The Yanpaixi Ancient Architectural Complex

The Yanpaixi Ancient Architectural Complex

The Yanpaixi Ancient Architectural Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hunan Province.

The Yanpaixi Ancient Architectural Complex is located in Yanpaixi Village, Gaofeng Township, Guzhang County, Xiangxi Prefecture, adjacent to Tongmuxi Village, Yuanling County, Huaihua City. The complex faces south with its back against Guanyin Mountain and front overlooking Tuan Mountain, flanked on both sides by Jingangzui and Daobeishan mountains, often described as having the Green Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right.

The surrounding area is filled with ancient terraced fields, covering nearly a thousand acres across 79 levels, with a vertical drop of about 200 meters from the foot of the mountain in front of the village to the mountainside behind it. There are nine ancient irrigation channels extending from east to west, nourishing the entire farmland, earning the reputation of the “Water of the Nine Dragons.” These channels ensured agricultural production and stable crop yields during both farming and drought or flood seasons. The nine water diversion channels, mostly carved through rock and mountain, form an irrigation system stretching over 15 kilometers in total. This bears witness to the perseverance, extraordinary wisdom, and courage of the people of Yanpaixi, inspiring future generations to strive for progress and innovation. Additionally, there are three surviving ancient mine shafts that speak to the long history of gold mining techniques in the region. The various remains at Yanpaixi serve as important physical evidence for studying ancient rice cultivation agriculture and metallurgical industries in western Hunan.

The Yanpaixi Ancient Architectural Complex consists of three parts: Dacun (Big Village), Xiaocun (Small Village), and Xiangcun (Xiang Village), with a total of over 100 households. All homes back against Guanyin Mountain and face Tuan Mountain, flanked on the east and west by Jingangzui and Daobeishan. The living environment is both wind-sheltered and sun-facing. Three ancient maple trees in front of the architectural complex are referred to as the “Three Incense Sticks,” symbolizing an ancient place of worship and reflecting principles of feng shui. The Yanpaixi Ancient Architectural Complex is rich in variety and distinctive in character. The overall layout makes intelligent use of the terrain, with buildings arranged in an orderly, terraced fashion. The design of individual structures adapts to the topography, featuring both courtyard-style and quadrangle-style layouts, with buildings ranging from one to three stories. Aside from traditional stilted houses and corner-turning buildings, the complex is also uniquely characterized by the inclusion of “beauty’s rests” (decorative railings) along the front porches and the presence of “fire beds” inside living quarters—features that set it apart from other architectural styles in western Hunan. It was listed as a ninth-batch provincial-level cultural heritage site in 2011.

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites in Hunan Province