Huangshan's ‘Famous’ Ancient Village: Despite Numerous Film Shoots, It Remains Unrecognized; Its Scenery Resembles a Painting
When talking about ancient villages in Anhui, many tourists immediately think of Hongcun, Xici, and Chencun in Huangshan City. However, this city has countless ancient villages in its various districts and areas, some of which have been developed, and some have not yet been developed.
By a lucky chance, my friend and I traveled to Yixian County for tourism. After visiting Hongcun, Xici, Lu Village, and Muxi Bamboo Sea, we specially went to a village in the southwestern part of the county – Nanping Ancient Village. This village is not well-known, and our tourist friends said they had never heard of it. In fact, director Li An's award-winning film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' shot part of its scenes in the courtyards of Nanping.
Nanping Ancient Village is located in the most level position of the valley. The village is in front of a vast expanse of farmland, with winding country roads guiding tourists forward, flanked by green vegetables. In front of the village, a small river flows gently, with willows and various old trees planted along its banks. In autumn, the autumn colors here are beautiful, and in spring, rapeseed flowers cover the fields, complementing the mottled old houses, creating a sense of paradise.
Nanping is far from the famous tourist attractions, relatively quiet, and its ancient and rustic environment is popular with art students from academies. You can often see students setting up easels by the river or along the side of the path to sketch.
According to data, there are over 300 Ming and Qing Dynasty-era buildings in Nanping Ancient Village, all of which are well-preserved. Along the 200-meter main axis of the village, there are eight courtyards, a density that is unparalleled in Anhui.
The village has 72 alleys and 36 wells. The buildings here are restored in their original condition, retaining the rustic and humanistic atmosphere.
In this ancient village, tourists can hardly feel the commercial atmosphere, everything is almost the same as before. Locals say that most of the young people go to work in Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta area, while the elderly are mostly left behind.
Nanping's oldest surnames are all of the 'Ye' clan. Their ancestors migrated to this place as early as the late Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the Ye, Cheng, and Li clans coexisted, promoting the prosperity of the village. Over the past thousand years, many writers and merchants have emerged from Nanping. In addition to clan halls, there are also many private gardens, academies, and villas, among which the 'Muxiantang', which promotes education and cultivation, built in the Qing Dynasty's Daoguang year; the 'Nanhuan Villa', built in the mid-Qing Dynasty; and the 'Binglingge', built in the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu year, are worth visiting.
Since the late 1990s, Nanping has been a favorite of directors and film production units. In addition to 'Golden Armor' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' many other film and television works and variety shows have been filmed in Nanping.
Walking on the winding stone streets of Nanping, one feels like traveling back hundreds of years. It is a good place for tourists to take photos of people, and most of the tourists who come here are independent travelers who don't like to join the crowd.
