宣城市

Why this place

Xuancheng is where China's best traditional paper comes from — xuan paper, made from the bark of the sandalwood tree, has been produced here for over a thousand years and is still the paper used for calligraphy and painting by anyone serious about it. Along with Hui ink and She inkstones, this region made the tools of Chinese literate culture.

What to see

• The xuan paper workshops in Jingxian, where the paper is still made by hand sheet by sheet
• The Hui ink factories in Shexian, and the She inkstone quarries nearby
• Jingting Mountain and the Taiji cave; the old towns of the Huizhou region
• Zhaoting and the ancient village lanes of the Xuancheng countryside

What to eat

• Anhui Huizhou cooking — braised and steamed, with preserved vegetables and bamboo
• Xuancheng is known for its bamboo shoots and its wild tea

Best time

April–May and October–November