Ruins of the Siyan Mountain Yao Village

Ruins of the Siyan Mountain Yao Village

The ruins of the Siyan Mountain Yao Village are a protected cultural heritage site under Laibin Municipality.

The site is located on the southern foothills of Siyan Mountain, east of Beisi Street in Beisi Township, Heshan City, Guangxi, approximately 3 kilometers from the government seat of Beisi Township. It was once the former settlement of the Wei Village Yao people from Jiefang Village in Beisi. According to research by cultural relics experts, the site has a long history. Professor Qiu Zhonglun, a UNESCO rock art expert, discovered 12 pictographs, one of which—a “female fertility worship” symbol—is the first such discovery in southern China after those found in the Changbai Mountains, making it of significant historical, artistic, and scientific value. Multiple animal carvings including birds, horses, and fish, as well as figures such as Yao elders, Yao kings, and Yao mothers, along with various texts and patterns, have been found. There are also large-scale ancient oil mill ruins, stone mills, and stone rollers—rare finds in Guangxi—as well as a natural ancient well. The uniquely produced Lily Starch is a local specialty of Heshan. The mountain boasts rich vegetation, and when the peach blossoms are in full bloom each year, the area is truly like a paradise on earth. On April 10, 1996, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site by the Heshan Municipal People's Government, and on July 12, 2004, it was listed as a municipal-level cultural heritage site by the Laibin Municipal People's Government.