Dongping Ancient Village

Dongping Ancient Village

Dongping Ancient Village is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Dongping is a historic village, said to have been the hermitage of Li Ye, a royal descendant of the Tang Dynasty, boasting a history of over 1,300 years. The ancient stone path with 1,118 steps, towering sweet gum and persimmon trees in the village are living fossils of history. In earlier years, the “Kangzhuang Project” built a cement road directly to the entrance of Dongping Village, attracting the attention of self-driving travelers.

Dongping Village has a profound cultural heritage. The Li clan in Dongping are descendants of royalty, tracing back to the descendants of the Tang imperial lineage, and the well-preserved “Genealogy of the Li Family” is still kept in the village. Dongping Village boasts a series of cultural relics and historical resources such as the millennium-old “Dongping Ancient Tree Grove” and “Dongping Ancient Path,” making it a place of exceptional natural beauty and talented people.

During the Song Dynasty, Yang Wanli wrote: “Five li before reaching Quzhou, orchards stretch as far as the riverbanks. Yellow tangerines, green oranges, deep red persimmons—each tree sheds its fruit without wind.” This shows that the scenery of Quzhou and its persimmons have enjoyed fame since ancient times. Starting from downtown Qujiang City and driving along country roads for just over half an hour, you’ll reach the foot of Dongping Mountain. Following the ancient bluestone path deep in the mountain ridges and climbing up 1,118 stone steps, you’ll arrive at this small village perched over 500 meters above sea level — Dongping Village.

Gazing at the bold and vigorous characters “Dongping Ancient Path” on the archway at the mountain pass, one can’t help but feel deeply moved. Entering this ancient path, said to date back a thousand years to the Tang Dynasty, and heading towards the mountain village, you are destined to begin experiencing the lingering charm of Tang-era legacy. Passing through the archway and starting to climb the steps, you see dense ancient trees lining both sides of the path. Among these towering old trees are 108 species including yew, camphor, osmanthus, sandalwood, red maple, and ginkgo, all over 800 years old, forming a remarkable spectacle in northern Quzhou.

Although there are no records of the construction of this ancient path even in the yellowed genealogies of Dongping Village, historical materials such as the “Qu County Annals” provide some indirect evidence. During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, to avoid persecution, a group of imperial relatives were relocated. Li Ye, the seventh son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (Li Zhi), fled from Chang’an to Maituan Ridge in Gutian, Fujian. During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (705–709), he moved from Maituan Ridge to Dongping in Xia Chuan. Later, Dongping Ridge was constructed — known today as the “Dongping Ancient Path.” From this, it’s evident that the “Dongping Ancient Path” has a history of at least 1,300 years.

The ancient path winds from the foot of the mountain all the way to the summit, paved with bluestones two meters wide. Over time, the edges of the stones have been smoothed by the footsteps of villagers. Lining the path are ancient trees that are a thousand years old, along with massive rocks on the cliffs, standing silently. Time seems woven here — a day in the mountains feels like a thousand years in the world. In autumn, red maples cover the path, and Dongping’s persimmons ripen. Find a bluestone seat in the tranquil ancient village and savor the sweetness harvested over the whole year.

Specialties:

In front of every household in the village, dried fruits in hues of red and yellow are laid out to dry, forming a scenic sight in the mountains. The persimmons of Dongping, once tribute offerings to the imperial court and praised as the “Ancient Persimmons of Great Blessing,” are in fact a remnant of the agricultural culture of the Tang Dynasty — mulberry trees planted in front of homes and persimmon trees behind. Thanks to the village’s high altitude, large diurnal temperature variations, abundant sunlight, and unpolluted environment, Dongping persimmons are large, sweet, and highly nutritious.