Huangyao Ancient Town

A Bird's Eye View of Huangyao Ancient Town  More Pictures

Huangyao Ancient Town, with a history of nearly 1,000 years, is located in the lower reaches of the Li River, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Hezhou and 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Guilin. In the 3.6-square-kilometer-town (1.4 square miles), are scattered more than 300 folk houses, 20 temples and ancestral halls, and 10 pavilions and opera stages, mostly in the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Styles. The town has eight main streets, stretching out in eight different directions, forming a giant “Eight Trigrams” from a bird’s eye view. The folk houses are situated mainly along Longpan Street and Zhongxing Street. Here all dwellings of the same family name are centered on their ancestral hall. The other streets are commercial areas. The two banks of the Yaojiang River are the leisure and entertainment areas. Below are some major sites one should not miss when in Huangyao Ancient Town:
 With an area of about 50 square meters (538 square feet), this landscape houses 5 wells with 1 meter (3.28 feet) depth. The water in these wells is regarded as immortal water. Water in the first well is for drinking, the second is for washing vegetables, the third, fourth, and fifth ones are for washing clothes and agricultural irrigation. The local people take July 7th in the Chinese lunar calendar as “Water Festival” day.
 An’le Temple is located in An’le Street in Huangyao Ancient Town. In 1573, there were some aggressors coming to rob the local residents. The local government sent soldiers to suppress the rebellion. The people built this temple in honor of these heroic soldiers.
 The Ancient Opera Stage is located near the Yaojiang River. It was built in 1524. It is made of bricks and tiles and houses 8 pillars. During some festivals, local folk artists perform on the stage.
 This tower was built for guarding the town. People often come to burn incense and pray for peace on January 1st and 15th in the Chinese lunar calendar. 
 Sima Mansion is located on Longpan Street. Sima is an official position in ancient China. The people living in this mansion have an ancestor who took this position, hence the name Sima Mansion.
 This tree is around 500 years old, but is still luxuriant and green all year round. The roots of this banyan are like a dragons’ claw, thus the name “Dragon Claw” Banyan
 This is located in the Baozhu Temple in Huangyao Ancient Town. It once provided shelter for many soldiers and patriots in the Sino-Janpanese War. In honor of this period of history, the Guangxi Government took this temple as the Old Site of Guangxi Provincial Committee.
 On Jan. 1st of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the local people get together to hold more than 20 traditional performances, such as the dragon dance, lion dance and suona horn show to celebrate the Chinese New Year. It is a spectacular and magnificent scene.

On May 5th of the Dragon Boat Festival, the people in Huangyao Ancient Town put calamus at their doors and soak the root of calamus in water to repel insects and ants.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is held on July 14th of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. On that night, people often come to the riverbank and put pomelo lamps into the river. After that, the young people often scramble for the pomelo lamp and share the pomelo with their families.
 From Hezhou:
1. Take a long-distance bus at Hezhou West Passenger Station to Huangyao. The bus departs at 6:30; 13:40; 14:40; 15:20; 16:20; 17:50. The duration is about 1.5-2 hours.
2. Take the tour bus at Hezhou Railway Station to Huangyao Ancient Town. The bus departs at 9:30; 11:00; 12:30; 14:30; 15:30; 17:00. The duration is 55 minutes. The bus ticket is CNY30.

From Guilin:
1. Take a long-distance bus at Guilin Passenger Station to Huangyao. The bus departs at 8:30 and 13:30. The duration is about 2.5-3 hours.
2. Take a high speed train at Guilin North Railway Station to Hezhou Railway Station; the duration is about 60-80 minutes. After, take the tour bus at Hezhou Railway Station to Huangyao Ancient Town.
 

Ticket Price	CNY100 CNY 50 for children between 1.2-1.4 meters (3.9-4.6 feet) Free for children under 1.2m (3.9 feet) accompanied by an adult with a ticket
Open Time	8:00-17:30

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