Chengzi Ancient Village

Chengzi Ancient Village

Chengzi Ancient Village is located in Chengzi Village, Yongning Township, Luxi County, 25 kilometers from the county seat of Luxi. It is a renowned historical and cultural village in Yunnan and a "living fossil" in the development history of Chinese residential architecture. To this day, it still preserves historical relics such as the "An Tusi Mansion," "General Li's Residence," and the "Sisters' Wall." Its ancient Yi people's earth-palm house dwellings, profound historical and cultural heritage, and rich ecological ambiance make it an extremely valuable treasure among Luxi’s tourism resources.

Chengzi Ancient Village is situated on Feifeng Slope, which rises over 200 meters. With more than 1,000 earthen houses whose walls connect to one another, the village is built layer upon layer along the mountain and water, resembling a phoenix drinking from a stream when viewed from afar—quite mysterious and spectacular. Legend has it that long ago, the ancestors of the Bai Shao branch of the Yi people chose this place and once built 24 earth-palm houses using the branches of a single tree, where 24 families lived, settling here ever since, thriving for generations. The Yi people who have lived here through the ages coexist harmoniously and help one another, forming a simple and friendly folk culture and an inseparable bond with the earth-palm houses across generations. The reason lies not only in the practical value of the earth-palm houses, which are warm in winter and cool in summer, but also in the open and defenseless nature of the architecture, which fosters openness and trust among people.

Chengzi Ancient Village is a provincial-level historical and cultural village in Yunnan Province. It is a yet-to-be-developed tourist destination that combines natural landscapes, pastoral scenery, and ancient ethnic minority architecture. The village boasts China’s largest group of "Yi earth-palm houses," constructed over 600 years ago, with more than 1,000 well-preserved houses stacked layer upon layer, making for a distinctive and magnificent sight.

Chengzi Ancient Village possesses unique landscape value, cultural significance, residential architectural value, as well as humanistic and tourism value in the modern revolutionary history of Luxi. The village still retains sites such as the ruins of the "An Tusi Mansion," "Jiangxi Street," "General Li's Residence," and the "Sisters' Wall," as well as the school and childhood residence of the late Zhang Chong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a renowned patriotic Yi military leader. This was once the location of the Panbei Command of the China People's Liberation Army’s Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi Border Area Column, where the Luxi County Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Luxi County Liberation Committee were established.

The resource elements of Chengzi Ancient Village hold strong appeal for contemporary tourists interested in historical architecture, folk culture scientific research and exchange, and natural landscape sightseeing. Among similar tourism resources, it holds exceptional irreplaceability and comparative advantages.

The One and Only Chengzi – A Tale Through Time

As you stroll through the layers of earth-palm houses, your hands touch ancient, primitive walls; your footsteps echo on weathered stone slabs; your eyes take in the harmony between the simple people of Chengzi and nature… At that moment, all the mysterious and profound history and culture of this ancient fortress will unfold in your mind.

1. Chengzi · History

Chengzi is an ancient Yi fortress with over 600 years of history and splendid culture—a beautiful ancient village where the sun and moon shine together, and people and things flourish.

Legend has it that long ago, the ancestors of the Bai Shao branch of the Yi people selected this place and once built 24 earth-palm houses using the branches of a single tree, where 24 families lived, settling here ever since, thriving for generations.

2. Chengzi · Impression

Chengzi Ancient Village is perched on Feifeng Slope, rising over 200 meters. With more than 1,000 earth-palm houses built along the mountain and water, connected wall to wall and rising layer upon layer—with the roof of one household forming the courtyard of the one above—when viewed from afar, the entire village resembles a phoenix drinking from a stream, quite mysterious and spectacular.

Whether at sunrise or sunset, Chengzi greets you with a golden glow.

3. Chengzi · Story

For thousands of years, the stories of Chengzi Ancient Village have shone like bright stars amidst the primitive and profound earth-palm houses. Whether myths or legends, whether the "rebellious" Tusi Ngue or the "legendary" General Zhang Chong, they all leave visitors lingering and lost in thought, bearing the mark of Chengzi.

4. Chengzi · Harmony

The Yi people who have lived in Chengzi Ancient Village through the generations coexist harmoniously and help one another, forming a simple and friendly folk culture and an inseparable bond with the earth-palm houses across generations. The reason lies not only in the practical value of the earth-palm houses, which are warm in winter and cool in summer, but also in the open and defenseless nature of the architecture, which fosters openness and trust among people.

5. Chengzi · Charm

She is delicate and refined, yet grand and majestic; she is serene and reserved, yet full of vitality; she inherits ancient charm but thrives in the present; she carries history and enriches it further… She is Chengzi.

6. Chengzi · Four Seasons

Spring in Chengzi is the shy pink peach blossoms peering out from the walls of the earth-palm houses;

Summer in Chengzi is the fragrant rice flowers competing to bloom at the foot of Feifeng Slope;

Autumn in Chengzi is the golden ears of corn and strings of fiery red chili peppers shining side by side;

Winter in Chengzi is the curling wisps of cooking smoke playing among the layered earth-palm houses.

Address: Chengzi Village, Yongning Township, Luxi County, Honghe Prefecture

Type: Ancient Town / Ancient Village

Ticket Information:

List price: 50.0 RMB

Adult tickets cost 50 RMB, student tickets cost 25 RMB.

Information source: China Honghe Tourism Website