall, I hurriedly ran into the room, took my camera and captured this rare farmhouse night scene. This is the photo titled “Moon above the Horse Head”.

That night in the remote mountains was quiet. We all slept well. When we woke up, it was 6 o’clock already. After we got up, we went out to take more photos with Lao Wu.

After we crossed the ridges in the field in front of the village, we slowly climbed up a slope. At the top of the slope, we looked in the direction of the reservoir. We couldn’t help but gasp. A layer of white mist was floating between the mountains and water, as if a white dragon was twining on the mountainside, with its head in the west and tail in the east. We shot this spectacular scene. After shooting the auspicious clouds, we looked to the east. The mountains around us formed a valley where a few villages were situated. Sunlight refracted from the high mountains behind the villages. Concentrated beams shed upon the fields, paddy stacks, rivulets, maple trees, smoke from kitchen chimneys and morning fog. They together formed a terrific scene. We felt like we were in fairyland. For a photography lover, you will be pleased when you see this good scene, you will be even more pleased when you are greeted with good weather but you will thank luck when you come across the rare and beautiful mists. We stayed there only one night. LaoWu said the scenes we met were rarely seen in Tachuan and Xieli, and the mists and shadows were even rarer.

Optimal travel time

Mid November is the best time. The red leaves all over the mountains are fascinating. Many painters and photographers come here during this period.

Location

55 km west Tunxi, Huangshan, 4 km near Hongcun village

Ticket: 20 yuan/person

Business hours: 8: 00~17: 30 (the whole trip takes 1.5h)

Transport: Minibus from Tunxi Bus Station to Yixian county is available. The ticket price is 8 yuan. It takes about a half hour to walk to the destination from Hongcun village.

Food: Mountain delicacies are the most characteristic dishes. There are also some local snacks and pastries.

Accommodation: You may lodge in farmhouses in Tachuan. The sanitary condition is acceptable. The landlords provide free meals. The charge is 30 yuan/day*person. If you want to stay in a star-rated hotel, you can go to Tunxi after visiting Tunxi bamboo grove. The charge varies from tens of yuan to hundreds of yuan. Shopping: the most famous three products are ancient Huizhou Embroidery, Keenmun Black Tea and Sixi Three Treasures.

(chinadaily.com.cn)