A Film Village in Huangshan, Hidden Under the ‘Hongcun Effect’ but Offering Tranquility
Having traveled to so many ancient Hui villages, if you were to recommend one with fewer tourists, the first thing that came to my mind is Nanping. ‘Nanping? Nanping Evening Bell I’ve heard of, is it here?’ ‘Of course not, Nanping Evening Bell is one of the Ten Views of West Lake in Hangzhou.’ The Nanping Ancient Village is located in Huangshan Yixian, just 16km away from the ‘World Heritage’ Xikong Village.
Precisely because it’s so close to Xikong Village, it’s been overshadowed by ‘the protagonist effect’ and many tour groups have been sent there, but it has become a great place for slow-paced tourism in Nanping. Xikong Village’s slogan is ‘a village in a painting,’ so let’s take a look at Nanping’s slogan – ‘Chinese Film Village.’ It has been filmed by many movies, including Zhang Yimou’s ‘Ju Dou.’ Since film locations are favored by tourists, it’s easy for them to take photos.
Nanping is a little different from other ancient villages. After checking in, you’ll first arrive in a large green space, which is golden yellow with rapeseed flowers in spring. After many days of rain and wind, and overcast weather, it still presents a beautiful scene like a movie.
When you enter Nanping Ancient Village, I first advise you not to wander around aimlessly. Because it’s also known as ‘the most easily lost’ Hui village. There are 72 living lanes in the village, which are interconnected and look similar to outsiders. If you’re not careful, you’ll get lost. If you don’t believe it, you can challenge yourself. If you can’t find your way out, remember to look at the water and follow the flow of the water – that’s the way out. The opposite direction is the way in. There’s no deep principle, it’s just because the village is built on the mountains, and the water flow is formed by the terrain, which is convenient for daily water supply, showing the hard work and wisdom of the ancient Hui people. If you can’t see the water flow, look at the mountain, but in my direction is the way out.
What are the highlights of Nanping?The ancestral hall is the most representative place in a village. The ancestral hall in Nanping is very impressive, tracing back to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Nanping was inhabited by thousands of people of the Ye, Cheng, and Li surnames. It still well preserves 8 ancestral halls of different surnames, lined up on a line of about 200 meters. The Ye Ancestral Hall is the most complete and impressive, with different halls for different functions. If you want to know about it, come to Nanping. The text here is limited, I can’t explain it brick by brick.
How to ‘open’ Nanping?If you want to rush through and take pictures, I advise you not to come to Nanping. It’s suitable for ‘lazy cat and lazy dog,’ leaning by the window and listening to the rain, and chatting with the villagers. Basically, you can take it slow. It’s best to do one thing a day in Nanping – it’s not enough to stay for one day.
Because this slow life has been integrated into the blood of Nanping. The guesthouses and homestays in the village are mainly high-end, focusing on the comfort of the tourists. It’s suitable for staying for several days. This also fits my above statement – ‘one thing best done a day’ – Nanping is not enough to stay for one day...
I am Hu En Tai, a professional travel writer dedicated to discovering beautiful moments in travel. Welcome to click ‘Follow’, don’t miss various travel information every day.
