At the foot of Niushou Mountain lies the great Shi'ao Village

Shi'ao Taoyuan is located in Shi'ao Village, Zhoucun Community, Guli Sub-district, Jiangning District, Nanjing City. Situated at the southwest foot of Niushou Mountain Scenic Area, it is at the northernmost end of the Niushou-Yuntai Ecological Corridor and is known as 'China's most beautiful village'. Shi'ao Taoyuan, with its overall style dominated by Hui-style architecture, features white walls and grey tiles under the lush green mountains, forming a beautiful landscape at the foot of Niushou Mountain. The village's blue brick alleys, wooden fence gates, and large red lanterns create a sense of stepping into another world. Stone carvings, memorial archways, pavilions, and scenic corridors, along with the blossoming of spring peaches, summer lotuses, autumn osmanthus, and winter plums, fulfill the vision of 'flowers in every season, scenery at every step' in 'the first village of Niushou'. Shi'ao was originally called Da Shi'ao, and 60 years ago, it was known as 'Da Shi'ao'. As early as the fourth year of Jianyan (1130), the anti-Jin hero Yue Fei was ordered to recapture Jiankang. He fought a major battle against the Jin troops at Niushou Mountain, forcing them to retreat north of the Yangtze River, which led to the recovery of the city of Jiankang after being occupied for half a year. To stabilize the Southern Song Dynasty's 'precarious situation in the south of the Yangtze River', Yue Fei stationed his troops at the southwest foot of Niushou Mountain, which is today's Shi'ao Village. To defend against the Jin troops and consolidate the victory, Yue Fei not only strengthened military training but also organized his soldiers to build a stone barrier about 5000 meters long, winding and undulating, which connected with the anti-Jin stone barrier of Mufu Mountain, forming a continuous line. Under the Tang Pagoda of Niushou Mountain, there are still large remnants of Yue Fei's anti-Jin fortifications. Since the area is surrounded by mountains on three sides and is in a mountain hollow, people called it 'Da Shi'ao', referring to the place where Yue's main army was stationed and where they defeated the Jin troops, welcoming the return of the Southern Song court. Later generations, to avoid the warlike connotations of the word 'Shi' (师), changed it to 'Shi' (世), implying an era of peace and prosperity. Niushou Mountain is a famous spot for spring outings in Nanjing. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Hongjue Temple of Niushou Mountain, as the lower court of the royal temple, has been bustling with incense. Every spring in March, with lush forests and bamboo, peach blossoms compete in beauty; at dusk, the twilight is vast, with clouds steaming and colorful mists, creating an ethereal and dreamy atmosphere, worthy of the name 'Niushou Misty Mountains' and the reputation of 'Spring Niushou'. Adjacent to it, the peach blossoms of Shi'ao Village are wild and the scenery is beautiful, attracting numerous visitors. Talented men and beautiful women compose poems and verses, and delightful stories are frequently told, earning it the reputation of a 'Peach Blossom Utopia'.