While in Guilin, China, we had the chance to visit Huang Yao, a 1,042-year-old town with beautifully-preserved remnants of the past. The time-warped, ancient city is a labyrinth of narrow streets and brick-laid houses, with giant marble paving the walkways and red lanterns hanging from the ceilings. Chinese inscriptions that had been carved into the brick walls, stand witness to its history, along with the temples, assembly halls and courtyards.
During its heydays in Qing Dynasty, there were over 300,000 traders and merchants living here. Now they’ve dwindled down to just 3,000. The two big families who lived here – the Yaos and the Huangs (my surname – perhaps my ancestors came from here!) – were the ones who gave the town its name.
Here are some of our photos from Huang Yao, hope they’ll give you a good glimpse of old-world China.
The streets are paved with black marble from the nearby mountains and houses are lined with grey bricks and terracotta tiles on their roof.
Most people here still live on agriculture, producing local staples like dried pickles mushrooms and peanuts and selling them along the narrow alleys. Huang Yao is best known for its dry chili paste and local wine.
Wooden figures lay on the altar of a temple that’s dedicated to a local hero.
Many Chinese revolution movies including Hollywood flick The Painted Veil were filmed here. We spotted many propaganda posters that had been painted onto the walls.
The name of Huang Yao Ancient Town inscribed on a concrete block.
Chinese calligraphy hang above a walkway named Peaceful Gate.
Red is a symbol of luck and prosperity in the Chinese world. Posters, calligraphy and lanterns were all in red at Huang Yao.
We tried the local soya beancurd which was sweet, flaky and extremely tender – our local guide Miss Lee told us that soya beancurd in Huang Yao is exceptionally goood as it’s cooked with water from the 1,000-year-old well.
The town is surrounded by karst hills, flowing rivers and verdant greenery: a spot of excellent fengshui – which the Chinese still strongly believe in today.
A 800-year-old Banyan tree greeted us at the old town’s entrance. It is aptly named the Dragon’s Paw, hanging eerily over the jade green Zhu River.
Coincidentally, we were here during a local festival: there were traditional dance performances, liquor drinking contests and wine-tasting sessions.
Disclosure: This trip was made possible by China Odyssey Tours, but all opinions expressed above are our own.
Wow! This town looks very cool. I'd love to spend a few days wandering those ancient streets.
Oh wow! I just visited Guilin last April and we weren’t able to see this area. So sad. All we saw were tons of mountains and caves, which were also pretty but an old preserved town!!
I'm going to Guilin next week, Any adivices,Or recommengations,Thanks
Beautiful! It's great to see that you can still visit these preserved ancient towns in China. This is what makes me want to visit.
hello, this is a wonderfully picturesque place you introduce here. thank you.
tofu desert (soft beancurd with sugared water) is very common among Chinese. i enjoy it since i was a child. its texture and flavour depends very much on the soy bean and the water in which the curd is made in with. really WATER is crucial in this simple recipe. that's why its understandable that tofu desert in Huang yao will be much more silky smooth and delicious than that in other cities, for they use local soy beans(home grown organic ones i guess) and well water(i.e. fresh natural spring/rain water without chemical contamination/additives). it is similar to tea making. tap water tea can never compete with fresh well/spring water tea.
the guide said something about the 1000yrs-old-well… haha, this is only a gimmick i'm afraid.
there's nothing special about the age of the well, but the well water itself is what that counts.
Worth visiting this place as the town is most famous for its mountains with caves, pavilions, temples, ancestor hills, old trees and tablets. Every corner of the town presents a typically Chinese scene and presents a marvelous photo opportunity. Huang Yao was built in 927 B.C. and was a flourishing and wealthy town then.
The town streets are steady and even after hundreds of years'serving. Marvelously according with traditional chinese diviation?? The layout of the town 's architectures are of southland style displaying the primitive simplicity with blue bricks and black tiles.
Oh wow ! what a place. This town looks very cool and -Huang Yao tofu is a major feature of the local dishes, stuffed bean curd and bean curd, both should try.There are some expressways locally and within the province, however for any long distance journey, it is a two lane road.Every corner of the town presents a typically Chinese scene and presents a marvelous photo opportunity.
Red is a symbol of luck and prosperity in the Chinese world. Its Beautiful! It's great to see that you can still visit .
china an ancient country with vast of history. These explains how the country culture seems
Wow! This town looks very cool. I'd love to spend a few days wandering those ancient streets.
Brilliant post –After reading the above information –i have remembered my childhood days –Its very nice ..If u thought wht is the connection of mychildhood ? Then i can give u answer that at the tme of my childhood the houses look like the houses in Yao in Guilin, China.
The Ancient Town of Huang Yao in Guilin is very beautiful . i have seen this in jackichan movie
it looks much cool and peaceful place to me. i plan to go in vactions here
Huang Yao in check when you had the old monthly magazine to see the two festivals, one third of the third lunar month, in the old stage to sing opera; another Fourteen is the lunar calendar, the Five-Year Plan Two days, there was a festival custom of He Shen (a grapefruit-point night lights on the river), the ceremony for about 2-3 hours.Asked the local people, can confirm that the March of the three festivals. As for the sacrifice He Shen, said that there are adults, but children have not seen that, to be verified.