Tianhoupeng Village

Tianhoupeng Village

Tianhoupeng Village is located in the northwest of Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province. The village is not large and is built along the mountain, with houses arranged in a scattered yet charming manner. Walking along the village paths, you'll continually encounter the old—uniform yellow-walled houses with faded pink plaster, so poetically aged that it feels as though you've traveled back to the Republican era.

This is a remote yet magical small mountain village. When we say it’s small, we mean really small—just 38 households and 140 people. As for being remote, that’s no exaggeration... From Pujiang County town heading north, via Hangping and Yuzhai, then westward into the mountains of Dafan Township, and another 10-plus kilometers in—you’ll round one bend after another, starting to wonder if you’re lost, when suddenly, the village appears before you. Surrounded by dense forests and the gentle sound of mountain streams, it offers a tranquil and pleasant atmosphere. At the end of the local stream Xiaoguyuan, backed by the area’s highest peak Chaotianmen, and due to the narrow roads, it's almost completely cut off from the outside world—making it a mini version of a Peach Blossom Spring.

The people of Tianhoupeng are honest, simple, and warm. Everyone here speaks two dialects—in addition to the Pujiang dialect, they also speak “Nanjing dialect.” But this “Nanjing dialect” isn’t the one you’d find in Nanjing today; it’s actually closer to the dialect spoken in Anqing, Anhui Province. This is all thanks to a legendary historical tale.

According to oral accounts from Tianhoupeng’s ancestors, they are descendants of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that after the Qing army entered the Central Plains and the Ming Dynasty fell, the imperial dragon throne disappeared without a trace. The Qing court believed it had been hidden by members of the Zhu imperial family, who might try to restore the dynasty someday, so they carried out massacres of people with the surname Zhu in the Nanjing and Anqing areas. Tianhoupeng’s forebears migrated here from around Anqing, Anhui.

It turns out that the dragon throne was taken by a Zhu prince, the great-grandfather of the Tianhoupeng villagers, who brought it to Chaotianmen and hid it in a cave. The Zhu prince then settled nearby to guard it long-term. To this day, more than ten generations have lived here. That’s why villagers of all ages speak an authentic form of Nanjing dialect. Because of this, Tianhoupeng has become Pujiang’s well-known “Nanjing Village”—a “Nanjing Village” with imperial overtones.

The landscapes of Tianhoupeng are nature’s masterpieces, and in recent years, the village has become a paradise for hikers and adventure enthusiasts. It features towering peaks, beautiful waters, and a hundred charming views, including a natural rock-climbing base, century-old forests, and natural swimming pools. The highest peak in Pujiang, Chaotianmen, standing at 1,050 meters above sea level, is also located here.

Because of its deep mountain location, Tianhoupeng was almost isolated from the outside world in the past, and villagers made a living by growing corn, tung trees, making charcoal, and beekeeping. But precisely because of this isolation, it has become the idyllic hideaway we see today. The village still retains its simple, old-world charm—with most houses being decades or even over a hundred years old, all made of mud and tiles, and not a single incongruous Western-style building in sight. The clear mountain stream in front of the village allows you to see the bottom, where little bridges, green trees, fish, and women washing clothes create a delightful scene. It’s like images you once knew but hadn’t seen for years—everything here feels completely natural.

Tianhoupeng Village is perfect for summer retreats—not only is it very cool, but it also boasts fascinating cultural history, along with many natural swimming pools that are both safe and fun for both adults and children. The ancient village showcases its uniqueness at every turn: it lies beside the mountain and the stream, stretching narrowly, adjacent to Chaotianmen, the county’s highest peak. Blessed with pristine mountains and beautiful waters, it offers idyllic pastoral scenery. Once you come, you won’t want to leave.

Transportation:

After getting off the high-speed train from Shanghai to Yiwu, take the bus from Yiwu to Pujiang. Arrive at Pujiang Bus Transport Center—Pujiang West Passenger Transport Station—Dafan Township—Haihong Village. Get off and walk a short distance to reach the village.