Gaoling Ancient Village

Gaoling Ancient Village

Gaoling Ancient Village is located on Lingbei Mountain of Dongfeng Ridge, north of Qiniang Mountain in Nanao, Longgang District, Shenzhen, at an elevation of 200 meters. It is the best-preserved Hakka village among those of historical significance on the Dapeng Peninsula, retaining its original appearance to the greatest extent. The village holds extraordinary importance for studying the history and culture of the Dapeng Peninsula. The village features old stone bridges, old watchtowers, a Western-style primary school, as well as ancient Hakka residences and ancestral halls that visitors can admire and study.

Four hundred years ago, a couple surnamed Zhou from the ancestral homeland of the Hakka people in Fujian settled here and established a family. In the early 1990s, due to inconvenient transportation, villagers gradually moved out and built a new village at the foot of the mountain, naming it “Gaoling New Village.” The original village came to be known as “Gaoling Ancient Village.” During festivals and holidays, some villagers still return to the ancient village to pay homage to their ancestors and reminisce about the past.

The solid stone slabs of Sansheng Bridge, the old watchtower guarding the village path, the Western-style primary school, Shenzhen’s earliest water supply system, the well-preserved Hakka residences with traditional charm, and the intact and simple Zhou Family Ancestral Hall together form the historical hallmarks of 400-year-old Gaoling Ancient Village.