Yuezhao Lake

Yuezhao, which is called Yuetang by the common people, is the so-called "cow belly". Yuezhao was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424 AD). At that time, Wang Siqi was born in Hongcun. He found a natural spring in the village, which kept flowing in winter and summer. Wang Siqi hired He Keda, a Feng Shui master from Haiyang County (now Xiuning), and senior talents in the clan three times to "read the mountains and rivers and carefully examine the veins" and formulate a blueprint for expanding the site of Hongcun and conducting a comprehensive village planning of the ox-shaped water system, diverting the water of Xixi around the village houses, and its ox-intestine canal was winding, and the water was diverted into the natural well in the center of the village to build Yuezhao Pond to store the inner Yang water for fire prevention and drinking. Descendants such as Wang Shengping invested more than 10,000 gold. They continued to dig the canal and formed a half-moon shaped pond, completing the "Moon Pond" that their predecessors had not completed. This is the Yuetang. The Yuetang is green all year round, and the surface of the pond is as flat as a mirror. The pond is surrounded by bluestone, and pink walls and green tiles are neatly arranged on all sides. The blue sky and white clouds fall into the water, the old people are chatting, the women are washing silk and handkerchiefs, and the naughty children are playing.

Yuezhao, which is called Yuetang by the common people, is the so-called "cow belly". Yuezhao was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424 AD). At that time, Wang Siqi of Hongcun discovered a natural spring in the village, which gushed out in winter and summer. He hired He Keda, a Feng Shui master from Haiyang County (now Xiuning), and senior talents in the clan three times to "read the mountains and rivers and examine the veins in detail" and formulate a blueprint for expanding the site of Hongcun and conducting a comprehensive village planning of the ox-shaped water system, diverting the water of Xixi around the village houses, and its ox-intestine canal was winding, and the water was diverted into the natural well in the center of the village to build Yuezhao Pond to store the inner Yang water for fire prevention and drinking. Descendants such as Wang Shengping invested more than 10,000 gold. They continued to dig the canal and formed a half-moon shaped pond, completing the "Moon Pond" that was unfinished by their predecessors. This is the Yuetang. The Yuetang is green all year round, the surface of the pond is as flat as a mirror, the pond is surrounded by bluestone, and pink walls and green tiles are neatly arranged on all sides, with blue sky and white clouds falling into the water.

The entire Hongcun water system is in the shape of a cow, and the location and size of Yuezhao are just like a cow's stomach.

 

Yuezhao has the same long history as the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall next to it. It was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. The original purpose of its construction was to provide water for fire fighting, drinking and washing. Today, it has become a must-visit spot in the Hongcun Scenic Area.

 

The movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was filmed here, and "Where Are We Going, Dad?" was also recorded here.

 

There is a circle of bluestone paths around, and the Hui-style buildings with white walls and black tiles are reflected in the water, with blue sky and white clouds dotting the water... It is a rural scene in a painting that cannot be missed.

 

I went there during the New Year holiday. There was construction going on near Hongcun, which affected the water quality of the whole village. It is said that the water here is usually clear and rippling, so I will come to see it again next time.

One has to admire the hostess who designed the Moon Pond. She has fed the entire village in the past. The old residents in Hongcun said that when they were young, someone was responsible for notifying everyone to fetch water for drinking and eating every morning. Only after the specified time could they wash clothes and vegetables and do other things to ensure the cleanliness of the water source. Now every household has running water, and the water in the Moon Pond is still flowing.

Go upstream to the confluence of the stream: Yuezhao Lake, which is the "stomach" of the ox-shaped village and the most classic and colorful place in the whole Hongcun. The tranquil lake is like a mirror, reflecting the Hui-style houses, pedestrians and sky on the shore in the water, forming a beautiful artistic conception ink painting. The beauty of Hongcun is the beauty of reflection, and the beauty of Yuezhao is the quiet beauty of reflection, which is never boring to watch. At the same time, the half-moon-shaped pond excavated according to the saying "flowers bloom and then fall, and the moon is full and then wanes" interprets the Zen meaning of "flowers are not blooming, and the moon is not full", and perfectly embodies the dual integration of natural landscape and humanistic connotation.

During the day, Yuezhao is crowded with people and tour groups come one after another. Only by going there early can you appreciate its tranquility and beauty. I have to say that Yuezhao Lake is really a good place for photography enthusiasts. No matter from which angle you take pictures, it is very pleasing to the eyes. The 360-degree beauty without dead ends can only be experienced by being there.

It’s so beautiful. Although it’s not big, it’s very distinctive. I hope I’ll have the chance to go there again in a few years. There are more photos in my travel notes.

It’s so beautiful. To find out how beautiful it is, read my travel notes!

The Moon Pond and the buildings complement each other, perfectly embodying the Huizhou architectural style and clearly showing the profoundness of history.

As night falls, red lanterns are lit up, in strings and rows, dotted among the white walls and black tiles, adding to the festive atmosphere. This architectural style and color combination is many times better than many modern architectural designs.

Visitors walk to the shore of Moon Pond, enjoying the scenery, taking photos, or just daydreaming. The combination of movement and stillness makes it like a painting of "Moon Pond on Qingming Festival".

As the essence of Hongcun, Yuezhao Lake is indeed worth a visit. However, you can see the consequences of its high popularity from the photos. It is basically crowded. It would be great if you could quietly appreciate this emerald-like pool when no one is around. It is recommended that you visit Hongcun in the afternoon to avoid the peak tour time.

Hongcun's Yuezhao Lake is beautiful, especially at night.

One of the most popular places in Hongcun, a must-visit place when entering Hongcun!

Yuezhao Lake is very beautiful, with charming reflections. It is a must-see attraction in Hongcun.

The second main attraction of Hongcun, the reflection of the lake is a must

I like it here, the pace is slow and life is comfortable

Yuezhao is the core scenery of Hongcun. The light green pond reflects the Hui-style buildings, which are quaint and charming. When the red lanterns are lit at night, there is a mysterious beauty.

When I went there, the water was yellow, which really affected the viewing experience.

The water in Yuezhao is emerald green all year round, and the surface of the pond is as flat as a mirror. The pond is surrounded by bluestone, and white walls and green tiles are neatly arranged on all sides. It is a must-see attraction in Hongcun.

In the first month of the lunar year, the ink painting of Hongcun Village is full of the festive atmosphere. A spring rain makes Yuezhao Lake more poetic and charming.

Yuezhao was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424 AD). At that time, Wang Siqi was born in Hongcun. He found a natural spring in the village, which kept flowing in winter and summer. Wang Siqi hired He Keda, a Feng Shui master from Haiyang County (now Xiuning), and senior talents in the clan three times to "read the mountains and rivers and carefully examine the veins" and formulate a blueprint for expanding the site of Hongcun and conducting a comprehensive village planning of the ox-shaped water system, diverting the water of Xixi around the village houses. The ox-intestine canal was winding and led the water into the natural well in the center of the village to build the Yuezhao Pond for fire prevention and drinking. Descendants Wang Shengping and others invested more than 10,000 gold to continue digging the canal and digging into a half-moon-shaped pond, completing the "Yuezhao" that their predecessors had not completed.

If you come again!

I would choose July when the lotus flowers are in full bloom. After the tour groups leave, the whole village becomes quiet instantly. I would take a walk in the village in the early morning and evening, watch the sketching students paint, chat with the villagers, and watch the pink walls and black tiles reflected in the water, showing the beauty of the village in the painting, so as not to disappoint this quaint village.

Yuezhao Lake is a scenic spot in Hongcun Scenic Area. There is Wang's Ancestral Hall next to it. Usually, this is the first stop for tourists entering Hongcun.

Yuezhao Lake, with its Hui-style roofs reflected in the lake, looks like a beautiful ink painting.

"Yuezhao" is called Yuetang by the common people, and it is the so-called "cow stomach" which is called "cow belly" by the common people.

Hongcun’s iconic attraction, the place where Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed, it’s easy to take nice photos there.

The tranquil Yuezhao Lake looks particularly beautiful under the sunlight, like a Chinese ink painting in front of you. There are not many tourists, so we can quietly enjoy the unique pleasure brought by this ancient village.

The Moon Pond was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424 AD). At that time, Wang Siqi, the 76th ancestor of Hongcun, discovered a natural spring in the village that gushed out in winter and summer. Wang Siqi hired He Keda, a Feng Shui master from Haiyang County (now Xiuning), and other senior talents in the clan three times to "read the mountains and rivers and examine the veins in detail" and formulate a blueprint for the ox-shaped water system to expand the base of Hongcun and carry out comprehensive village planning; dig and divert water from Xixi, and use the ox-intestine canal to dig water into the natural well in the center of the village to build a pond for fire prevention, drinking, washing, etc. His descendants Wang Shengping and others invested more than 10,000 gold to continue digging and building a half-moon-shaped pond, completing the "Moon Pond" that their predecessors had not completed. The water of the Moon Pond is green all year round, and the pond surface is as flat as a mirror. The pond is surrounded by bluestone, and the white walls and blue tiles are neatly arranged on all sides. The blue sky and white clouds fall into the water. The elderly are chatting, the women are washing silk and handkerchiefs, and the naughty children are playing.

Only when I arrived here did I realize that this is the essence of Hongcun. Many of the beautiful photos were taken here!

Maybe there were too few tourists and the lights by the Yuezhao Lake were not all on, so it was a bit scary walking there alone.

The lakeside is very quiet during the day, with only a few photography experts creating works.

The lake is very calm and you can clearly capture the reflection, but the water is yellowish, which affects the effect. I heard that it is caused by construction work going on upstream.

The overall feeling is okay, but not as beautiful as I imagined. Nanhu is better!

PS: In Hongcun, you can find a small inn to stay in the surrounding area, which is great.

The scenery is beautiful, great place, Chinese ink painting countryside.

Yuezhao is a half-moon-shaped pond that stores water for fire prevention, drinking, washing, etc. The water is no longer drinkable, but it is calm at night, like a mirror, and a good place to photograph the reflection of the starry sky. You can photograph the Milky Way to the south of Yuezhao, and concentric star trails to the north.

The center of Hongcun is also one of the scenes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The night view is very beautiful. When it is almost dusk, many people will come to take pictures with cannons.

Right in the middle of Hongcun. Black roof and white walls, typical Anhui style. You can take photos here, or start from here to walk through the alleys and shops. If you eat at Deyuelou, they can set up a table by the Yuezhao Lake, and take advantage of the red lanterns at night, which is also very special.

It is said that there has been renovation, so the water is slightly yellow. With the Moon Pond in the center of the village, Hongcun is more lively and beautiful.

The main purpose of going to Hongcun is to see this circular pond, a popular photography spot.

Yuezhao Fenghe is the stomach of the cow in Niuxing Village and the most famous place in Hongcun, because this is the place where Yu Jiaolong, played by Zhang Ziyi in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", flew over the water.

If you go to Hongcun, you must check in. It is a small lake with unique features.

Well, when I went there, they said they were building a dam, so the water was turbid, which was a bit regrettable.

It's a very artistic place, but it's a pity that I was in a hurry when I went there, so I didn't catch the right time and the best moment. I'll leave it for next time.

Moon Pond! Hongcun has a brilliant scenic name card! The Hui-style residential buildings with pink walls, black tiles and horse-head eaves are reflected in the water under the blue sky and white clouds, with the mountains in the distance as the background, forming a beautiful mountain residence ink painting!

The Moon Pond on a rainy day is still very unique. Although the water is not as clear as on a sunny day, the Moon Pond without tourists still feels more historical.

The scenery is really nice, the town is also beautiful, and the prices are super high

There are too many people... It's hard to take a good photo...

Very beautiful, like an ink painting, her beauty cannot be captured by the camera!

Worth a visit

The B&B we stayed in was next to the entrance of Nanhu Village. It was very close to Yuezhao Lake from the B&B. Yuezhao Lake in the afternoon felt different from Yuezhao Lake in the evening. There were many tourists by the lake, and there were also many students sketching. It was truly a village in a painting.

The shape of the whole Hongcun is like a cow, and Yuezhao is the cow's stomach, located in the center of the ancient village. Yuezhao was excavated during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. The white walls, black tiles and horse-head walls of the surrounding Hui-style ancient buildings are reflected in it, which is a good place to take beautiful photos. At night, the ancient buildings are lit up, and the shadows of the lights and the moonlight fluctuate in the pool, which is also a beautiful scenery.

In ancient times, the richest and most prestigious people in Hongcun lived near Yuezhao. Today, Yuezhao, as the best photo spot in Hongcun, is occupied by countless tourists. It is difficult to take a photo without people during the day. You may be able to take some photos without people after nightfall.

We stayed next to Hongcun Yuezhao, which was only a two or three minute walk away. We went to Yuezhao to take some photos when night fell. I went out to take photos at around 7am the next day. When we arrived at Yuezhao, there were probably not many tour groups entering the village, so I quickly took some photos.

Please enjoy, I am quite satisfied with the photos taken by my Huawei P20PRO phone👍

The beauty of a photo does not depend on how good your skills are, but on the fact that the scenery is there and will not change because of anyone.

At night, rows of red lanterns in Yuezhao make the ancient buildings even more charming.

The worst attraction I've ever been to, bar none.

On the narrow streets, rows of students sketching made the streets even more crowded. Motorcycles and motorized tricycles kept honking their horns and squeezed into the crowd to force their way through. It was very chaotic and very dangerous.

Totally not worth watching.

It is one of the most classic attractions in Hongcun. Although it is already night, it is still bustling with people coming and going.

The weather is great and the scenery is beautiful! It is worth a visit to appreciate the beauty of nature! …

Those who come to Huangshan for tourism can stop by, but for those of us who travel frequently, it doesn't feel good ~ the ticket price is not worth it

Moon Marsh is something I have longed for for a long time, but it is not quite the same as I imagined, but it is still very beautiful.

The lake is crescent-shaped. When the lake was built, only people with status in the village could live by the lake.

Beautiful photos depend on the weather and season. Obviously, the weather is not good today.

The most beautiful time is in the quiet morning, when the hustle and bustle fades away and you can quietly appreciate the ink painting-like Moon Pond. The quiet water surface reflects the surrounding white walls and black tiles, making it difficult to distinguish which is real and which is the reflection.

The most beautiful scenic spot, a classic photo-taking location, a must-visit place, and you must go there early, hehe, to avoid the crowds.

After dinner, it rained for a while. It was already late when we went out. Accompanied by the drizzle, we came to the famous Yuezhao. I saw many photos of Yuezhao on the Internet, but when I saw the Hui-style buildings with red lights hanging around the lake with my own eyes, I was still moved by the beautiful scenery.

The sky, clouds, mountains, clean water and buildings complement each other and are integrated into one. Its beauty can only be experienced in person. There is no other way to describe it.

The romantic half-moon shape often appears in movies and TV shows, but due to the large number of tourists, it is extremely noisy.

This is the core scenic spot of Hongcun. It is actually a small pond, Yuezhao. Legend has it that it is located in the cow's stomach of the cow-shaped Hongcun. It is half-moon-shaped. It was built by the Wang clan who dug the water of Xixi River through the Niuchang Canal to lead the water into the natural well spring in the village.

Yuezhao Lake is located in the center of Hongcun. It is actually a very small crescent-shaped water body, not as big as Nanhu Lake, but the scenery here is very beautiful. It happened to be a very good day. I was basking in the sun and playing with my dog by the Yuezhao Lake. Life is just like this. The scenery of several different parts of Yuezhao Lake. If you pull the scene separately, the mobile phone cannot achieve a panoramic composition, so I took a panoramic shot. If you can't go far, try to go as low as possible! Shooting from the angle facing Yuezhao Lake, I almost lay on the ground to take pictures. Be careful not to shake your hands~ This will pull out a wide-angle lens with a strong sense of depth.

Yuezhao Lake is the "stomach" of the "Hongcun Cow" and the center of the village. Yuezhao is semicircular and was specially designed by the hostess of ancient Hongcun, which means: "Don't do everything too perfectly, and leave room for future generations." Yuezhao is shaped like a half moon as its name suggests. The breeze is soothing, the water is quiet, the ancient houses on the shore are quiet, and the red lights are bright. The elegant beauty is intoxicating.

We were supposed to go to the sunrise at Nanhu Lake first and then go to Yuezhao. My husband checked online and the sunrise was at 5:20. We missed it, so we went straight to Yuezhao. However, at 5:30, Yuezhao was no longer the Yuezhao of our family! Three or four groups of people had already arrived. Even with fewer people, there was no fresh feeling. The weather was not cool enough and it was already hot. We came out too late. It was hot, and it was only right to go to Yuezhao at 5 o'clock! There was a group of elementary school students painting watercolors next to us. They got up really early and worked hard. I took some pictures and felt that the sun was getting bigger and bigger, and it gave the black tiles and white walls a golden color. The scenery at 6:00 was even better than at 5:30. I kept taking pictures!

Walking to Yuezhao, it is also the symbol of Hongcun and the most famous place.

The locals call Yuezhao Yuetang, which is the so-called cow's belly. Yuezhao was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424 AD). At that time, Wang Siqi appeared in Hongcun. He found a natural spring in the village, which kept flowing in winter and summer. Wang Siqi hired He Keda, a Feng Shui master from Haiyang County (now Xiuning), and senior talents in the clan three times to read the mountains and rivers and carefully examine the veins. He formulated a blueprint for expanding the site of Hongcun and carrying out a comprehensive village planning of the cow-shaped water system, diverting the water of Xixi around the village houses. The ox intestine canal was winding and the water was diverted to the natural well in the center of the village to build the Yuezhao Pond to store the inner Yang water for fire prevention and drinking. The descendants Wang Shengping and others invested more than 10,000 gold. They continued to dig the canal and excavate it into a half-moon-shaped pond, completing the unfinished Yuezhao of the predecessors, which is Yuetang.

The Moon Pond is green all year round, the surface of the pond is as flat as a mirror, bluestone is paved around the pond, pink walls and black tiles are neatly arranged on all sides, and the sun, moon and stars fall into the water.

The overall shape of the Yue Pond is a half moon. It is said that when the Yue Pond was dug, many people advocated digging it into a full moon shape, but Chongniang, the wife of the 76th ancestor, firmly disagreed. She believed that "flowers bloom and then fall, and the moon waxes and then wanes", and nothing can be done too perfectly, you have to leave a certain amount of development space for future generations.



Yuezhao is the most famous among Anhui folk houses. In a set of Chinese folk house stamps that were once published, the one representing Anhui folk houses was shot here. Many movies have also been filmed here. The classic scene in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" where Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi snatched the sword was also filmed here.

The Moon Pond in the early morning is more peaceful than during the day. Local residents use bamboo rafts to clean floating objects on the water. Some elderly people are still accustomed to washing and rinsing in the Moon Pond, but this also gives life to the Moon Pond and is the mission of the Moon Pond.



There are few tourists around Yuezhao at this time, but through the mottled traces of time on the black tiles and white walls around Yuezhao, it seems that you can still hear the bustling sounds of the past market, and those simple local dialects linger around the pond, accompanying every morning and evening. For thousands of years, many Hui merchants who returned to Hongcun’s hometown would drink a cup of this life-giving wine, and appreciate the kindness and true meaning of water. They once threw away a large part of their hometown’s time, and they also want to pick it up in the water of Yuezhao.

Even though it was drizzling, the pond was still as smooth as a mirror and the water was emerald green. The pond was surrounded by bluestones and the walls and tiles were neatly arranged around it. At 9:00 a.m., a large number of tour groups had arrived and surrounded the Moon Pond, making it difficult to take a photo without people.

Yuezhao Lake is the center of the village, and it is convenient to go to any scenic spot. After the rain, Yuezhao Lake is like a mirror, and the Hui-style buildings by the lake complement each other with their reflections in the lake......

Yuezhao should be the center of the village. The crescent-shaped water surface is surrounded by quaint houses, and there are dried beans drying on the shore. It has an ancient charm but also full of life. Yuezhao is a holy place for filming. Any photo taken is beautiful.

The reflections on the lake surface turn into shadows, and the ripples on the lake surface make you feel as if you are in another world and it’s like a dream in an instant!

It is the center of Hongcun and a landmark. In recent years, it feels that due to over-development of tourism, the ecology has been somewhat damaged.

Yuezhao is the stomach of an ox, shaped like a half moon, and as flat as a mirror. Yuezhao Lake is located in the center of Hongcun Village, which is the stomach of an ox. It is shaped like a half moon and is commonly known as Yuetang by the locals. It is green all year round, and the surface of the pond is as flat as a mirror. The pond is surrounded by bluestone, and white walls and tiles are neatly arranged on all sides. The blue sky and white clouds fall into the water.

We put this place at the end, not because of intention, but because we were lost and ran into a rainbow. We are so lucky. The night before, we saw their exclusive rainbow in the longing life. Unexpectedly, we were so lucky to see a rainbow in the sunny weather.

In addition to Nanhu Lake, another famous water area in Hongcun is Yuezhao in the village, which is also an iconic attraction in Hongcun. The TV series "Where Are We Going, Dad?" was also filmed here. The crescent-shaped lake is surrounded by Hui-style buildings with white walls and green tiles, full of the charm of the ancient Huizhou village. In the past, this place was inhabited by the richest and most prestigious people in Hongcun.

The "Ox Stomach" Moon Pond is a landmark attraction in Hongcun. Most of the landscape photos we have seen were taken from here. The fight between Li Mubai and Yu Jiaolong on the water in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also took place here. Picture 3 is the Moon Pond with the lights on. To be honest, the blue advertising projection is really ugly. Not only can you not see what is on it, but it also destroys the beauty of the Moon Pond.

Behind the Deyuelou Inn in Hongcun is Yuezhao Lake, also known as "Ox Stomach", with great scenery. This is the filming location of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon where Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi fought each other in the film.

During the day, the Moon Pond is crowded with people and you can't get a good view of it. In the morning, the local grandmas will wash clothes in the Moon Pond and slap the water surface, creating a lot of ripples. Only those who get up earlier than the grandmas can take pictures of the mirror-like Moon Pond.

Yue Marsh and Nanhu Lake are the most beautiful places in Hongcun. Yue Marsh is green all year round, and the surface of the pond is as flat as a mirror. The pond is surrounded by bluestones, and white walls and blue tiles are neatly arranged on all sides. The blue sky and white clouds fall into the water, and the elderly are chatting, the women are washing silk and handkerchiefs, and the naughty children are playing.

Because the Moon Pond is so beautiful, we also went to see the Moon Pond under the moonlight. When the night was hazy, a row of lanterns lit up beside the Moon Pond, which was very artistic.