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Mount Huang，part of Huizhou area in the ancient time, has a long history and traditional commercial culture along with a splendid natural environment. For visitors to Mt. Huang, both its cultural handicraft and natural local produce are not to be missed.
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Tunxi Ancient Street prospered with emergence of the Hui merchants since the surge of commercial ports in Shanghai-Hangzhou area in the 1930s. The street, about 1km long and 7m wide, is lined up with shops and stores built mostly of brick and wood, revealing the ancient charms of Huizhou style of architecture. The structure of the stores characterized by its larger space on the inside than its outside highlights the antiquity of the street as well. Among dozens of the time-honored shops on the street, Tong De Ren, founded in the second year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, is a traditional medicine shop with a history of over 120 years. World famous “Keemun Black Tea” and “Twaikay Tea” are produced mostly in Tunxi; the shops on the street sell varieties of Huizhou ink stick and She inkstone while “the Four Carving of Huizhou (brick, wood, stone, bamboo) ” and products like traditional Chinese paintings and bonsais can been found everywhere. The glamorous Huizhou culture manifested by this street makes it a perfect gallery of the national cultures and traditions.
It is often said that “famous mountains stock fine herbs”. Huangshan Mao Feng Tea is very good and cheap. If you visit Mountain Huang in spring, you may catch up with the “new tea” season and you don’t want to miss it.
Huizhou inkstick and She inkstone are the top two of the Four Treasures of Study. Due to the shortage of raw materials and loss of the traditional craft, the outlook for their production is far from encouraging. However, the fact that the popularization of computers causes the Four Treasures of Study to be less needed but even pricier has turned them into great souvenirs for your friends and family.
Whether to buy a She inkstone should be based on its quality first and its technique next. There are plenty stores with the pattern of "Front Shops and Back Factories” on the ancient streets in Huangshan. Some exquisite stores sell designer products, each of which may cost at least 150 RMB. Chat with the owner in a humble tone. Let them feel your respect for their hard work in order to get you a lower price.
Huizhou inkstick is fairly cheap. Ordinary inksticks usually cost 5 RMB a piece while the price of a superior one may reach 20 RMB. Pay attention to the local peddlers around the tourist spots. Research the market before buying anything in case they charge you an exorbitant price.