#Near No.301 Provincial Road Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
A stunning ancient village forgotten among the green waters and verdant hills
The entire village is built against the mountains and by the water, divided into eighteen areas, with 18 fish ponds interspersed among them. The houses uniformly use blue bricks and black tiles, with carved beams and painted rafters, among which the 'pot-ear buildings' are staggeringly arranged, majestic in appearance. Ancient relics, gray sculptures, painted decorations, and relief wood carvings can be seen everywhere, lifelike, showcasing the distinctive Lingnan architectural art style.
Transportation information: Navigate to 'Shangyue Ancient Village', parking available, free of charge. Admission is also free.
Travel Tips:
The village maintains a relatively pristine appearance, and the degree of commercialization is low, so tourists with high demands for facilities should consider carefully.
A solo tour of the village to appreciate the architecture takes about 2 hours. It is recommended to arrange a trip that includes nearby attractions (such as Qingyuan Guanyin Mountain, Longtan Xiaozhai, Yangjiao Mountain Forest Park, etc.) to enrich the travel experience.
KATE POWERS
Qingyuan was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with a history of over 700 years in ancient villages
🏨 Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, Shangyue Ancient Village
Admission: Free
📍Detailed address: Shangyue Ancient Village Visitor Center, with free parking
🌟Highlights:
The forgotten original Ming and Qing Lingnan ancient village, Shangyue Ancient Village is located in Shangyue Village, Fogang County, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province. It was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has a history of more than 720 years!
It is one of the most complete and largest traditional residential building complexes in northern Guangdong. Most of the local villagers are descendants of the famous Southern Song general Zhu Wenhuan.
Most of the buildings in Shangyue Ancient Village are well preserved to this day, displaying a typical Cantonese cultural ancient architectural complex, among which the most representative is the 'pot-ear house'.
The pot-ear house is a representative of traditional Lingnan residential buildings, mostly built with blue bricks, stone columns, and stone slabs, with exquisite paintings of flowers and birds on the exterior walls. The name 'pot-ear house' comes from the shape of its gable, which looks like the official hat worn by officials in the Ming Dynasty.
It is said that in ancient times, people built these buildings to bless their descendants with success in the imperial examinations and to pray for 'wealth, auspiciousness, and abundant food and clothing'. Now, there are still hundreds of well-preserved pot-ear houses in Shangyue Ancient Village, which belong to the Ming and Qing Lingnan architectural style.
❤Recommended reason:
Walking in the village, the most common sight is the three-character plaque of 'Gui Ren Li', which was an ancient method of population management. At that time, five families made up a neighborhood, and five neighborhoods made up a 'Li', each with its own gate tower and name, forming a community.
The Puzhan Zhu Gong Temple in the village worships the famous Southern Song general Zhu Wenhuan and his descendants who lived here.
The natural scenery around Shangyue Ancient Village is also very beautiful. From a high vantage point, the village is surrounded by mountains, with clear waters and lush forests, perfectly blending the village and farmland together. In the evening, the rising wisps of green smoke make the whole village look like an ink painting.
There are still a few residents living in the village, whose lives still maintain ancient customs and traditions. Most of the villagers rely on agriculture for a living, cultivating crops and breeding poultry, leading a simple and peaceful life.
In the evening, you can also see the elderly sitting in bamboo chairs, leisurely basking in the sun, enjoying the peace of the years.
🗓Itinerary:
1. The village is quite primitive, and there is almost no commercial support at present. Those who have high requirements for amenities should be cautious about visiting. The road into the village is a two-way single lane, which is somewhat narrow, so drive carefully and slowly.
2. The best position for aerial photography of the village is on the rooftop of a resident's house at the entrance of the village. The owner's phone number is hung on the building, and after calling, a grandmother will come to open the door. Since it is a private residence, there is a small fee for going upstairs to take photos, with no time limit, but safety should be kept in mind.
WanderlustVoyager123
Guangdong Qingyuan | The forgotten beautiful ancient village
| The forgotten beautiful ancient village. Shangyue Ancient Village in Fogang County, Qingyuan, as the village where the local indigenous people have lived for generations, is said to be one of the most complete and largest traditional residential ancient architectural groups in the northern Guangdong region!
The village was established in the Southern Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has a history of more than seven hundred years.
It is said that at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, the famous general Zhu Wenhuan resisted the Yuan soldiers in the Beijiang River, and his lone army held on to the old Hengshi at the junction of Qingyuan and Yingde, and finally died for the country. His son Zhu Jixian chose to settle in Shangyue Village during the chaos of war, and has lived here ever since! Therefore, most of the villagers in Shangyue Village claim to be descendants of Zhu Wenhuan!
Entering the ancient village, you can see that the village road is paved with sesame stones, and every household is carved with beams and painted buildings, with green bricks and black tiles!
As a group of ancient buildings with strong local characteristics, Shangyue Village also has the typical "wok ear house" style of Lingnan!
Wok ear houses are common in the Guangfu villages in the Pearl River Delta region. They are typical representatives of Lingnan Guangfu architecture. The shape of the ancient house mountain wall is like an enlarged version of the handle of a vegetable pot, presenting a round and smooth arc, which is very unique and unique.
The wok ear mountain wall not only has the shape of a pot ear, but also pays attention to symmetry. It symbolizes the ancient official hat, implying a promising future, and also implies "dominating the top", which is a symbol of the pursuit of a grand and prominent view by ancient official families!
It is said that only the official families who have achieved fame and fortune are eligible to enjoy this wok ear house, which reflects the connotation of encouraging reading and entering officialdom, and glorifying the ancestors!
The number of wok ear houses in Shangyue Village is rare in Guangdong Province!
Looking up from a high place, the neatly arranged, high and low wok ear buildings are very visually impactful! Paired with exquisite gray sculpture paintings, relief wood carvings, majestic and mutually contrasting, outlining the undulating skyline of the ancient village!
Walking in the alleys of the ancient village, without the hustle and bustle of the city, the worldly breath has faded, and everywhere exudes a simple and strong rural atmosphere, which makes people stop and taste, and linger!
Location: It is recommended to drive by yourself, navigate to Shangyue Ancient Village, and the parking lot is convenient.
Tour: The village is not big, there is a small park next to it, and the Taxodium distichum is also very beautiful. It takes about 1 hour to visit. It is relatively niche, there are not many tourists, and there is no commercialization. It is an original ancient village, and most of the people living in the village are local old people.
OCEAN WEBER
Shangyue Ancient Village in Qingyuan// The forgotten primitive Ming and Qing Lingnan ancient village
Most of the buildings in Shangyue Ancient Village are well preserved to this day, showing a typical group of ancient Cantonese culture buildings, among which the most representative is the Guoer House.
The Guoer House is a representative of Lingnan traditional residences, mostly made of green bricks, stone pillars and stone slabs, with exquisite bird and flower patterns painted on the exterior walls.
The name of the Guoer House comes from the shape of its gable, which looks like the official hat worn by Ming Dynasty officials.
It is said that in ancient times, people built this building to bless their descendants to top the list, and also prayed for 'wealth and good luck, plenty of food and clothing'.
There are still hundreds of well-preserved Guoer Houses in Shangyue Ancient Village, and these architectural styles belong to the Ming and Qing Lingnan style.
Address: Shangyue Ancient Village, Fogang County, Qingyuan City
Ticket: Free
Tour time: About 2 hours
Transportation strategy: It is recommended to drive by yourself, there is a free parking lot at the entrance of the village
RamblingRoamer
Shangyue Ancient Town, a beautiful village forgotten among the green mountains and rivers
Recommended for ancient village tourism:
Shangyue Village is an ancient village with a history of 720 years. It was founded in the Song Dynasty and reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty. The 108 ancient houses in the village are hidden among the citrus trees, with the layout of the front pond and the back mountain, implying the meaning of wind and water.
In the late Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Wenhuan, the founder of the Zhu family, resisted the Yuan soldiers and escorted the Southern Song emperor to escape to the North River Goldfish Nook, but unfortunately died. His son chose to settle in Shangyue Village during the chaos of war, and has lived here ever since. Today, most of the villagers living here are the 32nd generation descendants of Zhu Wenhuan, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty, with a population of nearly 10,000.