Xuancheng

Xuancheng sits in southeastern Anhui where the province meets Jiangsu and Zhejiang, a hilly region rich in traditional crafts. Jingxian County within the prefecture is the birthplace of Xuan paper and Xuan brushes, materials fundamental to Chinese calligraphy and ink painting and inscribed on UNESCO's heritage lists. The city was long a cultural center, and the poet Li Bai often visited its Xie Tiao Tower. The ancient Hui-style village of Longchuan in Jixi County is noted for its ancestral halls and stone archways. Karst caves such as Taiji Cave and tea-and-hickory-growing hills round out its attractions.