The province’s main ferry port has little to offer, and its few sights include the Guangji Si on Zhe Shan, founded in AD 894, and the nearby Zhe Pagoda, from where there are views over the city. Some streets in the city’s center are lined with old houses with thatched roofs and mud walls, and make for a pleasant stroll. Wuhu is also a good base for visiting Li Bai’s Tomb at Caishiji, 7 km from Ma’an Shan, the first stop south of Wuhu on the railway line. Li Bai (AD 701-762), a Tang-dynasty poet, was a famous drunk and is said to have died drowning in the moon’s reflection. His tomb stands at the top of a long series of steps behind a Qing-dynasty temple, and overlooks the Yangzi. It may only contain Li Bai’s clothes, as his final resting place is still the subject of debate.

Located 60 km southeast of Wuhu, Xuancheng is the site of the Alligator Breeding Center, which has successfully increased the population of this endangered species. Found only in Anhui, the wild population remains small, but the captive population now runs into thousands, and it may soon be possible to reintroduce these reptiles back into the wild.