Huanglin Ancient Village

Huanglin Ancient Village

Huanglin Village was first built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Most of the preserved buildings are old houses constructed from pebbles and logs, dating back to the late Qing and early Republican periods. There are a total of 68 buildings with 289 rooms, including 13 ancient dwellings with over 100 years of history, comprising 62 rooms. These aged houses are scattered along the mountainside—some consist of seven connected rooms, others nine, and the largest even has ten. The village houses are all ordinary residences, lacking the grandeur of mansions or the splendor of carved beams and painted rafters. Nestled among green mountains and clear waters, they present a simple and natural charm.

These old houses are distributed in a well-spaced manner along the mountainside, and the village paths are all paved with pebbles. Stone walls, stone paths—everything is made of stone. Weathered over time, the stone walls display a colorful palette, resembling oil paintings. Many paths are also overgrown with green grass, lending an enchanting, fairytale-like atmosphere. Some houses, long uninhabited, have fallen into disrepair, with weeds growing in their courtyards. Yet these ruins do not detract from the village’s charm—in fact, they enhance its rustic appeal.

The water in Huanglin Village is exceptionally pure. A stream, crystal clear and meandering through the village and valleys, tastes surprisingly sweet if you dare to take a sip. For those feeling adventurous, simply follow the stream upstream on foot until you reach the back of the mountain. There, more than 10 emerald-green deep pools are scattered across the valley, seven of which have significant drops and are especially mysterious. Up close, you’ll see colorful rocks at the bottom and rippling blue water—no wonder Huanglin Village is often praised as the “Little Jiuzhaigou of the South.”

The stream that runs through the village is dammed by a weir built by villagers. The water cascading down the dam forms a small artificial waterfall, and the sound of rushing water can be heard clearly when you approach the stream.

If you’re interested in outdoor stream trekking, you can continue following the stream out of Huanglin Village deeper into the mountains. The Qixingtan area is a must-visit destination for exploration enthusiasts. It takes about two hours to walk along the stream to reach a stunning spot called Qixingtan, said to be a paradise for outdoor adventurers. Qixingtan consists of seven mountain pools with notable drops. Three of the pools are connected to hanging waterfalls, four to cascading flows, and the largest pool borders an 80-meter cliff. The lowest pool sits at an altitude of 325 meters, the highest at 455 meters, with a relative drop of 130 meters. The vegetation coverage along both banks exceeds 95%. The seven pools are linked like pearls, each forming its own scenic view, with colorful rocks at the bottoms covered by crystal-clear water. Some even say it rivals the colorful pools of Huanglong.

Transportation:

1. From the city center, head toward the New South Station (High-Speed Railway South Station) → pass the New South Station and take Ningbo Road → turn onto Fuzhou Road → go straight along Gaotong Highway → then take Ruifeng Line to Huling Town → from Huling, take Huliu Line via Liuke Village → proceed up the mountain via Yongliu Line to reach Huanglin Village directly.

2. Take the highway from Wenzhou South to the Ruian exit → go straight and enter the elevated road onto Xinruifeng Highway to Huling Town → from Huling, take Huliu Line via Liuke Village → proceed up the mountain via Yongliu Line to reach Huanglin Village directly.