Historical Village sights in China
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Xīdì
Dating to AD 1047, the village of Xīdì has for centuries been a stronghold of the Hu (胡) clan, descended from the eldest son of the last Tang emperor who fled here in the twilight years of the Tang dynasty. Typical of the elegant Huīzhōu style, Xīdì's 124 surviving buildings reflect the wealth and prestige of the prosperous merchants who settled here.
Xīdì has flirted gaily with its increasing popularity and, as a Unesco World Heritage site, enjoys an increasingly lucrative tourist economy. The village nevertheless remains a picturesque tableau of slender lanes, cream-coloured walls topped with horse-head gables, roofs capped with dark tiles, and doorways ornately…
reviewed
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Tǎchuān
Located 3km northwest of Hóngcūn is the tiny little village of Tǎchuān. It's set at the base of a valley and noted for its stunning autumn scenery. Each year, the leaves on old-growth trees in and around the village change colours for anywhere between 10 to 30 days. The entire valley comes ablaze in shades of orange, green and brown, much to the delight of photographers. On other days, the villagers eke out their living by planting rice and tea. From afar, the village looks like a pagoda as it's built across the steps of foothills. House 18 has some of the most exquisite wooden carvings in the region. Admission includes a guide with limited English-speaking skills.
reviewed
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Nánpíng
With a history of over 1100 years, this intriguing and labyrinthine village, 5km to the west of Yīxiàn town, is famed as the setting of Zhang Yimou's 1989 tragedy Judou. Numerous ancient ancestral halls, clan shrines and merchant residences survive within Nánpíng's mazelike alleys, including the Chéngshì Zōngcí (程氏宗祠) and the Yèshì Zōngcí (叶氏宗祠). The Lǎo Yáng Jiā Rǎnfáng (老杨家染坊) residence that served as the principal household of dyer Gongli and her rapacious husband in Judou remains cluttered with props, and stills from the film hang from the walls. Admission includes a guide with limited English-speaking skills.
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Hóngcūn
Dating to the southern Song dynasty, the delightful village and Unesco World Heritage site of Hóngcūn, 11km northeast of Yīxiàn, has at its heart the crescent-shaped Moon Pond (月沼; Yuè Zhǎo) and is encapsulated by South Lake (南湖; Nán Hú), West Stream (西溪; Xī Xī) and Léigǎng Mountain (雷岗山; Léigǎng Shān). Famously conceived to resemble an ox, with its still-functioning waterway system representing the entrails, Hóngcūn is home to members of the traditionally wealthy Wang (汪) clan. The village is a charming and unhurried portrait of bridges, lakeside views, narrow alleys and traditional halls. Alleyway channels flush water through the village from West Stream to Moon Pond…
reviewed
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Guānlù
Around 8km west of Yīxiàn and further along the road beyond Nánpíng, this small village's drawcard sights are the fabulous households – Bādàjiā (八大家) – of eight rich brothers. Each Qing-dynasty residence shares similar elegant Huīzhōu features, with light wells, interior courtyards, halls, carved wood panels and small gardens. Each an independent entity, the households are interconnected by doors and linked together into a systemic whole. A distinctive aspect of the residences is their elegantly painted ceilings, the patterns and details of which survive. The houses have now been subdivided among the decendants' families. Sadly, many wings are in disrepair as…
reviewed