Huangyao Ancient Town, a filming location for Hollywood movies, is a thousand-year-old town hidden in the mountains.
Preface
When it comes to famous ancient towns in China, such as Lijiang, Pingyao, Zhouzhuang and Fenghuang, you may have already heard of them.
But there is an ancient town, which is one of the ten most beautiful ancient towns in China. It was prosperous thousands of years ago and is known as the "living thousand-year-old town". The American Golden Globe Award-winning movie once came here to shoot.
Such a treasure land seems to be hidden deep in the boudoir, and few people know about it.
It is Huangyao Ancient Town.
Huangyao Ancient Towncheck the details
Huangyao Ancient Town is located in the northeastern part of Zhaoping County, Hezhou, Guangxi, 40 kilometers from downtown Hezhou and 200 kilometers from Guilin. Huangyao boasts nearly a thousand years of history, originating during the Song Dynasty and reaching its peak during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. The town's name, "Huangyao," stems from the fact that the Huang and Yao surnames predominate in the area. Located on the lower reaches of the Li River, Huangyao is known as a "poetic homeland." The town boasts six abounding characteristics: numerous mountains, waters, caves, pavilions, temples, ancestral halls, ancient trees, and numerous couplets and plaques. Where there are mountains, there is water; where there are water, there are bridges; where there are bridges, there are pavilions; where there are pavilions, there are couplets; and where there are couplets, there are plaques, all contributing to the town's unique landscape. The streets are paved entirely with black stone slabs, and the buildings are arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. With the Yao River flowing through the town, the town boasts numerous distinctive Ming and Qing dynasty buildings.
Recommended months: Spring and autumn are the best
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Huangyao is located in Hezhou, Guangxi, in the lower reaches of the Li River, surrounded by mountains and gurgling rivers.
It has both the charm of Pingyao and the beauty of Zhouzhuang. It is a pearl nurtured by the fusion of Lingnan culture and Central Plains culture, and it is also a natural garden ancient town in the karst area.
In 2006, the American Golden Globe Award-winning film "The Painted Veil", adapted from the original work by the famous British writer William Somerset Maugham, was filmed in Huangyao, staging a tortuous and entangled love story.
This once forgotten ancient town in northeastern Guangxi has therefore attracted people's attention.
Image source: The Masked Man
Many movie fans traveled thousands of miles to Huangyao Ancient Town to experience every beautiful frame of the movie firsthand.
Huangyao, covering an area of 3.6 square kilometers, was listed as the third batch of "Famous Historical and Cultural Towns in China" by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2007, and was approved as a 4A-level scenic spot by the National Tourism Administration in 2009.
Image source: The Masked Man
So what makes Huangyao so special compared to other ancient towns? Today, I will unveil its mysteries and let you experience the poetic Huangyao that has been hidden away in seclusion.
Lingnan Ancient Town Interwoven with a Long Song of History
A living thousand-year-old city
The Nanling Mountains on the map of China separate the Central Plains and the Lingnan region like a natural barrier, and Huangyao is located deep in the closed mountains of Lingnan, and has been separated from the developed Central Plains for thousands of years.
The Xiaohe Ancient Road, with a history of thousands of years, was one of the ancient passages from the Central Plains through the Nanling Mountains to the Lingnan region, and Huangyao is located on the baseline of the ancient road.
The integration of Central Plains culture and Lingnan culture made Huangyao increasingly prosperous. Merchants moved to Huangyao to do business. At that time, almost every family was engaged in business and every household opened a shop.
From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, Huangyao became a famous commercial port at the junction of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan provinces.
Little Guilin, the dream home
The years are peaceful in a secluded corner
Compared with the well-known Yangshuo, few people know Huangyao, so there are not many tourists here. It has always maintained its most original leisurely tranquility and is praised by the outside world as "Little Guilin, the dream home."
The rippling river, the thousand-year-old stone streets, and the courtyards dotted with red lanterns are all Huangyao’s business cards.
Yaojiang River, Xiaozhu River and Xingning River are as clear as mirrors and meander through the ancient town.
Small bridges, flowing water, towering ancient banyan trees, and lush green bamboos. Green mountains and green waters are interdependent, and green waters are accompanied by residential houses. The landscape is like the Li River. Compared with the natural scenery, Huangyao's historical and cultural landscape is more distinctive.
The ancient town is not big, but it contains many exquisite attractions. You can walk around the streets at will, or follow the route recommended by You Xiaojun and feel the peaceful time of the ancient town.
1. Dragon Bridge
Dailong Bridge is the largest of Huangyao's 15 ancient bridges, boasting a history of over 400 years. Besides being a pedestrian bridge, the bridge's deck, constructed of stone slabs interlocked with waist-shaped iron blocks, also serves as a flood diversion mechanism during floods.
The stone steps, like a solidified stream, washed by time, bear witness to the coming and going of people here for hundreds of years.
2. Stone Tiao Bridge
The Stone Tiao Bridge is made up of 31 stone piers. Every step you take brings you to the thrill of excitement. Every jump brings you back to the joyful days of hopscotch in your childhood.
3. Dragon Claw Ficus
Several dragon claw fig trees, with roots entwined like dragon claws, stand at the entrance of the village, as if protecting their descendants and allowing Huangyao, an ancient town that has gone through historical changes but has preserved its ancient relics, to prosper again.
The breeze blows across your cheeks, and as you smell the faint fragrance of the ancient trees, your restless heart will gradually calm down.
4. Immortal Ancient Well
The water in the ancient wells surges year-round, regardless of drought or flood. Five square pools are connected: the first well is used for drinking, the second for washing vegetables, and the third, fourth, and fifth for washing clothes, farm tools, and hands.
Here, you can often see simple villagers washing vegetables, washing clothes, and chatting about family matters, looking relaxed and comfortable.
5. Yingxiu Street
This place is not overly commercialized and has few people. Walking along the long alleys, stepping on the thousand-year-old stone slabs, even the air is filled with the ancient atmosphere.
In the streets and alleys where ancient charm still lingers, every brick and tile tells stories of the past. The carved railings and door lintels are no longer as colorful, but the hustle and bustle of the past can still be felt.
Some shops sell local specialties, as well as a wide variety of handicrafts and ethnic costumes, which attract people to stop and linger with their unique colors.
Occasionally, a fragrance wafts through the alleys. That’s right, it’s the villagers drying fermented black beans.
The winnowing basket is filled with fermented black beans. The younger people are busy sifting the fermented black beans, while the old people are making tea and taking a nap on the side. The simple life makes people lose themselves in time in an instant, leisurely and comfortable.
After nightfall, big red lanterns light up the dark bricks and tiles in the streets of Huangyao, and the stone pavement leaves the shadows of tourists with the mark of time.
It happened to be the Lantern Festival in the ancient town, so I rented a set of Hanfu from a shop. As I walked around, I felt as if I was dreaming back to the Tang and Song dynasties.
Occasionally there are bars open at night, unlike the noisy Lijiang Ancient Town. There are no romantic encounters here, only quietness and loneliness.
Have fun in the idyllic scenery
Poetic scenery, a place for the soul
This isolated paradise has its own enchanting pastoral scenery, so beautiful that it will make you intoxicated.
1. Cycling around Zhongshan Hundred Miles Ink Painting Gallery
The tranquil and charming mountains, rivers, lotus ponds and rural scenery create an intoxicating ink painting of Baili.
Riding leisurely in this picturesque landscape and feeling the customs and culture of Guangxi is a great baptism for the soul.
2. Watch the sunrise at Dongtanling
There is a little-known excellent viewing platform around Huangyao - Dongtanling, located at the commanding heights of Huangyao Ancient Town. It is the best place to overlook the beautiful scenery of the mountains and the entire Huangyao karst landform.
Dongtanling Inn boasts a 270-degree viewing platform, open to visitors, offering breathtaking views at every turn. With its stunning blue bricks and black tiles, distant mountains and nearby water, and hazy mist, every photo is a masterpiece.
The sun pours down, the clouds roll in, and it's intoxicating. Although I've seen many sunrises, the sunrise over Dongtanling is still the most stunning.
A thousand-year-old delicacy from the ancient town
The good taste of time
The native Huangyao flavor represents the local cultural symbol and shows the delicious secrets of this ancient city to tourists.
1. Huangyao fermented black beans
Huangyao fermented black beans are a specialty of Huangyao, made with Huangyao Town's unique black beans, spring water from the Xianjing Spring, and the unique craftsmanship of the indigenous people. It's considered one of the ancient "Three Treasures of Zhaoping" and was once listed as a tribute to the imperial court during the Qing Dynasty.
If you like it, you might as well go to Yingxiu Street to buy some and bring them back for your family and friends to try.
2. Fermented black beans powder
When you go to Huangyao, you must try the fermented black bean rice noodles. The rice noodles are freshly baked, with a fresh rice aroma and a smooth and chewy texture.
The essence of this dish lies in the broth, which is cooked in fermented black bean sauce. The aroma of the fermented black bean permeates the meat, while the umami flavor of the pork dissolves into the broth. It's a filling meal for just a few yuan, but one bowl always seems to be insufficient!
3. Stuffed Bamboo Shoots
Mazhu bamboo shoots can be seen everywhere in Hezhou. After peeling and washing the freshly dug bamboo shoots, put them into the pot to steam and cook. Stuff the chopped stuffing into the bamboo shoots and then put them into the pot to cook. The fragrant bamboo shoot stuffed with stuffing is ready.
One bite at a time, and you’ll get a taste of spring.
4. Well Water Stuffed Tofu
Huangyao stuffed tofu is different from other places in that it is pinched into small buns with the filling not showing, and they are of similar size and shape.
The cooking method is nothing special, but the taste is hard to compare. Every household in Huangyao makes this dish, and its simple appearance hides a delicious taste.
Conclusion
Huangyao Ancient Town, like a collection of poems that records the past thousands of years, has been forgotten in the long river of history, waiting for you to accidentally discover its beauty.
