The eastwards blue line one sees on the tourist map of Huangshan City indicates the Xin'an River that originated from Huaiyu Mountain in Xiuning County. The brook expands as it rolls down, joining the Hengjiang River at Tunxi. Here, it becomes the 200 kilometer long gently fIowing Xin'an River. Sailing on the river, one sees houses of Hui style with white wall and gray tiles here and there on both sides. The fir, bamboo, tea bushes, loquat and orange forests on the hills extend as far as you can see, displaying a charming water landscape in southern China.
The Xin'an River is a major waterway of vital importance to the local economy, shipping out timber and local agricultural products and transporting in salt and manufactured goods. Tunxi, Yuliang Town and Shendu in Shexian County along the river used to be bustling river ports in the old days. There are still in Yuliang Town a one kilometer long Old Street which used to be the marketplace.
There are numerous scenic spots along the Xin'an River. At Bingtan that is close to the river source, there is the mausoleum of Wang Youdun, an imperial minister in the Qing Dynasty. Standing around the mausoleum are carved stone human figures, horses, tigers, sheep and lions with graphic features. In Tunxi and Shexian County, the river embraces ancient pavilions and bridges as well as clusters of lakes. Further down the river, one can see the busy rural and urban scenes. On the lower reaches of the Xin'an River there is the pearl-like Qiandao Lake. It has never failed to impress the visitors with its breathtaking beauty. The travel route from the West Lake in Hangzhou to Qiandao Lake, Shexian and and finally to Huangshan has become a hot tourist line.