Huangyao Ancient Town has a history of nearly a thousand years. It originated in the Song Dynasty. Since the surnames Huang and Yao are in the majority in the town, it is named ‘Huangyao’. Huangyao Ancient Town was not a well-known place before. It was not until two popular TV dramas ‘Tea Is Fragrant from Hometown’ and ‘Wine Is Mellow from Hometown’ and the film ‘The Painted Veil’ were filmed here that Huangyao came into the spotlight.
Fortunately, it is still not overdeveloped. Like many small towns in the south of the Yangtze River, Huangyao also has small bridges, flowing water, and people’s houses. There are exquisitely carved eaves and beam frescoes, and ancient houses and residences with poems and paintings on the eaves. The flagstone street is still the same as it was hundreds of years ago. The houses with blue bricks and tile roofs are connected in a large area, appearing extensive and profound. However, compared with ancient towns in Zhejiang area, Huangyao has less hustle and bustle and extravagance, and more of a feeling of tranquility and far-reaching. It is a beautiful ancient town worthy of recommendation in China. There are scenic spots in Huangyao Ancient Town such as the ancient theater, Baozhu Temple, Dragon Claw Banyan Tree, Dailong Bridge, Agricultural Fun Garden, and Wu’s Ancestral Hall. The ancient theater is located at the entrance of the village. The whole building is richly decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, and is engraved with various images of cornices and beasts. It is an old theater set up in the past. There is also a horizontal plaque of ‘Kěyǐ Xīng’ inscribed by a successful candidate in the imperial examinations in the Qing Dynasty. In front of the theater is Baozhu Temple. The stone pillars in the temple are carved with stone dragons, and the murals around are mottled in color. After leaving the temple gate, you can see the Dragon Claw Banyan Tree. The ancient tree grows on the stone and looks like a dragon’s claw, which is amazing. Dailong Bridge is located at the core of the ancient town. There are strange rocks beside Dailong Bridge. Under the bridge on the left side, there is a stone that looks like a snake’s head. The snake is also called a small dragon. Maybe that’s why it is called Dailong Bridge. If it is summer, you might as well go to the Agricultural Fun Garden. It is a good place to enjoy lotus. There are also restored ancient workshops for making fermented black beans, tofu, and extracting oil. To the east of the lotus pond is Wu’s Ancestral Hall. The ancestral halls in ‘Tea Is Fragrant from Hometown’ and ‘Wine Is Mellow from Hometown’ were all filmed here. In addition, the scenic spots in the ancient town also include Guo Family Courtyard and Xingning Temple. The cultural landscapes also include inscriptions and ink marks of Han Yu and Liu Zongbiao, as well as many stone inscriptions of poems and couplets. If you take a quick tour around the entire ancient town, it will take about 2 to 3 hours. If you want to explore more deeply, you can go to Wenming Pavilion on Tianma Mountain outside the East Gate. In addition, photography enthusiasts and enthusiasts can also go to the roof of the ‘Market Hostel’ outside the town to take pictures of the whole ancient town (a fee of about 5 to 10 yuan will be charged). Or ask a local person to be a guide and climb a nearby hill to overlook the whole town. Spend a little more time quietly experiencing the remoteness and simplicity in the ancient town, or sit down and have a good chat with the local people. There will definitely be many gains. Regarding meals, there are many restaurants inside and outside the ancient town. The levels are relatively average. Huangyao tofu is a major local specialty dish. There are tofu and stuffed tofu. You should try both. In addition, Huangyao fermented black beans are very famous. Huangyao is the ‘hometown of fermented black beans’. The fermented black beans produced here were once tributes sent to the capital. Almost every restaurant here has a ‘fermented black bean feast’.Accommodation in Huangyao is divided into the ancient town and the new street. The new street is known for private hotels that offer panoramic views of Huangyao Ancient Town, catering to those with higher hardware requirements. Within the ancient town, there are mainly artistic and nostalgic inns, which are ideal for deeply experiencing the charm of the ancient town. Opening hours are 07:30-18:00 from Monday to Thursday and Sunday throughout the year; 07:30-22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays; and 08:00-22:00 during the National Day.
Preferential policies for children: those aged 6 (excluding) to 18 (inclusive) or with a height of 1.2 meters (excluding) to 1.4 meters (inclusive) enjoy half price; those aged 6 (inclusive) or below or with a height of 1.2 meters (inclusive) or below enter for free.
For the elderly: those aged 60 (inclusive) to 65 (excluding) can enjoy half price with valid identification; those aged 65 (inclusive) and above enter for free with valid identification.
Full-time students of primary, middle, and high schools (excluding adult education and graduate students): full-time university undergraduates and below can enjoy half price with valid identification.
Active-duty military personnel/war veterans: active-duty military personnel, war veterans, retired military personnel with a military service certificate, military preferential certificate, and firefighting and rescue personnel enter for free.
Journalists: journalists with a press card enter for free.
People with disabilities: those with a disability certificate of level 1 or 2 enter for free.
Residents of Qingyuan, Hezhou, Wuzhou, and Zhaoqing: residents of these cities enjoy a 44 yuan/person discount for entry, with half price when purchasing tickets at the ticket window with a valid local resident ID.
Service facilities include parking lots: [Dongpailou Parking Lot] with a reference price of ¥15 per entry; located in the northeastern part of Zhaoping County, Hezhou City, Guangxi Province; capacity: 200.
Stroller rental: reference price is free, with a deposit of ¥200 required; located at the visitor center.
Restrooms: there are multiple restrooms in the scenic area, with clear signs near the visitor service center and the entrance of the scenic area.
Nursing rooms: located at the new visitor service center at the east gate square of Huangyao Ancient Town scenic area.
Dining: there are multiple restaurants available, and payments can be made using Alipay/WeChat Pay.
