Xing’an Village

　　The well-known Hubei village of Xing’an is situated at the southwestern tip of Baifusi Town, bordering Chongqing and Hunan, with a “One Step Across Three Provinces” boundary marker located behind the village. It lies 70 kilometers from the county seat and 20 kilometers from Baifusi Town, accessible via the Baishi Highway. Due to its remote mountainous location and limited exposure to modern civilization, the village retains an ancient charm and preserves a rich traditional Tujia culture. This is reflected in its architecture: among the eight stockaded villages in the area, nearly all feature clusters of stilted houses, the best-preserved of which can be found in Chaxi Stream.

　　“Chaxi” means “a place with many magpies” in the Tujia language. Surrounded by mountains and covered in lush forests, it is indeed a paradise for birds and provides abundant materials for building stilted houses. All the stilted houses in the stockade are built along the mountainside, tier upon tier following the contours of the land, with courtyards nestled one after another. Their upturned eaves and ridges are neatly arranged in a staggered fashion, all tucked away among ancient trees and green bamboo, creating a beautiful scene of harmony between humans and nature. Stepping into a courtyard reveals yet another sight: each house has stone steps and stone-paved thresholds, with even the bases under the pillars finely polished. Some of the stilted houses have both ends raised like winnowing baskets, while others have one end lifted like a spoon handle. Where the main house connects with the stilted section, there are invariably “chamfered corners” and “umbrella-pillar supports.” Several stilted houses encircle a clean rock-paved courtyard, enclosing a warm and peaceful rural life.

　　The stilted houses of Chaxi Stream are graceful, while those of Zhongzhai are majestic. Zhongzhai is a flat area on the mountainside, where most of the stilted houses stand alone, each situated on high ground, enclosed by sturdy stone walls. Access to the courtyards is via stone steps, and some even have grand entrance gates. One surviving entrance gate is entirely built of stone slabs, with the words “Dragon Soaring” and “Phoenix Dancing” inscribed on the screen wall—this is an old house that has stood for hundreds of years.

　　Above Zhongzhai lies the “Dawu” group, where there is a four-story stilted house with five columns and six spans, complete with full-length eaves. The main house has five rooms, the stilted section has two, and six large pillars reach the ground. The first floor houses pigsties and cattle pens, while the second, third, and fourth floors are residential. The porch and corridors feature railings in the shape of “swastika” patterns—truly a rare large-scale stilted house in the heart of the Wuling Mountains.

　　Xing’an Village boasts a rich heritage of folk culture, with longstanding traditions such as speaking the Tujia language, playing leaf whistles, performing percussion ensembles, observing doorway rituals, and performing bridal laments. The stilted house complexes in Xin’an Village have now been included in a preservation plan. With the rise of tourism in the village, staying in stilted houses, enjoying farm-style meals, and watching Tujia song and dance performances have become top choices for visitors on cultural heritage trips. [Photography by Yang Xiuguo]