The Laoping Stone Section of the Yile Ancient Road

The Laoping Stone Section of the Yile Ancient Road

The Laoping Stone Section of the Yile Ancient Road is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangdong Province.

In Qingyun Town, about sixty kilometers northwest of Lechang City in the mountainous northern region of Guangdong Province, there lies a well-preserved ancient road dating back a thousand years—the Yile Ancient Road. Beside this road sits a remarkably intact ancient village—Huchang Mountain Village. This village has a long history, a wealth of cultural relics and historic sites, and exquisite architecture, carvings, as well as calligraphy and painting art, making it a true gem of Lingnan culture and art.

The ancient village is inhabited by residents of the Li clan. According to the *Genealogy of the Li Clan of Huchang Mountain*, the founding ancestor of the Li family in Huchang Mountain, Li Bolun, was a tribute scholar at the end of the Song Dynasty and served as a magistrate-equivalent official in the Dali Temple (comparable to today’s—). Along with his father, the imperial scholar Li Dawan, he came here to live in seclusion. It has been eight hundred years since then. In rural Lingnan, it is rare to find an ancient village with such a long history and documented records.

This ancient village houses many cultural relics and historic sites of great historical value, such as: four academies, private schools, and study rooms, the ancestral hall of the Li clan, the “Respect for Paper” pagoda, dragon- and phoenix-carved altars and beds, the Filial Piety Archway, the Weigong Stone symbolizing scholarly honors, the Yile Ancient Road, and rows of towering ancient pine trees.

Since the father and son who first settled and established the village were, respectively, an imperial scholar and a tribute scholar from the end of the Song Dynasty—both ancient scholar-officials—their descendants were greatly influenced. Coupled with the village’s beautiful environment and status as a “feng shui treasure land,” the area produced many talented individuals who achieved scholarly honors. These included tribute scholars, yearly and regular tribute holders, even a county magistrate, and those who earned military merits up to the sixth rank. The dozens of Weigong Stones in front of the village (in ancient times, those who attained the rank of imperial scholar or higher could erect such stones) stand as evidence. The emergence of talent also fostered a strong emphasis on education and literary pursuit in the village. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, two academies, one private school, and one study room were successively built. For a village with fewer than a hundred households to operate four schools at the same time was nothing short of miraculous. These four schools were: Guanyinge Academy, Yuncong Academy, Longmen Study, and Huafeng Study Room. Hence, the place has long been known as the “scholarly village” of Lechang.

The Yile Ancient Road passes in front of Huchang Mountain Village. According to the *Lechang Cultural Relics Record*, the Yile Ancient Road was opened during the Qin and Han dynasties and has a history of over 1,300 years.

Most of the buildings in Huchang Mountain Village still retain their Ming and Qing architectural styles. Whether schools, ancestral halls, or residences, these structures are exquisitely built. The houses are uniformly made of blue bricks with red or gray tiles, and despite centuries having passed, none have deformed. Most of the houses feature carved beams and painted rafters, with every gate adorned with intricately carved beams depicting dragons, phoenixes, civil and military officials, or birds and beasts. Even after centuries of weathering, the patterns remain very clear. Under the eaves and above the windows of schools, ancestral halls, and some residences are painted ancient artworks accompanied by classical poetry. These exquisite buildings, carvings, and calligraphy and painting arts hold significant reference value for the study of Lingnan culture and art.

Huchang Mountain is picturesque, blessed with stunning natural landscapes. The most famous include the Eight Scenic Spots: the Awakening Lion Watching the Moon, the Pine Pool Bathing in the Sun, the Plum Stream Woodcutters’ Songs, the River and Mountain View, the South China Morning Bell, the Furnace Peak Mist, the Wei Ridge Snow Accumulation, and the Dragon Beard Waterfall.

Baizhu Village: Baizhu Village…… More information on Baizhu Village++

Further reading:

· Ninth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangdong Province