The most successful attraction on the mainland—this place’s revenue has increased 700 times

Hongcun features a well-designed water system and a distinctive “ox-shaped” layout, making it a typical example of Huizhou-style residences. (Photo / Hongcun Official Website)

There are many famous ancient villages around Huangshan in southern Anhui, but the most popular today is Hongcun, which even overshadows Huangshan itself. Known as the “village in a painting,” Hongcun was established in the first year of the Shaoxing era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1131 AD), originally named Hongcun, and served as the settlement of the Wang family. During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, the village leader invited a feng shui master to assess the environment, redesigned the layout, and introduced water into the village. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the village underwent large-scale expansion, and to avoid using the name of Emperor Qianlong (Hongli), it was renamed “Hongcun.”

The village still retains a large number of ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including one from the Ming Dynasty, 102 from the Qing Dynasty, and 34 from the Republican period, most of which are well-preserved and serve as typical examples of Huizhou-style residences. Aside from winter, the ancient village attracts large crowds of tourists, with about 2 million visitors each year.

Twenty years ago, Hongcun was an obscure small village. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, and in 2003, it was awarded the title of China’s Famous Historical and Cultural Village. Coupled with the fact that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed here, it quickly became the most visited attraction around Huangshan, also leading to a 700-fold increase in local income compared to 20 years ago.

Hongcun is an ancient village preserving historical architecture from the Ming and Qing periods. The village features a complete water system and a uniquely designed “ox-shaped” layout, making it a typical representation of Huizhou-style houses. Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, the environment is beautiful and pleasant. The various ancient buildings emphasize fine ornamentation, with exquisitely detailed wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings that hold extremely high artistic value.