Atlas of China
Hongcun Village 宏村Hóngcūn
A merchant village planned in the shape of an ox, mirrored in its own pond
- Best time
- Mar–Apr (rapeseed blossom), Oct–Nov
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Days to budget
- 1 day
- Stay in
- Huangshan City
- Region
- Anhui
- Type
- Culture
- Listed as
- 5A scenic area, National heritage site, UNESCO World Heritage
Why go to Hongcun Village
Hongcun is a Huizhou village of white walls, black tiles and stepped 'horse-head' gables, set around a half-moon pond and a willow-fringed lake. Merchants' mansions hide intricately carved wooden halls and quiet courtyards, and stone channels carry water past almost every door. Morning mist over South Lake is the picture everyone comes for.
The story
The village was deliberately laid out as an ox: a hill forms its head, two old trees its horns, the houses its body and the winding water channels its intestines, which feed the Moon Pond 'stomach'. Hongcun and nearby Xidi were listed together by UNESCO in 2000.
What to see at Hongcun Village
- Moon Pond 月沼: The half-moon pond at the centre of the village, ringed by whitewashed houses and the village's best-known view; it sits at the centre of the ox-shaped plan.
- Chengzhi Hall 承志堂: The largest house in the village, built in 1855 for the salt merchant Wang Dinggui, with over 60 rooms around nine light wells and carved beams and screens.
- Leshu Hall 乐叙堂: The Wang clan's ancestral hall on the north side of the Moon Pond, the only surviving Ming building in the village.
- South Lake and academy 南湖与南湖书院: A bow-shaped lake on the south side, with the old academy on its northern shore, rebuilt in 1814 from six small private schools.
- Water channels 水圳: A stone channel about a metre wide winds through the village from the west stream, running past houses on its way to Moon Pond.
How to visit Hongcun Village
Most visitors enter by the main gate and wander the lanes beside the water channel between the Moon Pond and the South Lake. Chengzhi Hall is the main house to see inside, and the South Lake and academy lie on the south side. A half day covers the pond, lake and two or three houses; a full day or an overnight stay lets you see the village at dawn and add side lanes.
How to get to Hongcun Village
Hongcun is about an hour by bus or taxi from Huangshan North station or Tunxi. It pairs naturally with nearby Xidi and a climb up Huangshan.
Where to stay
Stay in Hongcun itself, in a converted old house on the lanes or lake, for the dawn light and quiet evenings, or base in Tunxi, an hour away, with more choice and rail links.
What to eat
- Stinky mandarin fish 臭鳜鱼: Mandarin fish cured lightly in salt for days, then braised; the pungent smell gives way to firm, savoury flesh, and it is the best-known Huizhou dish.
- Fried hairy tofu 毛豆腐: Tofu fermented until it grows a soft white fur, then pan-fried and served with a spicy dip; a classic of Huizhou and Huangshan.
- Laba tofu 腊八豆腐: Tofu dried in the open air around the Laba festival, a home-made speciality of Yi county.
Tips for visiting Hongcun Village
- Stay overnight to see the village at dawn, before the day-trippers arrive.
- Xidi, the other half of the UNESCO listing, is quieter and well worth a few hours.
- Expect rows of art students sketching by the lake; the village is a favourite for painting classes.
Nearby
- Xidi 西递村 10 km
A quieter UNESCO twin of Hongcun: flagstone lanes, merchant houses and a Ming archway - Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) 黄山 20 km
Granite spires, wind-bent pines and a sea of clouds straight out of an ink painting - Mount Jiuhua 九华山 60 km
A Buddhist sacred mountain where 99 temples cling to granite peaks and mist - Wuyuan Villages 婺源 80 km
White-walled villages among yellow rapeseed in spring and red chillies in autumn - Qiandao Lake 千岛湖 110 km
A drowned mountain valley of 1,078 forested islands, an hour by train from Hangzhou - Jingdezhen, Porcelain Capital 景德镇 110 km
The city that fired porcelain for China's emperors, and still has clay on its hands
Also within 30 km: Pingshan Village 屏山村 (under 10 km), Nanping Village 南屏村 (10 km), Daguling Gorge 打鼓岭 (20 km), Dengfeng Bridge 登封桥 (20 km), Mount Qiyun 齐云山 (20 km), Nine Dragon Waterfall 九龙瀑 (20 km).
Trips with Hongcun Village
- Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City
On the map
Open Hongcun Village on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Hongcun Village on the map