Houhuang Village

Houhuang Village

Houhuang Village is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

In Licheng District, Putian City, there lies a “hidden paradise” — close to the urban area yet far from the hustle and bustle. It is Xitianwei Town’s Houhuang Village, known as the “No. 1 Overseas Chinese Village.” The village is dotted with century-old overseas Chinese residences that feature the classic architectural style of old Putian, as well as the only well-preserved “Four Wells” in Putian, a century-old ancient watchtower, and the Taoyuan Community, which dates back over 600 years.

The village has three “olds”: elderly residents, old houses, and old trees.

Houhuang Village boasts three “olds”: old houses, old trees, and elderly residents. The carved railings on the rooftops of the old houses and the ornate carvings above the eaves feature Western touches as well as an authentic local Putian flavor. Among these residences of overseas Chinese families, the most representative is the former home of Lin Shuijing, a former world badminton champion. This late Qing and early Republican-era house features a couplet at the entrance that reads, “Crossed the seas in search of a livelihood, endured hardships to build a home,” while the plaque in the main hall inscribed with “Exemplary Virtue” tells the story of the entrepreneurial journey of the ancestral overseas Chinese, Lin Tianbao.

The village has many historical relics. The “Four Wells” date back over 200 years and are the only well-preserved set of four wells in Putian. Houhuang Village also hides two ancient watchtowers, about 100 years old, still built with distinctive local red bricks and standing four stories tall at over ten meters high. The Taoyuan Community, which enshrines the village’s deities, is said to be over 600 years old. The nearby Longhua Academy has now been transformed into the first community-based elderly care facility in Licheng District, Putian — Longhua Hall, where elderly villagers often gather to sing, play instruments, play chess, and paint.

The village is filled with lush ancient pines and cypresses, clear streams running through it, and numerous century-old banyan trees. Under the trees, elderly people and children often rest and play. The “pocket parks” in front of and behind the houses add even more charm to the village. Houhuang Village is also widely known as a “longevity village.” Out of its 1,010 residents, the oldest is 100 years old, there are six people over 90, and 36 over 80.

Overseas Chinese old houses and oil painting sketching base

Houhuang Village is known as the “No. 1 Overseas Chinese Village” in Licheng District. A large number of overseas Chinese have come from here, having ventured to Nanyang (Southeast Asia). From the 1920s to the 1950s, overseas Chinese who returned from abroad built numerous “red-brick houses” in Houhuang Village. These houses blend traditional Putian architectural styles with distinct Nanyang influences, seamlessly merging Chinese and Western elements. After decades of weathering and the passage of time, they radiate an enchanting historical charm from the inside out.

The unique resource of Houhuang Village — over 60 overseas Chinese old houses that form a “Nanyang-style” aesthetic — has attracted many painters to sketch and seek inspiration here. In March this year, the Putian Oil Painting Art Industry Association just awarded Houhuang Village a plaque designating it as an “Oil Painting Art Creation Base.”

Source: Fujian Provincial Tourism Development Commission