Ist day 27 April 2007 (Friday), We took 11:40pm train from Suzhou to HuangShan Town.

 

 

3rd Day 29 April 2007 (Sunday), We have started our mission at 5.10am to conquer the World Natural and Cultural Heritages Yellow Mountain, (The details will be on the next blog) hahahaha ..

 

 

 

 

     Hongcun, located at the southwestern foot of the YellowMountain and 11 kilometers away from Yi county, is a peculiar ox-shaped ancient village in the peach blossom valley of the ancient Yi county. Lying in the Thunder Hillock and facing the Southern Lake, it covers 30 hectares, and enjoys the good name of “Chinese village in picture”because of the beautiful mountain and water. The mountain is grassy because of the water, and the water is lively because of the mountain. In the shaoxing Period of the Southern Song Dynasty, people in Hongcun took the initiative in applying bionics by creating the unique artificial water system for firefighting and irrigation. They did everything according to the shape of the ox: the winding dam is the “intestine” of the ox; the “Moon Pond” dug beside the mouth of the spring is its “stomach”; the “Southern Lake” is its “belly”; the villagers lived in both sides of the “intestine” are its “body”. The sceneries of the mountain and the lake are in perfect harmony with layers of houses; the natural scenes and cultural implications reflect upon each other, --- the very uniqueness of the residence design in Hongcun, which distinguishes it from that of any other areas, and makes it as one of the wonders of the current World Historical and Cultural Heritage.
    Now there are more than 140 well-preserved folk residences of Ming and Qing Dynasties: the Ideal-Upholding Hall, famous for its exquisite and gorgeous “Three Sculptures” and thus called the “Civil Forbidden City”; the Southern Lake sceneries, the Southern Lake Academy, the Spring Morning of the Moon Pond, the Ox Intestine Ditch, the Jade Reflections of the Two Springs, the Big Tree in front of the Pavilion, the Sunset in the Thunder Hillock, the Man-Cultivating Hall, and one ancestral temple of Ming Dynasty: the Hearty Talk Hall etc. Around the village are the sights like the famous PheasantRockWoodcuttingBuilding, QishuLake, the Autumnal Sceneryin Tachuan, the BambooSea in Mukeng, the ancestral temple of Ming Dynasty in Wancun village: the Love and Respect Hall.
    Right after its foundation, the company conducted a lot of thorough researches and studies to the ancient Hongcun village, and invited some experts to formulate the “The Protection and Developing Plan of Hongcun Village”, which was unanimously passed in 1999 by the Experts Appraisal Committee of the National Construction Ministry, the Antique Management Bureau and other units concerned after they carried out a field investigation in Hongcun village. The village was formally assessed as the World Cultural Heritage in the 24th Meeting of the World Heritage Committee on November 30th, 2000, and one of the key units for cultural relics protection in the national level, plus the patriotic education base in AnhuiProvince in 2001. On December 30th, 2002, it joined the World Cultural Heritage Committee ofthe Association of Chinese Scenic Spots; in July, 2003, it was formally accessed as the state-list 4A scenic spot, and one of the first group of the famous historical and cultural villages in December, 2003. Hongcun Scenic Spot has excellently received many VIPs from the Party or the State, such as Mr. Jiang Zemin, former Secretary in General of the Central Committee of CPC in May 20th, 2001.
    Through the diligence of the ancestors and the protection from their offsprings, HongcunVillage has gained world-wide recognition. We will continue to make our efforts in protecting this precious heritage, developing and making use of its tourism resources, and enabling more and more people to know about it, and appreciating the profoundity in its culture.

 

宏村位于黟县城西北角，距屯溪65公里，距黟县县城11公里。该村始建于北宋，距今已近千年历史，原为汪姓聚居之地。古宏村人独出机抒开"仿生学"之先河，规划并建造了堪称"中华一绝"的牛形村落和人工水系，统看全村，就象一只昂首奋蹄的大水牛，成为当今"建筑史上一大奇观"。全村现保存完好的明清古民居有140余幢。民间故宫"承志堂"富丽堂皇，可谓皖南古民居之最。村内鳞次栉比的层楼叠院与旖旎的湖光山色交相辉映，动静相宜，空灵蕴藉，处处是景，步步入画。从村外自然环境到村内的水系、街道、建筑，甚至室内布置都完整地保存着古村落的原始状态，没有丝毫现代文明的迹象。造型独特并拥有绝妙田园风光的宏村被誉为"中国画里乡村"。

 

宏村村中数百幢古民居鳞次栉比，其间以“承志堂”最为杰出，它是清代盐商营造，占地二千多平方米，为砖木结构楼房。此房气势恢宏，工艺精细，其正厅横梁、斗拱、花门、窗棂上的木刻，层次繁复、人物众多，人不同面，面不同神，堪称徽派“三雕”艺术中的木雕精品。据史料记载，“承志堂”是黟县境内保护最完美的古民居，到此参观的国内外游客，无不为之倾倒。  

Moon Pond: Anhui's unique building and this pond was known as belly of Ox 牛胃.  Thats was one of the shooting place for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙). Moreover this background was captured for postcards.....

Moon Pond: China people culturre to do washing in the river. Alamak ... she is washing the wok and the eating plates and bowl in the pond... Do you dare to eat their cooking ???

 

Moon Pond: Ohh no .... she is washing the clothes in the same pond as above ....

 

The "intestine” of the Ox where people will do washing by squating on the stone beside their house.

Southern Pond: Also known as Stomach of the Ox “牛肚”的南湖

 

Southern Pond: Nice view har ....

Southern Pond: Nice view with the reflection, i shot all the photos above with my beloved Canon wan ler...