Taohuatan (Peach Blossom Pond) is located in Taohuatan Town, about 40 kilometers southwest of Jingxian County. It is famous because Li Bai wrote ‘The water in Taohuatan is a thousand feet deep, yet it cannot compare with Wang Lun’s sentiment in seeing me off.’ Taohuatan Town was formerly known as Nanyang Town. Peach Blossom Pond is actually a section of the Qingyi River. Chen Village on the east bank and Wan Village on the west bank face each other across the pond. These two ancient Huizhou-style villages are not extremely exquisite but have a kind of vicissitudes beauty. The old street is paved with irregular pebbles, and the walls on both sides are mottled. Once you pass through the narrow old street and see the suddenly opened clear pond water, it is a pleasant surprise.
Tour Guide Since the Taohuatan passenger transport station is on the east bank, generally tourists will start to tour Taohuatan from Chen Village. 150 meters north of the passenger transport station is the tourist service center of the scenic area. Enter the scenic area from here. First, you will see the three-story Wenchang Pavilion of the Qing Dynasty. If it is March or April, there are blooming rape flowers along the way. Then come to the No.1 Ancestral Temple in China (Zhai’s Ancestral Temple). The Zhai family is a large surname in the village. The ancestral temple was built in the Ming Dynasty. It has a large scale with three entrances. The building materials are precious nanmu and white marble. There are many plaques bestowed by the emperor hanging in the ancestral temple. Walk along the old street paved with pebbles. After passing through the gate tower of Nanyang Town, you can be regarded as truly entering Chen Village. There are some small shops and antique shops on the street. At the end of the old street is the two-story Tageangan Pavilion, which can be climbed. Beside the pavilion, the ‘Mengtanxuan’ ancient cultural relics exhibition hall collects cultural relics such as stone tablets and wood carvings. Pass through the doorway of Tageangan Pavilion, and Peach Blossom Pond is in front of you. Leiyudun and Huaixiange on the opposite bank are reflected in the water. Dongyuan Ancient Ferry refers to taking a ferry. When ferrying to the opposite bank, you can pay attention to the book-shaped stone under Leiyudun. The layers of rocks are like pages. Leiyudun mound is not high, so it is very easy to climb up Huaixiange on it. From the attic, you can have a panoramic view and see both Peach Blossom Pond and Chen Village. Then visit Wan Village on the west bank. Wan Village is more dilapidated than Chen Village. Only the gate tower on the west bank of Taotan and Xingyimen near the wharf are in good shape. Other scenic spots in Wan Village include Caihong Bridge (Colorful Rainbow Bridge), the ruins of the ‘Wanjia Hotel’ that Wang Lun is said to have used to invite Li Bai, and the newly built Wang Lun’s tomb in modern times. Whether tourists taking the line of Zhaji and Taohuatan or the line of Taiping Lake and Taohuatan, it is recommended to return to Taohuatan at last and stay overnight in the scenic area, because the evening and early morning of Taohuatan are the best. In the evening, at Tageangan Pavilion, you can just see the sunset of Peach Blossom Pond in the west. In the early morning, the pond surface is filled with mist, holding the green mountains, blurring the boats, like an ink painting. The probability of seeing the morning mist will be greater in May and June. Accommodation and Meals at Peach Blossom Pond There is no need to worry about accommodation and meals at Peach Blossom Pond. The problems of eating can be solved in the farm restaurants or inns run by local people in the scenic area. The dishes are mainly rural local dishes such as local chickens, river shrimps, and winter bamboo shoots.Opening hours: Open all year round from 08:00 to 16:00. Preferential policies: Children: Children under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.2 meters in height (inclusive), with their valid identity documents, are free of charge for the main entrance ticket and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry). Teenagers: Minors aged 6 to 18 years old (inclusive), with their valid identity documents, are half price. Seniors: People over 65 years old (inclusive), with their valid identity documents, are free of charge for the main entrance ticket and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry). People aged 60 to 65 years old (inclusive), with their valid identity documents, are half price. Students: Full-time undergraduate and below students, with their valid student certificates, are half price. Disabled people: With their valid identity documents such as ID cards, are free of charge for the main entrance ticket and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry). Military personnel: Active-duty soldiers and retired military cadres, with their valid identity documents such as ID cards, are free of charge for the main entrance ticket and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry). Journalists: Free with valid documents. Photographers: Free with provincial (inclusive) or above photography certificates or membership cards of the China Photographers Association. Disabled soldiers: Free with military disability certificates. Supplementary note: People exempt from the main entrance ticket need to pay an additional comprehensive service fee of 15 yuan. The above information is for reference only. The specific information shall be subject to the disclosure on the day of the scenic spot. Service facilities: Parking lot: [Parking lot of Peach Blossom Pond Scenic Area]. Reference price: 10 yuan/time. Address: 50 meters west of County Road 063. Parking spaces: 300.
