Dayu Bay

Dayu Bay

Dayu Bay is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Nestled against mountains and beside water, Dayu Bay is serene and picturesque, featuring the classic architectural style of Wuyuan dwellings. A closer look at the family genealogy reveals that the settlers indeed share blood ties with Wuyuan in Jiangxi. In the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369), a prominent family surnamed Yu migrated from Wuyuan and Dexing in northern Jiangxi to today’s Mulan River area. The village of Dexing in the northern part of the river valley derives its name from Dexing in Jiangxi. Meanwhile, in the southern part of the valley, Dayu Bay Village still preserves dozens of stone houses built during the Ming and Qing dynasties (mainly during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty).

Although the old houses in Dayu Bay have aged, their former grandeur can still be seen. The ancient homes were all built with large, square-cut slabs of stone, with meticulously crafted drip lines on the stone surfaces. The structures feature flush gable roofs, upturned eaves, colorful painted eave friezes, courtyards, water collection pools, wooden carved partition screens, Qing-style canopy beds, and Qing-style armchairs—everything exudes an antique charm. Even the tomb of the ancestor Yu Xiulan and the Yu family genealogy have been preserved.

The residential compounds built by the people of Dayu Bay reflect a highly complete concept of settled living in terms of form, layout, materials, and construction techniques: “Front walls enclose the water, rear walls border the hills, large courtyards encircle smaller ones, small courtyards surround individual rooms. The entire village has about a hundred households, interconnected by twenty lanes, with every home linked and each household separated by gated entries. The paths are paved with square stone slabs, the walls are made of drip-line stone, interiors are richly carved, and doorways are adorned with painted eave corridors.”

Suggested Tour Route:

By Bus: Take a bus from Zhuye Mountain Roundabout in Hankou to “Shudian.” Several buses run daily, with a fare of 8 yuan. The journey to Dayu Bay takes 1.5–2 hours.

By Car: If taking the northern route, turn eastward at Changling Town, where a southbound fork leads over the mountain into the valley (unfortunately, directional signs are not yet installed). There are several winding mountain turns to navigate with caution. If taking the southern route, turn eastward at Yanzi Town and enter from downstream of the Mulan River valley. There’s no need to climb over hills, but you’ll cross a natural embankment and ford the Sheshui River. When the river is high and the embankment is flooded, crossing is not possible.

Food and Accommodation: Currently, the area is not fully developed, with no commercial hotels or restaurants, and naturally, no entrance fees. You can stay in local farmhouses for a small fee—10 yuan for one night with hot water provided. For 10 yuan, you can also enjoy a full day’s meals in a villager’s home, sampling authentic rural dishes such as scrambled eggs with Chinese toon, spare rib soup with dried radish, stir-fried green cabbage shoots with bean sheets, and crispy rice congee.

Address: Shuangquan Village, Mulan Township, Huangpi District, Wuhan City

Type: Historical Sites / Ancient Towns / Ancient Villages

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–3 hours

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:00