Fuchuan

A Yao homeland on the Hunan–Guangxi border, where Xiushui 'Top Scholar Village', Fuxi Village and the Huilan and Qinglong wind-and-rain bridges form a northern ancient-village route; the county town has a Ming-dynasty walled city, and Fuchuan is known for navel oranges and Yao oil tea.

Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County lies in northeastern Guangxi, in the north of Hezhou, bordering Jiangyong and Jianghua in Hunan to the north. A Yao homeland on the Hunan–Guangxi border, it was also the route by which the Qin- and Han-era Xiaohe Ancient Road entered Lingnan. The county town of Fuyang preserves Fuchuan's Ming walled city, built in the Hongwu era, while around Chaodong Town in the north lie Xiushui 'Top Scholar Village', Fuxi Village, Chashan Village and the Huilan, Qinglong and other wind-and-rain bridges, forming a cultural route of 'ancient villages + wind-and-rain bridges + ancient road'. South of the county town are Guishi National Wetland Park and Qicai Hutou Village, and to the east, the Shenxian Lake area of Fuli Town is a 'slow city' combining flower fields, navel orange orchards and guesthouses.

The best seasons are Feb–Mar, when navel orange blossoms and rapeseed flowers bloom, and Oct–Dec, the navel orange harvest; summers are hot, humid and rainy, so protect yourself from sun and heat when touring the villages. Getting there: Fuchuan Station on the Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway has trains to Guilin and Guangzhou, about 2 hours from Guangzhou South; the northern villages are about 30 km from the county town and buses between sights are scarce, so driving or hiring a car is recommended. Allow 2 days: one for the northern route of Xiushui – Fuxi – Huilan Wind-and-Rain Bridge – Chashan, and one for the Ming walled city, Shenxian Lake, Guishi Wetland and Hutou Village. Fuchuan Yao oil tea, stuffed tofu and navel oranges are must-tries. The ancient villages are mostly still lived in, so ask permission before taking photos and keep quiet inside ancestral halls and temples.

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