Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village in Hezhou

Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village in Hezhou

With a superior geographical location, convenient transportation, and smooth telecommunications, it is a well-known tourist attraction in eastern Guangxi and even the entire region. Within the village, there are eight major scenic spots—“Three Rivers Surge,” “Spirit Mountain Stone Treasure,” “Sleeping Rabbit Hiding in Mist,” “Natural Jade Mirror,” “Azure Dragon Coiling in Fog,” “Craggy Immortal Rock,” “Roc Spreading Its Wings,” and “Carp Transforming and Parting Clouds”—earning it the nickname “Little Guilin.” In addition to its stunning natural scenery, Xiushui is also a place of outstanding talent and cultural significance. Historical records show that from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, 27 of the 133 imperial examination scholars (Jinshi) from Fuchuan County documented in the county annals came from Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village alone, including Mao Zizhi, the Zhuangyuan (top imperial scholar) of the 1st year of the Kaixi era in the Song Dynasty. Hence, it is also known as “Zhuangyuan (Number One Scholar) Village.” Currently, the village features attractions such as the Zhuangyuan Building, ancient theater stage, historic memorial archways, ancient spring pools, and old screen walls. It also houses a collection of ancient plaques bestowed by emperors and officials throughout various dynasties, as well as well-preserved ancient residential buildings and traditional gatehouses dating back to the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. For these reasons, it is also referred to as an “Open-Air Museum of Ancient Architecture from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.”

Xiushui Yao Ethnic Zhuangyuan Village was established during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty and has a history of over 1,300 years. Its founding ancestor, Mao Zhong, was a successful imperial examination candidate (Jinshi) in the Kaiyuan period and served as the Prefect of Hezhou in Guangxi. Since the Tang Dynasty, the village has grown to a population of 2,295. Originally one village, Xiushui Zhuangyuan Village has since expanded into four natural villages—Shiyu, Bafang, Anfu, and Shuilou—due to generations of development and branching. Interestingly, this historically small village of around 150 people once had three commercial trading areas, five ancient theater stages, four ancestral halls, and four private academies (namely Aoshan Stone Grotto Temple Academy, Shan Academy, Duizhai Mountain Academy, and Jiangdong Academy, with the latter predating the 250-year-old Lüqi Academy in Wuzhou by 250 years). It produced one Zhuangyuan scholar from the Song Dynasty and twenty-six Jinshi scholars. Moreover, since the restoration of China’s college entrance examination system, over 120 students from the village have been admitted to key national universities, colleges, and vocational schools. The village boasts profound historical and cultural heritage, beautiful natural scenery, rich traditions, and a continuous line of eminent individuals. According to historians, social science experts, and scholars, “Xiushui offers one of the world’s best living environments; possesses first-class clan feng shui in China; features the finest water town scenery in southern China; and exhibits the top-tier rural charm in Guangxi.” Since ancient times, Xiushui has been a sacred land where the Yao people thrived and multiplied. The renowned Chinese historian and professor at Guangxi University’s History Department, Zhong Wendi, took great interest in Xiushui’s cultural phenomena, human heritage, and local customs. He visited the village twice, conducting in-depth research through historical documents, cross-verifications, interviews with villagers, consultations with elders, and examinations of clan genealogies. His conclusive evidence demonstrated that the Mao family from Shaoshan in Hunan shares ancestral roots with those from Quzhou in Zhejiang, including the Mao family of Shaoshan. Currently, Fuchuan Xiushui Yao Ethnic Zhuangyuan Village has been listed as one of the 37 key tourism development projects in the region and is among the priority tourist areas being developed by the autonomous region. It has also been incorporated into the historical, cultural, and religious tourism route of eastern Guangxi. This highlights the immense value of Xiushui’s natural, geographical, and cultural essence—whether for feng shui studies, cultural exploration, or historical tracing. Its human culture, cultural phenomena, natural scenery, and rural landscapes undoubtedly provide an excellent environment for academic experts researching the ethnicity, culture, economy, and history of the Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County. At the same time, it offers a leisure, entertainment, recreational, and vacation destination for tourists of diverse cultural backgrounds and consumption levels.