Houfang Village

Houfang Village

When it comes to ShanZhong, visitors from southern Fujian are well acquainted with it. But mention Houfang, and most draw a blank — because Houfang lies “behind” ShanZhong. While tourism in ShanZhong has truly “taken off,” Houfang remains “shyly” hidden away, still unknown to many.

Houfang Village is home to numerous century-old banyan trees, osmanthus trees, and acacia trees, as well as thousand-year-old cycads and ancient camphor trees. Camphor and banyan trees grow side by side, clear waters teem with fish, and cobblestone paths often give visitors the feeling of having stumbled into a “Peach Blossom Spring.” Since ancient times, there’s been a saying in the village: “Where trees stay evergreen, people live long.” The villagers have a strong ecological consciousness, never recklessly cutting down trees, but instead planting them to provide shade for future generations. To this day, they continue a unique local custom: worshipping a thousand-year-old sacred camphor tree known as the “General of the Great Tree,” revered as the deity of ecology.

On the 14th day of the third lunar month each year, local villagers pay homage to the “General of the Great Tree,” praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and population prosperity. It’s said that in the rural areas of Zhangtai, there’s a tradition of worshipping ancient trees, as these trees are considered guardian deities in their hearts. Normally, everyone rests and relaxes under the big trees, living in harmony with them. This is arguably the best embodiment of the ecological civilization philosophy of “respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature.”

Red bricks and white walls: Southern Fujian ancient dwellings

The historical imprints of Houfang Village are naturally reflected in its scattered yet well-preserved traditional Southern Fujian houses. The classic Southern Fujian architectural style — featuring white walls, red bricks, gray tiles, and swallowtail ridges — creates a series of uniquely beautiful landscapes. Following the principles of “prefer local over foreign, simple over ornate, light over bold, soft over hard,” the village has renovated the facades of its buildings by uniformly painting the walls white and adding sloping red rooftops, allowing the structures to blend organically with the surrounding green mountains and clear waters.

Strolling through the vast peach and plum orchards

“In the Peach Blossom Cove stands a Peach Blossom Hermitage, beneath which lives a Peach Blossom Immortal. The immortal plants peach trees and plucks their blossoms to trade for wine money.” When spring arrives in Houfang Village, Zhangtai, the hills and fields are covered in a breathtakingly beautiful expanse of blooming peach and plum blossoms, earning the area another nickname: Peach Blossom Island.

Surrounded by water on three sides, Peach Blossom Island is encircled year-round by a gently flowing stream. Crossing a floating bridge over the water, visitors are greeted by a vast sea of vibrant peach blossoms. Flower admirers are scattered throughout, chatting and laughing, their joy even more radiant than the blossoms. Beside the peach trees, plum blossoms bloom in competition. Last night’s light rain has knocked white plum petals and pink peach petals to the ground — patches of white, patches of red.

In addition to the stunning peach blossom displays, during the annual Plum and Peach Festival from April to May, the area’s large, ripe plum and peach fruits become juicy and plump, with sweet and tangy flesh hanging heavily from the branches, swaying gently in the breeze. This offers every visitor an unforgettable rural farm experience. General of the Great Tree: “Ancient Tree Bond”.jpg

The quietly watchful king of camphor trees

They say ShanZhong has many camphor trees, but Houfang’s have greater age.

Houfang has dozens of camphor trees that have lived for decades, over ten that have reached the century mark, and even two ancient camphor trees that are over a thousand years old. Some stand alone like forests, some lie horizontally yet seem to “come back to life,” some boast unique shapes, and others proudly stand alone in the fields, leaving visitors in awe. These trees have witnessed the vicissitudes of history and the rise and fall of Houfang.

The two thousand-year-old camphor trees grow on opposite banks of the Mayang Creek — one in Jiantou Community, the other in Houbian Community, gazing at each other from afar. The camphor tree in Jiantou Community stands about 20 meters tall, with a crown covering an area of around 3 mu (approximately 0.2 hectares), and each branch has a diameter of over 1.5 meters, wide enough to be encircled by four adults. At first glance, it appears to be two trees, but they actually share the same root. Over the decades, as villagers built houses and roads, soil was continuously piled up around the base, gradually burying the trunk so that only two main branches remain visible above ground. The camphor tree thrives with the added nutrients from the soil, growing increasingly lush and verdant. It’s said there was once another main branch, but it fell long ago and has since vanished. With such massive forked trunks, the buried main trunk is beyond imagination.

The camphor tree king in Houbian Community is even older than the one in Jiantou, reportedly a thousand-year-old “elder.” The community was originally named Hengzhang (“Horizontal Camphor”) Community, likely after this horizontally lying camphor tree. The enormous trunk of the camphor tree king lies horizontally on the ground, with a main trunk diameter of over 2 meters and twin branches reaching skyward, each over 1 meter in diameter. The part of the trunk lying on the ground has rotted, but the tree king remains remarkably resilient, its leaves still vibrant green. Its trunk is uniquely shaped, full of character. On the tree king’s body is a vividly lifelike image resembling a “lion looking back,” as if a strong and majestic lion stands proudly atop the tree, gazing back at Houbian Community and guarding the people of Houfang day and night. Even more astonishingly, two local trees known as “thorny dog nails” have taken root and grown on its base, now towering into the sky alongside the camphor tree king, together sheltering the land beneath a shared blue sky.

Greentown Grape Garden: Bountiful and breathtaking - duplicate.jpg The world’s oldest cycad

The ancient cycad in Shangmiao Natural Village grows unassumingly in a small mountain valley, with terraced fields layering the slope ahead and a lush bamboo forest behind. The cycad lives like a hermit sage deep in the mountains, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of the landscape. Standing over 6 meters tall and weighing about 2 tons, the cycad has a trunk diameter of approximately 80 centimeters, requiring two people to encircle it. Part of its base is now buried in soil. Some of the trunk has been hollowed out, and exposed cavities reveal a bark-like exterior. Roots extend from the trunk into the earth, tenaciously resisting natural threats. According to an expert from the provincial forestry department, based on its diameter, this cycad is estimated to be over 4,000 years old, making it the oldest known cycad in Fujian and possibly all of China.

To the villagers, it is a “feng shui tree” that safeguards the peace of the area. Several years ago, there were several attempts to steal it, but thanks to the village’s protection, it fortunately remains. On one occasion, a sawn-off section of the trunk was recovered and replanted nearby, where it not only survived but has now grown into a lush, thriving tree.

The poetic Balilian Waterfall Cluster

Houfang features a highly desirable natural attraction: the Balilian Waterfall Cluster.

Though the Jiulong Waterfall Cluster remains undeveloped, adventurers have long “pioneered” the way here. Every step brings new discoveries and surprises. Springs, streams, and creeks babble softly, while clusters of uniquely shaped rocks create a colorful scene. Each waterfall is a scenic wonder in itself. Dragon-Tiger Waterfall, Auspicious Dragon Waterfall, Twin Dragons Waterfall, Flying Dragon Waterfall, Spirit Turtle Seeking the Falls, Divine Turtle Exploring the Falls… the sights are too numerous to take in.

Source: Fujian Provincial Department of Tourism Development