The Ancient Village Wonder Hidden Among the Mountains and Waters of Nanzhang

Location of the Attraction
Chunqiu Village Scenic Area is located in Luping Village, Donggong Town, Nanzhang County, Xiangyang City, Hubei Province. It is nestled in the lush green canyon of the southeastern Jing Mountain range, with the winding Maoping River embracing the village like a jade belt. It takes about 1.5 hours by car from the ancient city of Xiangyang to reach this paradise, and the mountain road along the way feels like traveling through a landscape painting. Together with the Xiangyang Ancient Gulongzhong and Tangcheng Scenic Areas, it forms a perfect cultural tourism route in northwest Hubei.

Architectural Features
The entire village is built along the ridge of Liyu Mountain, with a 2-kilometer-long stone wall resembling a swimming dragon. More than 150 stone houses are neatly scattered along the steep ridge. The most remarkable feature is that these houses, built entirely of bluestone, have maintained their original form despite centuries of weathering. The stone carvings on the door lintels and the military design of the lookout holes complement each other. The main village tower uses a three-story suspended structure, with the bottom stone wall up to 1.2 meters thick. The top viewing platform can accommodate 20 people at once, making it a pinnacle of ancient mountain defense architecture.

Cultural Heritage
The village preserves a complete site for the worship of Guan Sheng (Guan Yu), with the stone carving of the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade at the Chunqiu Tower site still clearly visible. Next to the foundation of the village king’s hall, archaeological finds of Song Dynasty coins and Ming and Qing Dynasty ceramic fragments confirm the village’s glorious history as an important commercial and military pass in the Jing Mountain area. The most precious find is the Qing Dynasty merit stele at the village gate, which records in detail the villagers’ fundraising and repair of the village walls during the Jiaqing period, serving as a living fossil for studying ancient folk self-governance systems.

Visiting Experience
Take the 888-meter-long cableway slowly uphill, and the magnificent scenery of the Maoping River Grand Canyon unfolds beneath your feet. It is recommended to visit the village on a clear morning after rain, when the sea of clouds lingers around the mountain waist, and the stone village clusters appear faintly through the mist, recreating the majestic spirit of "one man guarding the pass." The newly built cliff plank road winds over 600 meters along the sheer cliff, and the glass viewing platform is 200 meters vertically above the valley floor, offering a view of the sparkling waves of the Maoping River below.

Special Attractions
A must-see is the live-action performance "Jianjian Chunqiu," an immersive show set against the ancient village backdrop that reenacts the historical scene of Guan Yu reading the Spring and Autumn Annals by night. The scenic area also offers the "Riding Horse to Recommend Zhuge" themed rubbing experience, allowing visitors to create their own rubbings of Three Kingdoms stories. The nighttime light show uses modern light and shadow technology to project classic story scenes such as "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage" onto the ancient stone walls, creating a magical time-travel experience.

Overall Evaluation
Nanzhang Chunqiu Village is not only a well-preserved ancient military site but also a comprehensive scenic area integrating mountain and water sightseeing, cultural experiences, and outdoor adventures. Its unique "one village, two zones" layout (ancient village cultural zone and canyon leisure zone) satisfies history enthusiasts’ desire for exploration and provides excellent creative space for photography lovers, making it the most distinctive "living museum" in the ecological and cultural tourism circle of northwest Hubei.

Post by BRIELLA BUSH | Oct 23, 2025