Aoshan Ancient Village

Aoshan Ancient Village

In the Nanyue and Beiyue areas of Aoshan Village, Huangpu Town, there are numerous historical sites, such as the 36-step ancient stone path, the ruins of a Song Dynasty ancient wharf, clusters of ancient ancestral halls, groups of ancient blue-brick houses, the Beiji Ancient Temple, the She School Temple, and the Beiyue Guanyin Grand Temple. In 2012, Aoshan Village was successfully listed as one of the third batch of ancient villages in Guangdong Province.

Aoshan Historical Sites Cluster

Within a 200-meter radius in the Gangdongnan and Beiyue areas of Aoshan Village, there are 11 ancient ancestral halls belonging to eight surnames—Su, Yan, Li, Xu, He, Guan, Pan, and Liang—and about 200 ancient blue-brick houses. Over 40 of these structures remain well-preserved to this day. Among them is an ancient mud-wall house and an ancient oyster-shell house, which, though dilapidated, still display their original appearance. These ancient buildings retain the characteristics of old villages nestled against mountains and water, shaded by green trees, and connected in sequence. The Beiyue Guanyin Grand Temple, Beiji Temple, and She School Temple in Aoshan Village were all built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. With a long history and well-preserved conditions, they carry rich cultural significance and are of great research value.

The Song Dynasty Wharf is located at the eastern end of the 36-step ancient stone path. In the past, villagers set out from here to fish at sea. On both the north and south sides of the ancient stone path leading to the wharf stand two banyan trees over 110 years old. According to local elders: the northern tree is male, never flowering or fruiting throughout the year but producing banyan aerial roots; the southern tree is female, flowering and fruiting annually, with banyan seeds covering the ground but no aerial roots.

The Beiyue Guanyin Grand Temple is located at No. 1 Gangdongbei Road, Aoshan Village. The temple was built around the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, underwent its first renovation in the 35th year of the Qianlong reign (1770), and was renovated for the second and third times in the 5th year of the Republic of China (1916) and 1995, respectively. Stone inscriptions recording its history are preserved within the temple.

The temple faces east and covers an area of about 1,000 square meters, with a construction area of 498 square meters. It has three courtyards and three halls, with a central courtyard, and features a brick-and-wood frame structure. It has "wok ear" firewalls, a double-dragon-pearl-style hard mountain roof, blue-brick three-corner walls, front eaves adorned with wood carvings, brick carvings, murals, calligraphy, and more. The courtyard is flanked by corridors, featuring hard mountain peaks, antique ridges, double-eared gables, and a mixed beam-frame structure of raised beams and penetrating ties. The temple is decorated with wood carvings, murals, and plaster sculptures. On the right side of the courtyard corridor, four stone tablets engraved with street surveys and renovation records from the Qianlong era to the Republican period are embedded.

The Beiyue Grand Temple serves as a public space for local villagers to worship, discuss matters, and hold activities. It is a witness to the evolution of local folklore and rural social life, embodying the collective memory of the community.

The 36-Step Ancient Stone Path is a centuries-old stone pathway dating back to the Song Dynasty. It stretches 390 meters in length and 1.1 meters in width, with a total of 36 steps. The path is paved with three parallel granite slabs, each carved with olive-shaped anti-slip stripes. Walking along the ancient path, you’ll find lush trees on both sides and rest pavilions for taking a break, making it a natural oxygen bar and a popular spot for locals’ morning exercises. On the western side of the path stands a banyan tree over 50 years old, which resembles a giant umbrella with a diameter of 30 meters. Stone benches are placed around its trunk, offering shade and a place to rest for passersby.

Aoshan Village: Aoshan Village is one of the five major villages in Huangpu, located in the northeastern suburbs of Huangpu Town. To the east, it connects with Wulan Village; to the south, it borders the Huangpu Waterway, facing Xinsha Village and Shijun Village across the river; to the west, it shares a mountain boundary with Zhenyi Village and Sanshe Community; and to the north, it neighbors the Dakui Channel (Li Yu Zui) and connects with Dayan Village. The village is accessible via Jinnong Road, Guanxian Road, Linglan Road, and Puzhu Road, all leading to the urban area of Huangpu Town. The village government is located on Jinnong Road in the Gangdong area.

Aoshan Village was formed in December 2001 through the merger of Shiling Village, Gangdong Village, and Zhibei Village. The village covers a total area of approximately 6,700 mu, including 5,539 mu of arable land. The area of mountainous and forested land is... Aoshan Village detailed information++