Hongcun Village

Not far from Xidi Village is Hong Village which is also famed for its pre-20th Century buildings. Hongcun Village features its interesting layout as a water buffalo shape, then its environmental architectural idea of a crisscross waterway system. What is unique about the village is that it is ox-shaped topography. The high ground is like the ox head, the ancient trees at the entrance are like ox horns and bridges like ox hoofs. The houses form the trunk and the river is like an ox tail. The 1,000 meter long zigzagging ditch is compared to ox intestines, and the Moon-shaped pond, Nanhu Lake, take the shape of ox stomach.

Because of its nice scenery, Hongcun Village has always enjoyed the name "a village in the Chinese painting". It is also the location for the famous prize film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Hongcun Village was designated as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO in late 2000. Hongcun Village is located at the foot of the southwest side of Mt. Huangshan, only 11 kilometers away from Yixian town. In the Song dynasty, the villagers constructed an irrigation canal intervening every house, so virtually every household in the village has easy access of the canal. All the buildings in the village follow local architectural style, have exquisite carvings and are magnificent symbols of its time. The village now boasts 158 dwelling houses dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties; nearly 140 are still in good shape.

Hongcun was home to the Wang family. Wang is another very popular family name of that region. As the saying goes, “Of every ten people from Huizhou, nine are surnamed Wang.” The Hus and Wangs are still living in the two villages today.