Hongcun Village

Hongcun Village is located in the Yi County of Huangshan City, Anhui Province. It is a beautiful village shaped like a cow, and it is praised as "the Village in Painting" in China. It was first built in the period from 1131 to 1162. It has a history of 900 years. The site selection and comprehensive planning of Hongcun Village is in full accordance with traditional art of geomantic omen in China. It was listed on World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2000.

Water system

Site selection and layout of Hongcun Village with its beautiful sceneries all relate to water. It is a well planned ancient village. Ditches crossing the whole village built in Ming Dynasty have history of 600 years. Water system is designed according to a cow figure. Ditches like "Cow’s Intestine" cross through each family into the a pool named as Moon Pool that is called “Cow’s Gaster”. After filtering, then water flows back through "Cow's Intestine" to outside village "Cow's Belly".

Now the village keeps completely 140 folk houses in Ming (1368-1644 A.D.) and Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) dynasties. Famous scenes are South Lake, ancient college, Jingxiu Hall, Peach Garden Hall and Ancient trees and so on.

South Lake

South Lake has another name "Cow's Belly", and it is located at the south end of Hongcun Village. It was built in 1607, because water in Moon Pool was not enough for villagers.

Jingde Hall

The style and layout of Ming house is simple with square pillar, and the building has two layers with same height. But Qing style house has round pillar, two layers while ground floor is tall and commodious, and carved beams and painted rafter is a big feature.

Jingde Hall was built in the late of Ming and early of Qing Dynasty. So it is representative architecture combined the architecture style of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Jingxiu Hall

It is typical folk house built in Qing Dynasty, and it sits by north side of Moon Pool. Jingxiu Hall has a history of 180 years. It takes up an area of 286 square meters, and sits in north and faces to the south. Its house foundation is one meter higher than Moon Pool. Unlike other folk houses, it has a space in front of the gate, which is for villagers to rest.

Shuren Hall

It was built in 1862. Shuren Hall is also called as Folk Art Collection Hall. It is a private collection hall that keeps machinery of ancient workshop, stone-made wares, prints in She County, folk custom appliances and family tree of Hongcun Village.

Peach Garden Hall

It was built in 1860. It is famous for a rare peach species. Peach Garden Hall is not in large scale, but its brick carving on gate tower and woodcarving indoor are precious artworks. Two pairs of doors with carved patterns are the most beautiful doors in the village.

Ancient trees

There are two ancient trees of 500 years old standing at the gateway of the village. One is Chinese ash in the north, which is 19 meters high and circumference of six meters. To hold it needs four or five men. Another one is maidenhair tree in the south of 20 meters high. It is like a sword upright stabbing to the sky. Because maidenhair tree is rare species in the world and this tree is 500 years old, and it is viewed as "Gem" of the village.