Jiangyong Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Shang Gan Tang Village Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
These five ancient villages are a perfect escape from the world!
Unrelated to the romantic charm, they are simply frozen in time
Just like the old days, songs echo in the empty valley, the ridges sway, watching the rain fall in the courtyard, guarding the blooming of a garden
In these five villages, with very few tourists, one can watch the seasons change, spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvesting, winter storing... simple and prolonged through the daily meals and overnight stays.
Zhejiang Lishui Longquan Xia Zhang Village. The mountain springs babble, the houses stand dignified, a waterfall hangs flying, resembling a scene from a Song Dynasty painting.
Zhejiang Jinhua Lanxi Changle Village. The ancient village has a rich texture and orderly heritage, where lovers of ancient architecture can find high-quality examples of large Ming Dynasty woodwork from the Jiangnan region. The He Garden upper hall, Jin Dazong ancestral hall, and Xiangxian Hall are all spectacular. The village is quiet and tidy, with very few tourists, and the villagers are simple and hospitable.
Hunan Yongzhou Shang Gantang Village. A village that seems to have walked out of a painting, with the Song Dynasty bridge quite mottled, ancient houses lined up in order, under the setting sun, intense and profound.
Anhui Shexian Hongkeng Village. The archways are extremely beautiful, and the Hong family ancestral hall is also a rare example of a Ming Dynasty ancestral hall in the Jiangnan region. The village is not large, but it has many treasures and almost no tourists.
Anhui Yixian Shiting Village. The original appearance of Huizhou, with mottled support, light chanting of small characters, hastily exchanging time for years...
Travel through a millennium, and uncover the historical imprints and geomantic secrets of Gantang Ancient Village in Yongzhou, Hunan
Gantang Ancient Village in Yongzhou, Hunan, is a tranquil place that carries a thousand years of history, and it is an excellent destination for experiencing the ancient culture of southern Hunan. Here is a detailed travel guide to help you better plan your trip to Gantang.
Transportation Guide:
- Train: You can take a train directly to Jiangyong County from cities like Changsha, Wuhan, and Shanghai. If there is no direct train from your city, you can transfer at Yongzhou.
- Plane: Yongzhou Lingling Airport has flights to and from Beijing and Changsha. You can fly to Yongzhou first and then take a train to Jiangyong County.
- From Jiangyong County to Gantang: After getting off at Jiangyong Railway Station, you can rent a car to the old bus station and then take a bus to Taochuan, getting off at Gantang Village.
Accommodation Suggestions:
- Choose local homestays or inns to experience the warm hospitality of the locals and enjoy authentic southern Hunan cuisine.
Attractions Recommendations:
1. Xiemu River: The river is clear, and the scenery on both banks is charming, making it the soul of the ancient village.
2. Buyun Bridge: A three-arch stone bridge built during the Song Dynasty, it is a historic and iconic structure of the ancient village.
3. Wenchang Pavilion: Built during the Ming Dynasty, it is a public cultural space of the ancient village, with a magnificent pavilion worth visiting.
4. Yuebei Pavilion: A natural stone pavilion with precious cliff inscriptions, it is a favored place for literati to compose poetry.
5. Ancient Village: Stroll along the cobblestone lanes and feel the historical accumulation of the ancient village.
Cultural Experience:
- Visit the history of the Zhou family and learn how this family has continued for a thousand years in Gantang.
- Experience the local geomancy culture, feel the Bagua layout of the ancient village, and the harmony of Yin and Yang.
- Taste the special cuisine of southern Hunan, such as spicy fish head with chopped chili and stinky tofu, and enjoy the flavors of Hunan on the tip of your tongue.
Notes:
- Respect local customs and protect the environment of the ancient village.
- Arrange your itinerary reasonably to avoid the peak of tourist flow during holidays.
- Pay attention to safety, especially when visiting ancient bridges and stone pavilions.
Gantang Ancient Village, a place full of historical charm, awaits your exploration. Here, you can slow down, listen to the whispers of history, and feel the sediment of a thousand years of culture.
Hunan's forgotten millennium-old village is truly a hidden paradise!
After returning home for the National Day holiday, as a person from Yongzhou, I took the opportunity to promote the lesser-known eighteenth-tier city of Yongzhou! When it comes to Yongzhou, most people may not know about it, and those who do probably only know it because of the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Zongyuan's 'Record of the Little Stone Pool', but Yongzhou actually has many hidden scenic spots!
This time, I want to recommend two ancient villages in Jiangyong County of Yongzhou - Shanggantang Village and Goulan Yao Village, located on the southern border of Hunan, adjacent to Guangxi. Here exists the world's only script created exclusively for women, the 'Jiangyong Nüshu', which originated in the Han Dynasty, has a history of a thousand years, and is now recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage! They have a profound historical and cultural heritage, but until now they remain unnamed, sleeping in the midst of these mountains...
Shanggantang Village
is one of the oldest millennium-old villages discovered in Hunan Province, mainly featuring architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with some buildings from the Song dynasty, exuding an ancient and simple charm. The entire village is imbued with a strong sense of antiquity!
Attractions: Wenchang Pavilion, Buyin Bridge, etc.
i Goulan Yao Village
Founded during the Ming Dynasty, it is a settlement of the Yao ethnic group. It seems to be the paradise described by the poet Tao Yuanming, with the village surrounded by mountains, green hills and clear waters, solemn houses, and few tourists... From October to December, it is also the season for sun-curing the harvest, with yellow corn and red chili peppers drying everywhere in the village, matched with the reddish-brown brick houses, presenting a scene of bountiful harvest!
Jiangyong Shanggantang Ancient Village Scenic Area
Yongzhou Jiangyong| The Shanggantang Village by the mountain and water
| The Shanggantang Village by the mountain and water. Shanggantang Village is a Han ethnic village. Its architectural style and layout are ingeniously similar to the surrounding Yao ethnic villages. The Zhou family has settled here for more than 1000 years and has passed down more than forty generations. This family has produced many talents, including more than 100 officials above the seventh rank, two imperial scholars, and countless scholars and talents.
I originally thought the village would not be very large, but in fact, it is much larger than I imagined. There are more than 200 buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties preserved here, but apart from the area along the river, most of the old houses on the mountainside have been abandoned.
Like Goulan Yao Village, Shanggantang Village also does not require a ticket, and vehicles do not need to be parked in the parking lot outside the scenic area gate (the navigation only leads to here), you can drive directly to the parking lot near Wenchang Pavilion.
Shanggantang Village and Goulan Yao Village both have various restaurants and inns, and they are not far from Jiangyong County, only 25 kilometers away, and it takes half an hour to drive.
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Goulan Yao Village Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Visit 'Shenzhou Yaodou' Jianghua to see the Gaoshan Yao divine worship paintings from the Jiaqing period!
Yongzhou is a place inhabited by multiple ethnic groups and is the ancestral home of the Yao people. Jianghua Yao Autonomous County is known as 'Shenzhou Yaodou', where Yao folk customs have their unique charm. Qianjiadong and Panwang Temple are sacred places for Yao people around the world to seek their roots and ancestors.
The Gaoshan Yao colored ritual divine worship paintings in Wujing Township of Jianghua contain Taoist themes, worship of Panhu, climbing the knife mountain, pounding glutinous rice cakes, embroidery, etc., reflecting the history and culture of the Yao people, their folk beliefs, social life, and their integration with other ethnic groups.
The Shigu Dengting, located at the entrance of the upper village of Goulan Yaozhai in Lanxi, was built during the Ming Dynasty. Below it stand sixteen round wooden pillars reaching up to the sky, and above are three layers of overhanging eaves soaring into the air. The three layers of eaves symbolize 'rising three levels', and the Goulan Yao people often sing and dance here.
Lanxi Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province, Goulan Yao Village
Goulan Yao Village is a thousand-year-old Yao village located in Lanxi Yao Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. The Yao Village retains the ancient village wall relics from the Ming Dynasty, with three layers of defense works, which is a typical castle-style ancient Yao Village. Goulan Yao, along with Fuling Yao, Qingxi Yao, and Gudiao Yao, are collectively known as the 'Four Famous Yao' of Jiangyong County.
As the name suggests, Yao Village is a settlement of the Yao people. Goulan Yao Village has a long history, spanning more than a thousand years from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It still retains more than 300 ancient houses from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Other larger buildings include Panwang Temple, Xianggong Temple, Shuilong Temple, Guan Gong Temple, etc.; there are also small landscapes such as social altars, dance pavilions, gazebos, bridges, and ancient relics can be seen everywhere in the village.
Goulan Yao Village is composed of Huangjia Village, Shang Village, and Daxing Village, covering an area of about six square kilometers. The overall layout follows the mountainous terrain, with mountains and water. There are currently 13 surnames including Jiang, Ouyang, Huang, He, etc., with more than 2,900 people, and it has continued for more than 40 generations.
Thousands of years ago, the ancestors of Goulan Yao Village built a complete village wall and pass for the safety of the clan, which combined with the eight mountains around the village to form a closed whole. The village wall is built with bluestone masonry, and supporting facilities such as night watch houses, guanxiang, surname gate towers, and alley gate towers are built. The village gate is set in the middle.
The early village wall was 2,000 meters long, and about 800 meters remain. The courtyard-style houses are surrounded in the middle of the village wall. Defensive buildings like Goulan Yao Village that appear in ancient villages are very precious. They not only reflect the superb skills of the ancients, but also reflect local customs, and have passed on the long history and rich cultural heritage of Yao Village to future generations.
📍Location: Lanxi Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province
🚗Transportation: 35 kilometers by self-driving from Jiangyong County, 30 kilometers by self-driving from Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi.
💰Cost: No admission fee
👫Tips: Choose good weather for more beautiful photos, there are homestays in Yao Village for meals and accommodation, and the price is not expensive.
Goulan Yao Village
Yongzhou Jiangyong was moved by the quiet village
A glance at the ancient border of Hunan and Guangxi for a thousand years. One is the Gantang of the Tang Dynasty, and the other is the Goulan of the Ming Dynasty.
Entering the village, stone bridges and ancient wells, narrow alleys crisscross, brick tiles are mottled, stories are engraved in the old locks of wooden doors, in the couplets of archways, on the black window lattices, in the stone carvings of stele pavilions... A sense of history that is long, decayed, and desolate sweeps over.
In the alley, three or five old people look at us with silent eyes. The dogs seem to be exceptionally quiet, not barking or shouting. A little white dog silently follows all the way, not leaving from the head of the village to the end of the village.... The sense of déjà vu from the Peach Blossom Spring, from the small hole to the Qin land, arises spontaneously.
Walking among them, the beautiful scenery is the green mountains in the distance, the water surrounds the houses, the flying eaves and red walls, and the green water reflects. "Cut bamboo to take the road, see a small pool below, the water is particularly clear. The whole stone is the bottom, near the shore, the stone bottom is rolled out, forming a mound, an island, a rock, a rock. Green trees and vines, tangled and swaying, unevenly spread" The vague impression of the 'Little Stone Pool Record' that I recited when I was a child is called out again.
Climbing up the hill, overlooking the small village, everywhere is lush and lonely, the courtyard is cold and clear. "Sitting on the pool, surrounded by bamboo and trees on all sides, lonely and uninhabited, chilling and chilling, quietly deep. Because its environment is too clear, it cannot be lived for a long time, so I recorded it and left"... Liu Zongyuan's Yongzhou feelings, at this moment, a thousand-year-old divine meeting.
When leaving, Xiao Bai sent to the front of the car like a picturesque scenery, like a shuttle time
space...... How many things, no more meetings
Address: Xia Gantang Village and Goulan Yao Village, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province
travel Self-driving tourvillage town Yao VillageGantang Village
Traditional village - Goulan Yao Village
The Goulan Yao Village in Lanxi Yao Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province, is one of the "Four Yao Villages" in Jiangyong County. It is a castle-style Yao village, built in the Ming Dynasty. The village has more than 300 residential buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as scenic buildings such as the community altar, four-sided pavilion, Wind and Two Bridges, Panwang Temple, Xianggong Temple, Shuilong Temple, and Guan Gong Temple. The Goulan Yao Village also has a unique "Mud-washing Festival" folk custom.
Jiangyong Women's Book Garden Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Jiangyong County - Fusui Village of Nüshu Village - So comfortable
Nüshu Village is the only script in the world that exists specifically for women, located in Yongzhou City, Hunan Province.
Fusui Village and Tongkou Village are part of Jiangyong County's Nüshu Village.
Nüshu is a syllabic script of the Chinese dialect used exclusively by women in Jiangyong, known as the only script that exists specifically for women. However, the Yongzhou Museum and the Jiangyong Nüshu Culture Museum have offered differing views on its origins and status.
The Nüshu Cultural Village scenic area is based on one of the traditional Nüshu villages, Fusui Village (15+). After checking tickets and crossing the iron chain bridge over the Yongming River, you arrive at the area. The management of this scenic area is lax, and it lacks proper stewardship, so it is recommended to take the small path in. If you can't find it, it's advised not to enter.
The only thing worth seeing in the scenic area is the museum, which wasn't interesting enough to warrant a detailed visit. The appearance of Fusui Village nearby is also poor, with few old houses that don't seem to have much history. However, the rice fields, mountains, muddy rapids, and thick clouds are still very comforting.
Not far from Fusui Village is Tongkou Village (15-), but the road is quite circuitous. This village has three provincially protected buildings: the Lu Family Archway, Mingfeng Ancestral Hall, and Mingfeng Pavilion. When I saw the photos, I found the Mingfeng Pavilion situated amidst the rice fields to be quite beautiful, and that alone made me determined to visit.
When I actually saw the Mingfeng Pavilion, I was indeed about to cheer with joy. Walking along the edge of the rice fields towards the pavilion, the breeze stirred up waves of green, and the sound of birds chirping amidst the picturesque scenery was incredibly comfortable.
Unique female text
Only heard of "female red", never heard of "female book (female character)", but it exists in the world in a peculiar way. It was created by women, used by women, only passed on to women, not to men. This is a kind of text that is circulated in Shangjiangwei Town, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou, and it is also the only existing gender text discovered by humans so far. The village of Female Book is located on a small island, surrounded by Xiao water on all sides. After entering the village through a suspension bridge hidden in the trees, a Female Book Garden Museum has been built in the village, and several contemporary inheritors are explaining, teaching reading, and chanting. The female book was discovered in the 1980s. There are various versions of folk tales about when to create characters and the reasons for creating characters. Due to the lack of documentary records and the custom of "burning books when people die" by local female book inheritors, the earliest works left in the world are no earlier than the Qing Dynasty, so many sources have become a mystery. The female book used to be written on a folding fan with a tree branch dipped in the bottom of the pot. The font looks slender and elegant, forming a whole, and it seems to have no continuity in construction with pictographic characters. Reading is the local Hakka dialect. There are more than 2,000 single characters in the female book, and more than 600 common phrases, which were enough for women inside and outside the village to communicate and communicate at that time. From this perspective, although the living environment of women at that time was closed, they did not close themselves. They had their own communities and circles of friends. In a patriarchal society, they were not allowed to read and recognize characters, so they created their own characters and did not play with you. Isn't this also a great woman?
The Culinary Explorer s Journey
Ancient Buildings, Shanggantang Village Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The ancient village that has been around for a thousand years is located in the vicinity of Guangzhou
◆Location: Shanggantang Village, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province
🎫Ticket: Free, there is a parking lot at the entrance of the village
It is very suitable for self-driving as the road conditions are very good, with very little commercial atmosphere, yet it is conveniently accessible. The ancient village is not large, but it is full of surprises. The village has preserved many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it is amazing to find that they are built in the Hui style. The villagers living here are the original inhabitants, with simple customs, tranquility, and a sense of worldly life. The village has a history of over 800 years, and even though half of the Buyin Bridge has collapsed, it is still in use. It is the only remaining three-arched ancient stone bridge from the Song dynasty in Hunan Province. Standing on the bridge and taking photos with the adjacent Ming dynasty building, the Wenchang Pavilion, is very picturesque.
There is also the site of the Xiemu County Yamen, located behind the village, but it took us a long time to find it. There are signs in the village, but the signs are a bit misleading, as they stop halfway. Just follow the direction, and at the back of the village, after the last sign, walk down the alley in the direction of the village's back, and you will find it. If you really can't find it, just ask the villagers. The reason to visit the site is that next to it, you can walk up to the top of a small hill and overlook the entire village, which is truly a beautiful sight.
Changle Ancient Village Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The tranquil and leisurely Changle Ancient Village
Changle Ancient Village, along with Zhuge Bagua Village, belongs to the Ming and Qing ancient architectural complex. Compared to the bustling and more expensive Bagua Village (entrance fee 90), Changle Ancient Village offers a more leisurely and serene atmosphere. The houses are built along the riverbank with earthen walls and tiles, and the ecological environment is well preserved. Villagers wash and sunbathe by the river in front of their homes, quietly enjoying the slow pace of life.
These five ancient villages are a perfect escape from the world!
Unrelated to the romantic charm, they are simply frozen in time
Just like the old days, songs echo in the empty valley, the ridges sway, watching the rain fall in the courtyard, guarding the blooming of a garden
In these five villages, with very few tourists, one can watch the seasons change, spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvesting, winter storing... simple and prolonged through the daily meals and overnight stays.
Zhejiang Lishui Longquan Xia Zhang Village. The mountain springs babble, the houses stand dignified, a waterfall hangs flying, resembling a scene from a Song Dynasty painting.
Zhejiang Jinhua Lanxi Changle Village. The ancient village has a rich texture and orderly heritage, where lovers of ancient architecture can find high-quality examples of large Ming Dynasty woodwork from the Jiangnan region. The He Garden upper hall, Jin Dazong ancestral hall, and Xiangxian Hall are all spectacular. The village is quiet and tidy, with very few tourists, and the villagers are simple and hospitable.
Hunan Yongzhou Shang Gantang Village. A village that seems to have walked out of a painting, with the Song Dynasty bridge quite mottled, ancient houses lined up in order, under the setting sun, intense and profound.
Anhui Shexian Hongkeng Village. The archways are extremely beautiful, and the Hong family ancestral hall is also a rare example of a Ming Dynasty ancestral hall in the Jiangnan region. The village is not large, but it has many treasures and almost no tourists.
Anhui Yixian Shiting Village. The original appearance of Huizhou, with mottled support, light chanting of small characters, hastily exchanging time for years...
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