Shiwai Ancient Village

Shiwai Ancient Village

Shiwai Ancient Village is located in Shiwei Tun, Zhongshi Village, in the northwest of Dongmen Town, Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County, approximately 4 kilometers from the county seat. Surrounded on three sides by hillsides, fields, and a river, the natural landscape here is expansive, beautiful, and mystical.

According to the genealogy of the Yin family and the Yong'an Merit Stele, the founding ancestors of Shiwai Ancient Village migrated here in the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369 AD), and the village has a history of over 640 years. The residents are all Mulao people with the surname Yin. The ancient dwellings in the village currently include more than 70 old houses, most of which were built during the Qing Dynasty and the Republican period. They are all constructed of brick and wood, featuring gable-and-hip or flush-gable roofs, with bracket sets supporting the eaves. In front of the houses are gate towers, and above the main doors are patterns such as “phoenix piercing peony” and “joy above the brows,” representing typical Mulao architectural styles. Upon entering, one sees incense burners overhead and coal stoves beneath—distinctive features of Mulao homes. The eaves and interior walls are adorned with delicate paintings, and the decorative lattice windows feature rich patterns and exquisite carvings, all embodying strong Mulao cultural elements. These are considered masterpieces of traditional Mulao wood carving craftsmanship in Luocheng. Behind the village lies a stone wall over 70 meters long, part of which was built using lime, sand, and clay mortar. The wall includes gunports and sentry holes, making it the largest and most intact defensive wall discovered in Luocheng to date. Surrounding the village are historic relics such as the Yong'an Bridge Merit Stele, ancient stone wells, twin slab bridges, and merit stone flagpoles, all of which bear witness to the village’s glorious history and carry the profound culture of the Yin family Mulao people.

In 2012, after Shiwei Tun was designated as a pilot village for the “Protection and Development of Characteristic Villages” project by the Autonomous Region’s Ethnic Affairs Commission, restoration and preservation efforts were carried out on the ancient village and its traditional houses. The ancient dwellings were comprehensively restored, and imitation ancient Mulao-style gate towers, covered walkways, and pavilions were built. A Mulao Folk Museum was also established to highlight Mulao ethnic characteristics. Additionally, leisure and fitness facilities such as a cultural and recreational center, leisure plaza, and football field were constructed.

The Shiwai Mulao Folk Museum is the first village-level museum in Luocheng. Its exhibits are displayed on both the first and second floors. The first floor mainly showcases ethnic production tools, daily utensils, and the incense hall (ancestral shrine) culture of the Mulao people, presenting the grand hall scenes of wealthy Mulao households in the past and recreating the Mulao custom of “looking up to see the incense hall and down to see the coal stove.” It also displays the bluestone culture that permeates every aspect of Mulao life—clothing, food, housing, and transportation. The second floor primarily exhibits historical artifacts of the Mulao people, ethnic costumes, architectural decoration pieces, and relics related to the Yifan Festival. It highlights the ethnic clothing characteristic of “Mulao favor silver, and attire favors blue,” reflecting the Mulao people’s cultural traits and spirit of “diligence in farming and studying, and striving upward.”

In 2014, Shiwei Tun was named one of the first “China Ethnic Minority Characteristic Villages” by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

Today, Shiwei Tun has become a new socialist countryside that combines the display of ethnic and folk culture with tourism.