Last updated 2026-11-13 — Pingzhai — Pingzhai is located on the north bank of the Linxi River. A ridge extending toward the river forms a natural barrier at the southern end of the village, while another small hill separates Pingzhai from Dazhai. The flat land between the two hills is dumbbell-shaped, with a stream running east-west through it before eventually joining the Linxi River. The residences in Pingzhai are mainly situated to the north of this stream, concentrated around where it meets the Linxi River. The local economy is primarily based on the cultivation of glutinous rice, and the surrounding hills are covered with forests of oil tea, tea trees, Chinese fir, camphor trees, maple trees, and hemlock. The main part of the village lies along the Linxi River, with the most densely populated area near the northern hillside, forming the core residential zone and the earliest settlement of the village's ancestors. There are five main paths in the village, all paved with bluestone slabs, some of which are over a hundred years old. Originally, there was a gate at the village exit of each path, among which the southwest gate facing the Linxi River and the southeast gate connected to the current road are the best-preserved among the eight Chengyang villages. The streams, ponds, and springs near the villagers’ homes form the water system of Pingzhai. The small hill to the north of the village is considered the fengshui mountain of Pingzhai, and beside it stands an ancient towering tree, regarded as the fengshui tree that protects the village’s peace. Within the village are structures such as the Old Drum Tower built in the first year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1821 AD), the newly built New Drum Tower in 2014, the Cultural Complex Building, and the “Helong” Wind-Rain Bridge spanning two piers with two stories over the Linxi River to the southwest of the village.