Taoyuan Ancient Village

Taoyuan Ancient Village

Taoyuan Village is located to the west of Kaihua National Park and is a key core area of the Colorful Changhong 4A-level Scenic Spot. This natural village is the settlement of descendants of Fan Zhongyan, a renowned statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty. The village boasts a beautiful natural environment, featuring unique mountainous landscapes and traditional residential charm. It houses nearly a thousand acres of Longding tea plantations, among which the Zhongshantang Tea Garden is embraced by the sun and moon, accompanied by pools of water, gathering the essence of heaven and earth and embodying the fairyland of mountains and rivers. It is hailed as “the most beautiful tea garden in southern China.”

According to the *Genealogy of the Fan Clan of Taoyuan*, Fan Xu, the eldest grandson of Fan Zhongyan—a famous politician and literary figure of the Song Dynasty—fled here due to war. He found the place to be geomantically auspicious: circular on the outside and square within, with verdant mountains, clear waters, misty clouds, birdsong, and floral fragrance. He settled down and named the place Taoyuan, meaning “Land of Peach Blossoms,” akin to a utopia. It is said that there is a “Little Potala Palace of the South” here: in the Taihui Mountain Natural Village, the settlement is distributed layer upon layer from the foot to the mid-slope of the mountain, with terraced fields in front of and behind the houses. These terraces stretch from the mountain base all the way to the ridge, creating a Potala Palace-like landscape.

When the hillsides are blanketed with blooming rapeseed flowers, the flowers are in the village, and the village is in a painting. In spring, the layered terraces are covered with golden rapeseed blossoms, complemented by green trees and wildflowers. Against the backdrop of quaint dwellings, a naturally beautiful picture unfolds.

Since 2013, Taoyuan Village has held an annual Rapeseed Flower Festival. This has not only boosted the development of the local homestay economy but also significantly increased villagers’ incomes. In 2014, the village collectively leased land from residents and planted sunflowers and colored rice in the terraces of Taihui Mountain. Lycoris radiata was planted along the slopes of the terraces, while vast fields of sunflowers and patterns formed by multicolored rice attracted many visitors. Today, a pastoral symphony of “admiring flowers in spring, playing in water in summer, harvesting fruits in autumn, and enjoying snow in winter” has drawn increasing popularity to Taoyuan Village.