Hongcun Village

宏村

A World Heritage 'ox-shaped village' known for the arched bridge over South Lake, the Moon Pond reflections and the Chengzhi Hall woodcarvings, the very image of Huizhou architecture and sketching.

Hongcun lies in the northeast of Yi County and dates back to the Southern Song dynasty. It is famous for a village layout planned around the shape of an ox: the South Lake at the entrance forms the ox's belly, the Moon Pond at the heart of the village is its stomach, and the water channels that run through the houses are its intestines. Together with Xidi, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2000, and it was also a filming location for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Highlights include the arched bridge over South Lake (most beautiful in the morning mist), the Moon Pond (a half-moon pond whose reflections of whitewashed walls and dark tiles have become Hongcun's signature image), Chengzhi Hall (a Qing-dynasty residence of a salt merchant, whose woodcarvings are so exquisite they are called the 'Palace Museum of the people'), the Wang clan ancestral hall Lexu Hall, Nanhu Academy, and Leigang Hill behind the village, which offers views over the whole settlement. Admission is RMB 104, valid for 3 days, with real-name registration required. The combined ticket does not include Xidi. Free guided tours join at the village entrance.

The best times to visit are early morning or evening, since daytime brings many sketching students and tour groups. Nearby places for a combined trip include Tachuan (autumn colours, 2 km from Hongcun), Lucun (its carved wooden houses), Nanping (the filming location of Ju Dou) and Xieli.

Getting there: direct buses to Hongcun run from Huangshan North Railway Station, Tunxi Bus Station and Tangkou. From Tangkou the trip takes about 1 hour, with a bus roughly every hour. You can also hire a car, which costs about RMB 150 to 200 from Tangkou to Hongcun.

Tips: staying in a guesthouse in the village lets you enjoy South Lake in the early morning before the crowds arrive, but cars must be parked outside the village. Paths by the water channels are slippery in the rainy season. Mao tofu and La-ba tofu are local specialties.

Hongcun Village

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Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby