Xian'ning Ancient Yao Village

Stepping into Xian'ning Ancient Yao Village is like walking into an ancient painting. Every stone and every leaf whispers stories of the past.
⛰️ Neichong Yao Village is located at the southern end of Yaogu Mountain in Daping Township, Tongcheng County, Xianning City, Hubei Province. It is located at the junction of Chibi, Chongyang, Tongcheng, and Linxiang in Hunan Province, and is the birthplace of the Chinese Yao people. It is the first ancient Yao village in China.

Main attractions:

❄️ Yao Ancient Street
It used to be a 600-meter-long commercial street built along the creek, but now it is a replica. It was early in the morning on a non-holiday, so the street was empty. It is said that during holidays, the street is crowded and lively.

❄️ Yao Wang Millennium Square
The most prominent feature of the square is a large installation called "Bronze Drum and Horn." The bronze drum is a musical instrument used by the Yao people for gatherings, wars, large festivals, and celebrations, often used in conjunction with the horn. The horn has 12 sections, symbolizing the 12 branches of the Yao people.

❄️ Ancient Yao Culture Exhibition Hall
The exhibition hall is divided into two parts: "Ancient Yao History" and "Ancient Yao Heritage," which recreate the life scenes of the Yao people, including their clothing, tools, and customs, showcasing the folk customs of the ancient Yao people from different perspectives.

❄️ Yao Medicine Valley Hiking
Yaogu Mountain is the northern extension of the Mufu Mountain range, also known as Longjiao Mountain. It spans the provinces of Hunan and Hubei, encompassing the counties of Tongcheng, Linxiang, Chongyang, and Chibi. The mountain is rich in various precious medicinal herbs and is praised by Li Shizhen as a "medicine treasure trove." Li Shizhen once collected herbs on Yaogu Mountain for half a year and wrote the book "Compendium of Materia Medica," leaving behind the saying "Yaogu Mountain has all the herbs except licorice and coptis."

There is a "Danggui Bridge" on the mountain, symbolizing the hope for the return of medicine and the Yao people.

The ancient Yao relics characterized by stone stacking culture can be seen everywhere on Yaogu Mountain. Yaogu Mountain has the most primitive and complete stone stacking cultural relics preserved in the Jiangnan region.

There are also some attractions related to the legend of Yaogu on the mountain. The final destination should be the Yixiantian Waterfall, but due to weather conditions, the mountain road was closed.

The entire hike takes about an hour round trip.

There are residents and homestays in the scenic area. Many families grow loofahs, and there are ginkgo trees with ginkgo nuts scattered all over the ground. On the way back, I had a large bag of ginkgo nuts and a few loofahs on my RV.

❄️ Bonfire Party and Yao Song and Dance Performance
Maybe because it was not a holiday, I couldn't experience these activities.