Most Beautiful Ancient Villages in China中國(guó)最美古村落

肖偉

You might have heard a lot about ancient towns （like Lijiang Ancient Town， Pingyao Ancient Town， and Huangyao Ancient Town） and ancient cities （like Beijing and Xian） in China. Here， we list several of the most beautiful ancient villages in China， where you can experience the local peaceful lifestyle， the ancient architecture， and the graceful landscapes.

These villages include ethnic villages with unique architectural styles and beautiful natural landscapes， and peaceful untouched villages with picturesque scenery. Photographing， hiking， and visiting local families are recommended things to do in these ancient villages.

Tuvas Village in Kanas， Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Kanas Tuvas Village is near mysterious Lake Kanas. The small village is located in a valley， and only has about 80 houses. These Swiss-style wooden houses are all surrounded by wooden fences， scattered among pine trees and birch trees.

Tuvas is an ancient minority group. They traditionally lived as hunter-gatherers1. It is said that the Tuvas people are the descendants of one group of Genghis Khans troops. Kumiss， yogurt， milk tea， and butter are special snacks there.

Accommodation： You can choose an inn or a local family for accommodation， but prepare for very basic conditions there.

Activities： You can visit a local family， go herding with the locals and experi-encing the peaceful ancient village life.

Autumn： If you visit this ancient village in autumn （August—October）， you can see Tuvas Village at its most colorful with red or yellow trees. However， it might snow in October， remember to bring warm clothes.

Transportation： Tuvas Village is about 2.5 kilometers south from Lake Kanas. Lake Kanas is about 902 kilometers from Urumqi （by road）， and is about 200 kilometers from the nearest city： Altay City. Lake Kanas Scenic Area is one of the best places for autumn photography in China， bettered only by Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province.

Jiaju Tibetan Village， Danba， Sichuan Province

Jiaju Tibetan Village is known as the “Tibetan fairyland”. Jiaju Tibetan Village is on a slight hill slope， and consists of about 140 houses. These unique houses are all built with crown-shaped roofs， red eaves， and white walls， which make the houses look like little castles among the forest.

Photography： This Tibetan village is a great destination for photographers， especially in spring （from February to April）， when the ancient village is decorated with colorful wild flowers， white pear blossoms， and green grassland.

Transportation： The village is about 8 kilometers from Danba Town， Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Kardze is 718 kilometers from Chengdu.

Baoshan Stone City， a Naxi ancient village built on a huge rock

Baoshao Stone City was built on a huge mushroom-shaped rock， and only has about one hundred houses. The houses are laid out in an orderly way， built on the rock， and linked by stone steps. The locals often chisel the local rock into stone tables， stone benches， stone hearths， and stone water vats.

The Naxi people have cut rice terraces and planted crops （such as rice， wheat， and corn） on the hills around the mushroom rock. The Naxi people there still lead an original life; you can experience the colorful Naxi culture there.

October， when the fields around the ancient village are decorated with green wheat and gold rice， is the best month to visit the stone city.

Trip time： At least 2 days are needed for a visit to the city.

Lodging： There are family hotels in the village.

Transportation： Baoshan Stone City is in the canyon of Jinsha River （the upper section of the Yangtze River）， and is about 110 kilometers from Lijiang City. Though the bus can take you to the village directly， you may choose to get off at the nearest town， and then walk to the village （about 3 hours is needed） to see the beautiful landscape along the way.

Hongcun and Xidi， two ancient villages near the Yellow Mountains

These two ancient villages have been included in the list of World Cultural Heritage. Both of these villages have a history of more than 900 years. They are renowned for their peaceful rural scenery， well-kept ancient buildings， unique Anhui style dwellings， and profound culture. The mountains， the rivers， and the ancient dwellings， make two highly picturesque landscapes.

Location： Only about 40 kilometers from the Yellow Mountains， you can take a bus from Yellow Mountain Scenic Area to Xidi or Hongcun. The distance between Hongcun and Xidi is about 25 kilometers. You can hire a bike after you arrive at one of them， and then cycle to the other village.

For artists： When visiting these ancient villages， you might want to bring your sketch pad and join the art students and artists， who go out there to capture their beauty on paper.

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village， the largest Miao village in China

If you are interested in the Miao Minority， Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village can be a great destination for deepening your understanding of Miao history and culture.

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village consists of more than ten natural hamlets （including the famous Silversmith Hamlet）， which are all built on hills. The Miao people are keen on silver ornaments， and their unique silver ornaments are all made exquisitely.

The Miao Minority has many festivals， and the most famous two are： Miao New Year and Guzang Festival （an ancestor-worship celebration based on Miao culture）.

Transportation： Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is about 210 kilometers from Guiyang City （the capital city of Guizhou Province）， which is equivalent to a 3.5-hour drive.

Wuyuan in Jiangxi， the most beautiful villages in China

Wuyuan is noted for having “the most beautiful villages in China”. In fact， Wuyuan is a county， with many ancient Ming and Qing style architectural features， including 113 ancient ancestral halls， 28 ancient mansions， 36 ancient dwellings， and 187 ancient bridges.

Every village in Wuyuan is built with a river in front， and mountains behind. These villages with elegant buildings are all peacefully harmonious with the nat-ural scenery. Hiking in the surrounding countryside is a popular activity there.

Transportation： Wuyuan is only about 90 kilometers from the Yellow Mountains， and buses linking these two attractions are available every day.

Ancient Hakka Villages with Unique Earthen Buildings

You might think these large round or square buildings are fortifications， not dwellings. In fact， they are the Hakka peoples houses： earthen buildings， which are mainly built in flying-saucer-like shapes.

These ancient earthen buildings are mainly located in Fujian Province， especially in Nanjing Prefecture and Yongding Prefecture. Some of them have hundreds of years of history. If you want to have a visit， two ancient villages are recommended： Hongkeng Village and Chuxi Village in Yongding Prefecture.

Both of these two villages have a history of hundreds of years， and are built among hills and by rivers. There， you can learn about the construction of earthen buildings， the history of the Hakka， and enjoy the peace brought by the natural scenery.

Transportation： Yongding is about 307 kilometers （a 4-hour drive） from Xiamen.■

對(duì)于中國(guó)的很多古鎮(zhèn)（像麗江、平遙以及黃姚）與古城（如北京、西安），你也許多有耳聞。我們?cè)诖肆信e幾個(gè)中國(guó)最美的古村落，在那些地方，你可以體驗(yàn)當(dāng)?shù)靥耢o的生活方式，參觀古建筑，欣賞優(yōu)美的風(fēng)景。

這些村落中，既有建筑風(fēng)格獨(dú)特、自然景觀秀美的少數(shù)民族村落，也有風(fēng)景如畫、寧?kù)o祥和的原生態(tài)村莊。到這些古村落拍拍照、來(lái)個(gè)徒步旅行、走訪當(dāng)?shù)厝思叶贾档猛扑]。

新疆維吾爾自治區(qū)喀納斯圖瓦村

喀納斯圖瓦村地處神秘的喀納斯湖附近。這個(gè)小村莊坐落于一座山谷里，只有大約80棟房屋。這些頗具瑞士風(fēng)格的木屋全由木柵欄圍起來(lái)，散布在松樹(shù)林和樺樹(shù)林之間。

圖瓦人是一個(gè)古老的少數(shù)民族。過(guò)去，他們一直以采獵為生。據(jù)說(shuō)，圖瓦人是成吉思汗旗下一支軍隊(duì)的后裔。馬奶酒、酸奶、奶茶和黃油是當(dāng)?shù)氐奶厣〕浴?/p>

住宿：你可以選擇一家旅館或當(dāng)?shù)氐拿袼蓿悄抢飾l件很有限，要做好心理準(zhǔn)備。

活動(dòng)：走訪當(dāng)?shù)厝思?，與當(dāng)?shù)厝艘黄鹑シ拍?，體驗(yàn)寧?kù)o的古村落生活。

秋季：如果在秋天（八月到十月）到訪這座古村落，你就會(huì)欣賞到圖瓦村一年當(dāng)中最絢爛多姿的景色——那滿樹(shù)的火紅或金黃。但是到了十月，那里可能會(huì)下雪，要記得帶上保暖的衣服。

交通：圖瓦村位于喀納斯湖南岸2.5公里處?？{斯湖距烏魯木齊（沿公路測(cè)算）約902公里，離最近的城市阿勒泰約200公里?？{斯湖風(fēng)景區(qū)是中國(guó)秋季最佳攝影勝地之一，僅次于四川九寨溝。

四川省丹巴縣甲居藏寨

甲居藏寨被譽(yù)為“藏族童話世界”。甲居藏寨坐落于一處平緩的山坡上，寨內(nèi)約有140棟房屋。這些獨(dú)特的房子都是由形同王冠的房頂、紅色的屋檐和白色的墻壁構(gòu)建而成的，使它們看起來(lái)像森林中的一座座小城堡。

攝影：該藏寨是攝影師的好去處，尤其是在春天（二月到四月），這時(shí)，繽紛的野花、雪白的梨花和翠綠的草原裝點(diǎn)了這座古村莊。

交通：該村寨距甘孜藏族自治州丹巴縣城約8公里。甘孜距離成都718公里。

寶山石頭城——建在巨巖上的納西族古村落

寶山石頭城建在一塊巨大的蘑菇狀巖石上，僅有大約一百棟房子。這些房屋建于巖石之上，由石階相連，排布井然有序。當(dāng)?shù)厝送ǔ?huì)把當(dāng)?shù)氐氖^鑿制成石桌、石凳、石爐和石水缸。

納西族人在蘑菇巖四周的山上開(kāi)墾梯田，種植農(nóng)作物（如水稻、小麥和玉米）。那里的納西族人延續(xù)古老的生活方式，你在那兒可以體驗(yàn)到豐富多彩的納西文化。

十月是游覽石頭城的最佳月份，屆時(shí)你會(huì)看到綠油油的小麥和金燦燦的稻穗裝點(diǎn)著這座古村落四周的田野。

行程：參觀該城至少需要2天時(shí)間。

住宿：村落內(nèi)有家庭旅館。

交通：寶山石頭城位于金沙江（長(zhǎng)江的上游河段）峽谷之內(nèi)，距離麗江市約110公里。雖然可以乘坐公共汽車直達(dá)村莊，但可以選擇在最近的城鎮(zhèn)下車，然后步行到村莊（大約需要3小時(shí)），以欣賞沿途美麗的風(fēng)景。

宏村和西遞——黃山附近兩處古村落

這兩座古村落已被列入世界文化遺產(chǎn)名錄。兩村均有900多年的歷史，以寧?kù)o的鄉(xiāng)村風(fēng)光、保存完好的古建筑、獨(dú)特的徽派民居和深厚的文化底蘊(yùn)而聞名。高山、流水以及古老的民居構(gòu)成了兩處秀美如畫的風(fēng)景。

地理位置：距黃山僅40公里，可從黃山風(fēng)景區(qū)乘公交車前往西遞或宏村。宏村與西遞相距約25公里。當(dāng)?shù)诌_(dá)其中的一處村落后，你可以租輛自行車，騎行到另外一處。

寫生：當(dāng)游覽這些古村落時(shí)，你可能想帶上寫生簿，加入到美術(shù)生和畫家的隊(duì)伍中來(lái)，一起到戶外在紙上捕捉它們的美。

西江千戶苗寨——中國(guó)最大的苗寨

如果你對(duì)苗族感興趣，那么西江千戶苗寨算是一個(gè)理想的去處，可以加深你對(duì)苗族歷史和文化的了解。

西江千戶苗寨由十多個(gè)全都建在山上的自然村落（包括著名的銀匠村）組成。苗族人對(duì)銀飾情有獨(dú)鐘，其獨(dú)特的銀飾制作精美。

苗族有很多節(jié)日，最著名的兩個(gè)是苗族新年和牯藏節(jié)（一種基于苗族文化的祭祖儀式）。

交通：西江千戶苗寨距貴陽(yáng)市（貴州省省會(huì)）約210公里，車程3.5小時(shí)。

江西婺源——中國(guó)最美鄉(xiāng)村

婺源以“中國(guó)最美鄉(xiāng)村”而聞名。事實(shí)上，婺源是一個(gè)縣，擁有許多明清風(fēng)格的古建筑，包括113個(gè)古祠堂、28座古代府第、36處古民居以及187座古橋。

婺源的每個(gè)村莊都是前臨河、后靠山。這些村莊的建筑雅致精美，與當(dāng)?shù)刈匀伙L(fēng)光和諧相融。在周圍的鄉(xiāng)間徒步旅行很受歡迎。

交通：婺源距離黃山只有90公里，每天都有公交車往返于兩處景區(qū)。

有獨(dú)特土樓建筑的客家古村落

你可能以為這些圓形或方形的巨大建筑是防御工事，而不是住所。事實(shí)上，它們是客家人的房子——大多建成飛碟形狀的土樓。

這些古老的土樓主要分布在福建省， 尤其是南靖縣和永定縣。有些已有幾百年的歷史了。倘若你想去那里游覽， 我推薦兩個(gè)古村落，即永定縣的洪坑村和初溪村。

這兩個(gè)村落均有幾百年的歷史，依山傍水而建。在那里，你可以了解土樓的構(gòu)造、客家的歷史，并享受到自然風(fēng)光帶來(lái)的寧?kù)o。

交通：永定縣距廈門約307公里（4小時(shí)車程）。? ? ? □

（譯者單位：山東省文登整骨醫(yī)院）