Hougou Ancient Village

Hougou Ancient Village

Hougou Ancient Village is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Yuci’s Hougou Ancient Village is situated in Dongzhao Township, Yuci District, bordering Shouyang County of Shouyang City. The village has 75 households and over 251 residents. It is a historic settlement in Yuci District with origins dating back to the Tang Dynasty. The buildings resemble cave dwellings from northern Shaanxi, constructed along the river and up the mountain slopes, retaining many ancient structures including brick cave courtyards, quadrangle courtyards, standalone caves, as well as exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings. The quaint old theater stage, Guanyin Hall, and Bodhisattva Shrine within the village are considered living fossils of northern folk culture.

Hougou Ancient Village is located in Dongzhao Township, Yuci District, Jinzhong City, bordering Shouyang County of Yangquan City. It covers a total area of 1.33 square kilometers, with 75 current resident households and 251 people. The highest elevation is 974 meters, and the lowest is 907 meters, with a relative height difference of 67 meters, creating the village’s unique landscape of crisscrossing gullies, slopes, plateaus, and flats.

A local saying in Hougou goes: “At the center of the forty-li Longmen River lies Hougou Village, where two dragons play with a pearl.” The origins of Hougou Village are unverifiable, but based on a Tang Dynasty epitaph unearthed during archaeological work, it is estimated to have been established around the year 819 AD. An ancient stele from the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty (1626 AD) states, “The years are long past, and its depths are unknown.” The village is dotted with ancient buildings and features a well-developed temple system. Eighteen temples—including the Guan Di Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, Zhenwu Temple, Sanguan Temple, Kuixing Tower, Guanyin Hall, Bodhisattva Shrine, Mountain God Temple, River God Temple, and Wudao Temple—as well as one ancestral hall, were built according to feng shui principles and oriented by direction, encompassing Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

Hougou Ancient Village encapsulates the traditional essence of farming civilization on the loess plateau and preserves the self-sufficient lifestyle of the Han ethnic group in northern China. The residential buildings are classic cave dwellings typical of the Loess Plateau, characterized by being built along cliffs, adapting to the terrain, with stacked cave courtyards creating a varied and unique landscape. Stone caves, earthen caves, brick caves, arched caves, dug caves, single caves, and inner-outer caves echo each other, forming Hougou Village’s naturally formed and distinctive scenery. The ancient underground drainage system is comparable to projects designed by top hydraulic engineers. Starting from higher ground in the northeast and northwest of the village, it runs through the settlement and connects every household, forming two systems known as the Yellow Dragon and Black Dragon, which eventually flow out through drainage outlets in the southwest and southeast before joining the Longmen River.

Hougou Ancient Village’s complete drainage system, hierarchical cave residence layout, imposing Zhang Family Ancestral Hall, exquisitely carved theater stage, self-sufficient production workshops, and precautionary food storage system all highlight the dominance of clan authority—offering a complete picture of living northern farming civilization and earning the title of a “Farming Peach Blossom Spring.”

Ticket

Ticket: 32 RMB

Location

Dongzhao Township, Yuci District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province

Hougou Village: Hougou Village has a population of 235, with 85 households, including 151 laborers and 1,283 mu of arable land. The village is a well-known ancient settlement tourism destination in Yuci and even across the city. With the continuous development of tourism, villagers have opened farmhouse restaurants, guesthouses, and other service businesses to accommodate visitors. Aside from tourism, Hougou is also widely recognized as a prime production area for small white pears. … More details about Hougou Village ++