Hongcun Ancient Village

The ancient village of Hongcun, about 70 km from Huangshan, is considered the most picturesque village in the Huizhou region. With lush green hills and lotus-covered ponds and lakes, Hongcun is a beautiful place, enchanting thousands of visitors every year.

UNESCO declared Hongcun World Heritage Site in 2000, a title that the village deserves. The unique quality and exceptional value of traditional Hui architecture make Hongcun one of the most important and well-preserved cultural heritage sites for Chinese vernacular architecture. Not to mention the magnificent landscape and scenery of the region, which is one of the most famous and appreciated in China.

Established in 1131 during the Southern Song Dynasty, the village’s history is over 900 years old. The town was designed to resemble the shape of a buffalo. Leingang Hill at the back of the city is supposed to be the head, the buildings of the village form the body, the Moon Pond in the middle of the town is the stomach, the many streams that run within the houses are the entrails, and four bridges across the lake are legs.

You can visit many Ming and Qing buildings inside the village. Some of the most majestic ones, usual residences for wealthy families, are now maintained as museums where visitors can tour their interiors. The most picturesque, renowned feature of Hongcun is the Moon Pond, located in the center of the village. It shaped like a crescent moon to supply the villagers with water. The blue sky and jagged edges of the Hui houses reflect off the water, creating stunning reflections in the ripples and an enchanting beauty peculiar in the ancient setting of a vernacular place, designed for utility rather than elegance.