My partner and I took a holiday in Anji to slow down. We rafted through Shenxi Valley, waited for the blue hour and afterglow on Chenluo Mountain, waded in the stream by Tianhuangping Primary School, and paused in the fields of Yu Village to take a few quiet photos. The pressure and noise of city life seemed to stay behind us; what remained was a simple appetite for nature, and a sense of belonging to it. However clever people become, we are still animals of a higher intelligence, and returning to nature feels like the real way home.
Rafting in Shenxi Valley
Anji has no shortage of rafting spots. We picked Shenxi Valley because we had heard the water there was clearer. Tickets are cheaper if bought online two hours ahead; after comparing, Fliggy came out best at about 130 yuan per person.
When we navigated to the lower dock parking lot, parking was free but extremely tight—almost no space. We had packed a waterproof phone pouch but left it behind at the last minute 😅, so we improvised with a plastic bag. These days phones are water-resistant anyway, and a few splashes were not a big deal. Since it was just the two of us, we did not join the water fights, and the whole rafting trip was over in a little more than an hour.
Sunset on Chenluo Mountain
Chenluo Mountain is not far from Shenxi Valley. After rafting, around four or five in the afternoon, we followed the winding mountain road upward and headed straight for the summit to wait for sunset.
The top is both a great viewpoint and a paragliding base. I heard a high-altitude flight costs about 800 yuan. I did not go—not because I was afraid, but because if I actually flew off, there would be no one left to drive 😅.
Wading by Tianhuangping Primary School
Navigate to Tianhuangping Primary School; there is a large parking area opposite the school. Once parked, stone steps lead down to the stream. The water is clear enough to see the bottom, cool and pleasant—very suitable for children to play in.
Fields of Yu Village
Compared with other sights, Yu Village feels a little understated, but its large, tidy fields of green still make you look twice. Every casual shot seemed to turn into a picture, and it matched the romantic pastoral scene I had in mind.
A View Toward Xiaohangkeng
If the weather is clear, Xiaohangkeng is genuinely striking: green hills all around, clear water, blue sky and white clouds setting each other off. If you can gather a few friends and spend a whole afternoon at the campsite there, it would probably be the most pleasurable choice.
