The Ancient Village of Lantian

The Ancient Village of Lantian

Lantian Village is located in the southwestern part of Chini Town, Huadu District, Guangzhou. To the east, it borders Hetang and Hecun Villages; to the south, it neighbors Tanco Town; to the west, it adjoins Litang and Songgang Villages; and to the north, it is adjacent to Baini Village. In 1983, Lantian Village was formed by merging three natural villages: Xincun, Lantian, and Zhongdong. Xincun Village was originally named Zhaoxinxicun, established by the Zhao family, but the Zhao clan was relatively small in number. Later, the village name was changed from Zhaoxinxicun to “Xincun,” which has been retained to this day. After centuries of historical changes and clan migrations, Lantian Village now has more than ten surnames. Due to its crisscrossing rivers and ponds, fertile fields and land that are suitable for farming and fish farming as well as habitation, the village attracted migrants from surrounding areas such as Foshan, Qingyuan, and Conghua. The main surnames among them are Wen, Chen, and Li, with other surnames including Liang, Cheng, Luo, Liao, Li, Zhu, and Ling. Most villagers are Cantonese-speaking people of the Guangfu ethnic group. The villagers with the surnames Ling, Zhu, and Luo are Hakka, who primarily speak Hakka but also know Cantonese. Each clan migrated to Lantian Village, settled down, lived in harmony, and thrived together. The total land area of Lantian Village is 15.6 square kilometers, with 839 households and a total population of 2,753, of which 2,600 are permanent residents and 150 are non-local residents.

The ancient village of Lantian is a typical example of the layout of Guangfu-style residences. The buildings facing the village are well preserved, oriented west to east, with a comb-like, naturally neat floor plan that is higher in the west and lower in the east, situated against mountains and close to water. The front of the village spans approximately 500 meters in width, with lanes about 120 meters deep. In front of the village is a spacious open ground and a pond that stretches the length of the village front, lined with banyan trees along its edges. Behind the village are rolling green hills, and to the north lies the Baini River, creating a feng shui pattern described as “facing a lake mirror and backed by a mountain screen.”

Having stood the test of time, the ancient village of Lantian still stands today, having undergone thorough restoration and preservation. Though it has taken on a renewed appearance, it retains its classic, timeless charm.

Lantian Village: Located in the southern part of Chini Town, Lantian Village covers a total land area of 15.6 square kilometers, with over 6,400 mu of arable land, including: 2,300 mu of fish ponds, 1,700 mu of paddy fields, 2,400 mu of flowers and plants, and more than 10,000 mu of forested hills. There is currently one road passing through the village, connecting it to Chini Avenue outside the village, which serves as the main access route linking Lantian Village to the outside world. The main industries of Lantian Village are agriculture, nursery plant cultivation, and fish farming. Situated in a hilly and upland area, the Lantian Village Committee has leveraged local characteristics to develop village-level collective economy, with aquaculture and nursery flowers and plants serving as economic pillars for the village... More details about Lantian Village++