Langtou Ancient Village

Langtou Ancient Village

Langtou Ancient Village is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Langtou Ancient Village is located in Tanbu Town, Huadu District, Guangzhou. Established in the 27th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1367), it has a history of 642 years.

Liugeng Ancestral Hall

Xianggong Ancestral Hall

The village preserves nearly 200 well-maintained Qing and Ming dynasty-style blue-brick buildings, including around 30 ancestral halls, study rooms, and academies, as well as three watchtowers and gate towers. There are also over 20 ancient alleys, the historic Shengping Rui Archway, and Qingyun Bridge. It is renowned for its diverse ancient architecture, large-scale preserved buildings, and rich cultural heritage. To date, it is one of the largest well-preserved ancient villages in Guangdong. In 2008, Langtou Ancient Village became one of the first 27 officially recognized ancient villages in Guangdong Province, and in 2010, it was named one of Guangzhou’s Top Ten Featured Streets (Villages).

Shupu Ancestral Study

Guyi Ancestral Study

The southern part of Langtou Village was once a vast expanse of lakes, and the village was built on a small hill by the lake, hence the name “Langtou” (Lake Head). It is divided into three communities: Langdong, Langzhong, and Langxi, where Langdong and Langzhong are connected and separated from Langxi by a small river called “Shentan.” Langdong and Langzhong are approximately 210 meters wide, while Langxi is about 170 meters wide. Most villagers have the surname Huang. The Huang family migrated from Zhujixiang in Nanxiong County to Shenshan Town in the northern suburbs of Guangzhou (now Baiyun District) during the late Southern Song Dynasty (around 1140 AD), and then moved here to establish the village in 1367. The current population is over 3,000, with more than 600 households—all surnamed Huang. Before founding the village, their ancestors raised ducks for a living at the mouth of the Daliu River near Caoyunbian, living in just two or three small mud huts. The area had many rivers, lakes, and ponds, with abundant lang grass growing along the water’s edge—thus the name “Langtou Village.”

Yunya Ancestral Hall

Taihua Public Academy

Shengping Rui Archway

The front of the village features a spacious open area with three ancient wells and three crescent-shaped ponds, covering an area of about 35,000 square meters. The pond edges are lined with lychee, longan, and banyan trees, while ancient banyans and kapok trees at the head, tail, and rear of the village encircle it. Among them, a kapok tree in the east and a banyan in the rear were planted by the 11th-generation ancestor Lexuan, both nearly 600 years old. The fields in front of the village are vast, with the Liyu Channel connecting to “Shentan” in the west and the Ba River in the east, creating a serene, natural, and harmonious environment.

Jingwei Pavilion Gate Tower

Yunwu Ancestral Study

The ancient architectural complex in the village is grand and prominent among the ancient villages in western Huadu District. The buildings in Langtou Village face south and are neatly arranged, with well-preserved facades, large scale, and a total construction area of over 60,000 square meters. Nearly 200 well-preserved Qing and Ming dynasty blue-brick buildings remain, including around 30 ancestral halls, study rooms, and academies, as well as three watchtowers and gate towers, with the rest mostly residential homes. Many of these residences are still inhabited. The village facade mainly consists of ancestral halls and study rooms, most built during the Qing Dynasty, some during the Ming Dynasty, typically in three-bay, three-section or three-bay, two-section layouts, with gable-and-hip or “pot-ear” firewalls, gray-sculpted antique ridges or dragon boat ridges, and exquisite stone, brick, wood, and plaster carvings—especially notable in the Youlan Ancestral Hall and Guyi Ancestral Study. Individual buildings are separated by alleys 1.1 to 3.3 meters wide, with over 20 ancient alleys remaining.

Guyi Ancestral Study

Guyi Ancestral Study

Stone plaques above alley gate towers are inscribed with alley names. Langxi Community includes Yongfuli, Yishanli, Renshoul, Tainingli, Fuxianli, Xihuali, and Zhuoyuli; Langzhong Community includes Canhuaili, Xingrenli, Anjul, and Jinguangl; Langdong Community includes Shangqingli, Xinyuanl, Dunrenl, Yetangl, Guangdil, Sanyuanl, and Jimolou Alley. East of Langtou Village are the Shengping Rui Archway and Qingyun Bridge.

Guyi Ancestral Study

The main ancestral halls in the village include the Huang Clan Ancestral Hall and Yuyin Ancestral Hall, most built during the Qing Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, and Tongzhi eras, with the earliest dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The halls feature lifelike, exquisitely carved stone, wood, brick sculptures, and plasterwork, with murals depicting ancient life themes painted on the walls. The villagers have since moved to a new settlement, and many of these halls now serve as storage sheds for firewood, with dried radishes laid out on high merit platforms. Only during festivals do these ancient structures regain their vibrancy.

Sanyuli Ancient Alley

Liugeng Ancestral Hall

The most famous ancestral hall is the Youlan Ancestral Hall, which houses a rare imperial decree pavilion. Above the plaque of the Youlan Ancestral Hall is a mural depicting four cabbages. Though seemingly simple, these cabbages carry a profound message: even with modest means, the ancestors prioritized their children’s education. As a result, “seven sons, five of whom passed imperial exams, and father and son both revered as local worthies”—for which the emperor bestowed two pairs of couplets, fostering a culture of learning across the village.

Guangdong Province’s Ancient Village – Langtou Ancient Village

Yuyin Ancestral Hall

Yuyin Ancestral Hall

Xuanchongguang Gate Tower

Yaoxuan Public Study Hall

Lüzhe Daohe Archway

Lingnan Agricultural Culture Museum

Youlan Ancestral Hall

Xiangxian Yupo Ancestral Hall

Wenchen Public Study Hall

Huang Clan Ancestral Hall

Jianshi Public Study Hall

Jinghui Ancestral Hall

Nanye Public Study Room

Jianshi Public Study Hall

Meichuang Public Study Hall

Guangzhou Municipal Historical Building – Jinshi House

Sanyu Ancient Well

Langtou Integrity Culture Theme Park

Langtou Integrity Culture Theme Park

Langtou Village History Exhibition Hall

Langtou Village: The Langtou Village Committee is located in the western part of Tanbu Town, covering an area of approximately 6.25 square kilometers. It administers three villager groups (Langzhong, Langdong, and Langxi), with a total population of over 2,330. The village was established in the late Southern Song Dynasty and was named after being built on a small hill near the low-lying fields. In 2006, it was recognized as the Best Historic Ancient Village by the Huadu District People’s Government and is also among the first batch of provincial-level ancient villages. The Langtou Village Committee is 15 kilometers from Xinhua Town and 2 kilometers from Tanbu Town, connected to the town area via the Pearl River Belt Corridor highway. The main agricultural activities include rice cultivation, vegetable and flower farming, as well as fishpond aquaculture... More details about Langtou Village++