Huangyao An Original Ancient Town In China

It is really lucky to live in Guangxi, a province in China bestowed with so many attractive spots that can provide us colorful weekends or short holidays.
After enjoying amazing karst landscapes and picturesque Li River in Guilin, strolling on the famous West Street in Yangshuo, hiking the magnificent Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces in Longsheng and boating under Detian Waterfall on the boundary of China and Vietnam, we decided to Hezhou to visit Huangyao Ancient Town in this spring.



Full preparation was made including hotel being booked well and bus routes map being printed out, we set off in a misty morning from Guilin. When reached the destination about four hours later, we found the town shrouded in drizzles, like other places of Guangxi in spring seasons.
Though selected as one of fifty places in China worth a visit for foreign tourists, Huangyao Ancient Town seemed to be much quieter and less crowded than other ancient towns of the country. It's the place I was just yearning for, simple and original.

Due to the rainy weather we didn't take plenty of photos.

Instead, we walked around the town to get the first and a fast view of it with our eyes, ears and noses. As darkness came on, we found a local restaurant to have dinner. It's a so small one that the name of it can be easily forgotten, but the dishes there were quite delicious: the salt black beans and steamed pork were made by the restaurant owner while the fish was said to be caught in the river wanders through the town. We spent the night in a guesthouse, though the external wall is somehow old and shabby, the facilities indoor are quite well.

The owner of the guesthouse warmly greeted us, with smiles always on face. More important is that there's a big window facing a stone slab bridge, the babble of running water came into the room, indicating the quietness of the town at night.

Strolling around Huangyao Ancient Town with a history of about 900 years in fresh morning is absolutely enjoyable.
Days of rainy weather made the whole ancient town wet. Mists drifted across the karst peaks afar, and drizzles gently kissed the stone paths under feet. Firewood leaned against the speckled walls of those ancient houses; wild grasses grew randomly in lanes; seedlings were planted on bounding walls and chickens walked back and forth in courtyards.

Children were playing at stone bridge, a few pieces of new leaves and some piles of mud are their toys, and the elder sat there staring blankly or chatting in front of their houses. A few visitors even drew attention from locals in this less commercialized town...


Admittedly Huangyao is not as famous as other ancient towns in China such as Xitang and Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, Zhouzhuang in Jiangsu Province and Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province, however, it maintains its original flavors. Its ancient architectures built in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) like ancestral temples, bluestone streets, ancient stage and bridges as well as other historical sites are well preserved even after hundreds of years.

You may not find star hotels near Huangyao Ancient Town, but it is an ideal place to relax and flee from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The original flavors and beautiful rural sights of the town deeply moved us though we stayed there only for one day.
As for foreign tourists who want to visit Huangyao Ancient Town, in order to deal with the language barrier it is suggested to contact some reliable travel agencies in advance, such as VisitOurChina in Guilin which has provided tourism services for years.









About VisitOurChina Tours: Founded in 2006, VisitOurChina has developed rapidly due to high-level of quality and outstanding customer service. The agency offers custom and pre-package China tours, hotel booking, air and train tickets, Tour Quế Lâm guides, car rentals, kynghidongduong.vn private vehicles with drivers, and much more.

VisitOurChina receives thousands of tourists annually and strives to show them the "real" China. This means that VisitOurChina shows more than just the incredible sites and natural beauty of China, it also shows the culture, people, and traditions that make China unlike any other country on Earth.

VisitOurChina strives to give every one of its client's incredible memories that will last a lifetime and is very proud of the number of former clients who have recommended it to their friends and family. Visit