Which ancient village in the mountains of southern Anhui is more primitive than Hongcun and more primitive than Wuyuan?

Thanks to a friend, I went to Huizhou for the first time and arrived at the birthplace of ancient Huizhou culture? She County, Anhui. In ancient times, Huizhou originally governed one prefecture and six counties. However, its jurisdiction has changed many times and is now divided into Anhui and Jiangxi provinces. For example, Wuyuan, the most famous representative of Huizhou, is now located in Jiangxi Province. However, for hundreds of years, She County has been the seat of the ancient Huizhou government and the birthplace of Huizhou culture.

We originally planned to go to the ancient villages in Huizhou. At first we wanted to choose a destination among several famous scenic spots such as Wuyuan, Hongcun, Xidi, etc. However, when a friend was searching for travel guides, he accidentally discovered that there is one in She County. There is an ancient village called Yangchan, so we came here in a daze.

Yangchan Ancient Village is located in Shendu Town, She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province. It is an ancient village hidden deep in the mountains of southern Anhui. Different from the Huizhou ancient buildings with white walls and dark tiles and horse-head walls that everyone has in mind, the houses in Yangchan Village are all earth buildings made of yellow mud hidden in the mountains and using local materials. The mountains are close to each other and lined up one after another, forming a different kind of pastoral beauty.

The village is located on the mountainside more than 800 meters above. There is a small road leading into the village, but the road is narrow and steep. When we came two years ago, private cars and motorcycles could drive into the village by themselves. We heard that now we can only park our cars in the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain and take the village shuttle bus up the mountain. However, when self-driving is actually allowed, not many tourists actually drive up the mountain. After all, the mountain road is steep, which is still very worrying. You see, even today, when modern transportation is so convenient, it is not easy to get a glimpse of Yang Zhen!

The history of Yangchan Ancient Village can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. It is said that the ancestors of the Zheng family moved here from Shebei due to war. They chose this geomantic treasure land deep in the mountains of southern Anhui and settled here to form this place. Taoyuan Village hidden in the mountains.

The biggest advantage of a place far away from the mountains and remote roads is that it can retain the beauty of the original ecology, which is the case in Yangchan Ancient Village. Various ancient villages in Huizhou have long become popular tourist attractions. Although there are bustling tourists, Yangchan still looks like a peaceful and pastoral countryside. Although some travel enthusiasts are gradually coming here to visit it, it is still a niche attraction after all. It’s not too crowded with tourists, but it’s definitely not crowded either.

The beauty of Yang Chan lies in this original and simple beauty. Authentic building materials? Rammed earth to make walls, felled wood to build beams, bamboo to make tendons, and bluestone to pave the way? The appearance of the house is also made of raw materials and has an original loess color, without any decoration. These deep loess colors, against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains, form a spectacular artistic conception. The comfort, depth, calmness and indifference of Shanju Ancient Village pour into your heart through these layers of earthen houses.

When we came, Yangchan was still very primitive. There are inns and hotels opened by local villagers in the village, but the conditions are simple. I heard from friends that there are several B&Bs with better conditions here now, and there are more tourists than in the past two years. However, compared to ancient villages such as Hongcun and Wuyuan, this place is still an original ecological place. There are no tickets for Yangchan. If you like it, you might as well come and see it early.