The mystery of a thousand years without mosquitoes! This ancient Hakka village has become a secret place for film and television

Pushing open the mottled wooden door of the Ding Clan Ancestral Hall, the mountain breeze wrapped in the fragrance of pine resin blew through the hall. At the moment when the copper bells on the eaves rang softly, I was sure that I had entered a secret place forgiven by time - Dingwuling, Changting. This ancient Hakka village, located 650 meters above sea level, has created a mystery over eight hundred years that is more fascinating than any script.

Climbing up the "丁"-shaped valley, you will see bamboo shoots drying on bamboo sieves on the yellow mud walls, and wild grass and moss growing in the cracks of the stone steps. All 76 Ding families in the village still retain the unique skill of building pig pens with shale pieces. The iron hoop of the ancient well from the Qianlong period has been embedded three inches deep into the stone edge. The most magical thing is that in the midsummer evening, when tourists outside the mountain are fighting mosquitoes, the old people here are lying on bamboo chairs and fanning themselves with cattail leaves - since the village was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty, Dingwuling has never seen a single mosquito.

The Toad Stone at the entrance of the village is the first key to solving the puzzle. This natural boulder resembles a toad with its mouth open, and villagers have believed for generations that it swallows up all the flying insects. It was not until the scientific expedition team measured a mountain wind of 6 meters per second that the truth was revealed: the Wuyi Mountain and the ocean monsoon collided here, forming a natural wind tunnel that even the strongest dragonflies found difficult to stay in. The altitude of 650 meters makes the air dry and cold, and mosquito eggs cannot survive at all.

Film and television directors clearly understand this magic. "The Desperate Rear Guard" recreates the scene of the Red Army's smoke rising from the kitchen and the bacon on the eaves swaying in the wind, which is exactly the same as the scene a hundred years ago. I followed the filming location of "Gutian Military Call" and climbed up the stilt house. The whole ancient village stretched out in the morning mist - the waves formed by black and gray tiles were cut into geometric poems by 23 bluestone alleys. The arcs of bamboo strips woven by the master craftsman in the straw hat shop formed a montage-like dialogue with the cloud tracks in the mountains.

Niu Shi Street at dusk is the most magical realist. The market where mules and horses once neighed is now only a blacksmith's shop where sparks splash onto movie posters and the barber's copper basin reflects the starry sky tents at the campsite. In the cafe converted from Rewi Alley's former residence, I heard the crew discussing with the villagers: "Tomorrow we will shoot a morning scene, can the smoke from your kitchen come out earlier?"

Before leaving the village, the old man guarding the well gave me a handful of wild Houttuynia cordata: "Take it back, mosquitoes are most afraid of this smell." I suddenly realized that the so-called "no mosquito" miracle is actually a survival poem written by mountain wind, altitude and simple wisdom. While the city is struggling with mosquito repellent and screen windows, Ding Wuling has long understood that the real barrier is the awe and symbiosis with nature.

◆Travel tips:

· Self-driving navigation "Dingwuling Visitor Center", be careful on the sharp bends in the village road

· Best photography spots: Stilt House Observation Deck (free), Sunset Camp (5000㎡ lawn)

· Must-experience: Rubbing Intangible Cultural Heritage Market, the foggy light and shadow of Niushi Street at 6 am

Post by nacy@pika | Feb 22, 2025