Ancient Hucun Village

　　Ancient Hucun Village is situated 18 kilometers east of Jixi County in southern Anhui. It is an ancient village "guarded by stone lions and elephants at the entrance" and "sealed by a garden." This village sits on the historic route of the ancient Huizhou-Hangzhou Trail. Within the village, you can still find thousand-year-old trees, tombs from the Song Dynasty, ancient bridges, pavilions, as well as traditional residences, ancient gate towers, and ancestral halls. A Ming Dynasty water street runs through the village, featuring ancient buildings cleverly constructed along the terrain, snaking up the hillsides and stretching out like a three-dimensional landscape painting. The village encompasses the essence of Huizhou’s ancient villages, leading experts to call it a "living fossil of ancient Huizhou culture."

　　At the western end of the village stands the magnificent ancestral hall of the Zhang family. After renovation, it has regained its former glory. Inside the hall is a Ming Dynasty coiled dragon incense pavilion, with six dragons carved on its pillars, appearing as if they are about to take flight. These carvings represent the pinnacle of Huizhou-style wood carving and are hailed as a masterpiece of the craft.

　　At the southern end of the village stream lies a lane of elaborately decorated gate towers. The doorways of the houses along the lane are adorned with exquisitely crafted brick carvings in a variety of styles. Each gate tower is a delicate piece of folk art that often leaves visitors in awe. These finely carved gate towers draw inspiration from a wide range of themes, including folk customs, mythological legends, and opera stories. Some even regard them as the finest examples of brick carving, fully showcasing the profound cultural heritage of gate tower art in traditional Huizhou architecture.

　　The village still preserves over a hundred traditional residences from earlier times. These buildings all feature fundamental characteristics of Huizhou-style architecture, such as timber-and-brick structures, three rooms with two side wings, central courtyards, white walls with black tiles, and horse-head-shaped gables. However, their layout varies — some have single courtyards, others have front and rear sections or front and rear halls. For example, there is a winding complex of houses connected by a single pathway, combining over ten rooms along a curved corridor that connects every unit like a labyrinth. Stepping through the main gate, visitors ascend dozens of stone steps. Inside the homes, there are natural wells that never dry up in droughts nor overflow during prolonged rains. No wonder experts say this village is truly a museum of Huizhou architecture.

　　To the north of the village lies an ancient tomb. Historical records indicate that this tomb belongs to the ancestors of the current President of China. The tomb is situated at the head of the Dragon-Shaped Xuridge Mountain Range, facing the 1,000-meter-high Qigu Mountain. Atop the tomb grows a thousand-year-old bitter oak tree. Although one side of the trunk bears scars from a lightning strike, the village, with a population of fewer than 1,000, is home to over twenty centenarians who remain vigorous and some are even able to work in the fields.

　　The village boasts a rich variety of folk entertainment activities. It also preserves the earliest stage scenery in southern Anhui and the renowned "Swing and Tower Lift" performance, considered a unique skill of the Jiangnan region.

　　Transportation

　　The village is 18 kilometers from Jixi County. You can take a bus from the bus station to Hujia and get off at Hucun. After disembarking, walk left for about 600 meters to reach the village. Alternatively, you can take a motorcycle taxi.