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One of the easiest to get lost in the ancient villages in southern Anhui, the locals: remember a formula, don’t be afraid to get lost

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When we traveled to southern Anhui, apart from Huangshan, the “No. 1 Wonderful Mountain in the World” and Jiuhua Mountain, one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, there were also ancient villages in southern Anhui represented by the “white wall and grey tile horse head wall”. Among the many ancient villages in southern Anhui, it can be said that each not only has the style of Huizhou architecture, but also each has its own unique side. Among the many ancient villages in southern Anhui, Hongcun can be said to be the most well-known one. For art students, most of them have sketched Huizhou architecture. The beauty of Hongcun can be said to be the enlightenment of Chinese landscape painting. The green hills in the distance are like daisies, and the trees are shaded nearby. Hongcun is known as “the village in the painting” and is a national 5a-level scenic spot. The unique Huizhou architectural style is different from other ancient towns, and the unique craftsmanship has created an artificial water system village that can be called “China’s unique”.

Hongcun is located in the northeast of Yixian County on the southern foot of Huangshan Mountain. It was built in the Northern Song Dynasty and has a history of more than 870 years. It is the birthplace of Huizhou culture. In the history of nearly a thousand years, Hongcun still has well-preserved more than 140 houses of Ming and Qing Dynasties, including 1 building in the Ming Dynasty and 102 buildings in the Qing Dynasty. In addition, it is located at the foot of Huangshan Mountain, which is also a paradise. It is well-known for its pastoral scenery, well-preserved village forms, exquisitely crafted Hui-style dwellings and colorful historical and cultural connotations. And as an important location for the Oscar-winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, it has become a hot tourist attraction overnight.

The most classic picture of Hongcun is probably the Huizhou architecture with blue tiles and white walls by the water reflected in it. This piece of water is the Yuezhao Lake in the center of Hongcun, which is also the finishing touch of Hongcun. Use the upstream river flowing through Hongcun to divert water into a lake. The core of the cow-shaped water system is the current moon marsh, which is the “cow stomach” of the entire water system, and is also called “cow tripe” by the locals. The South Lake is also the essence of Hongcun. The artificial lake dug in the style of Pinghu Qiuyue in the West Lake, and the painted bridge across the lake is the iconic landscape of the South Lake. Among them, the painted bridge across the lake is where Li Mubai walked with his horse in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.

The beauty of Hongcun comes from the perfect combination of ingenious architecture and nature. The cow-shaped village and artificial water system planned and built by the people of Guhong Village are now “a great wonder in the history of architecture”. Different from the characteristics of other residential buildings, all kinds of buildings pay attention to the exquisite carvings, wood carving, brick carving and stone carving. Chengzhitang’s “three carvings” are exquisite and magnificent, and are known as the “civil palace”. Most of the streets and lanes in the village are built near the water, and the houses are also laid out around the moon marsh. The whole village is now well preserved with more than 140 houses of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The Hongcun Scenic Area is open all day, but the ancient architectural attractions in the village are only open until 6 pm, so if you want to visit the ancient buildings or the Nanxiang Academy, Chengzhi Hall, and Lexu Hall, you must arrange a reasonable time. For many tourists who go to Hongcun to check in for the first time, there will always be a problem. Even though the signs and road signs in the village are very clear, there are still many tourists who will go the wrong way. The reason for getting lost is also very simple. After all, the ancient alleys of the ancient villages are very similar, and the ancient houses in the village are also very similar. However, as long as you walk in Hongcun, remember that there will be a canal beside the road in the village, and then remember The mantra of “Going into the village against the current and exiting the village along the river” won’t get lost, so try it!