Which are the best preserved ancient village/town to visit & where are these 2 places ?

Which are the best preserved ancient village/town to visit & where are these 2 places ?
Feb 25, 2008 12:07
guest81244	Hi All, I am planning 3 different trips to China later this year, all 3 around 15 days each. I wish to visit at least 1 or 2 ancient village or town that is worth at least half or a full day. So far, after much reading from guidebooks and forum, I found Lijiang, Pingyao and Fenghuang to be top choices and in this order. Please correct me if I am wrong or if you have other choice or opinions. There are also these 2 places that I found mentioned in Chinese guidebooks to be among the top too but English guidebooks just don't have them. Are these places new in popularity that English guidebooks have not known yet or are they popular only among the Chinese ? The names of these 2 places(in Mandarin pronounciation) are: Wu Yuan(described as most beautiful village in 2 Chinese guidebooks) & Nan Si Jiang. These 2 places are somewhere in south-east China, below Shanghai. When I refer to the maps by Insight and others English maps, I could not find any names that sounds close. Thank you for any help.

Feb 25, 2008 12:07

guest81244

Hi All,

I am planning 3 different trips to China later this year, all 3 around 15 days each. I wish to visit at least 1 or 2 ancient village or town that is worth at least half or a full day. So far, after much reading from guidebooks and forum, I found Lijiang, Pingyao and Fenghuang to be top choices and in this order. Please correct me if I am wrong or if you have other choice or opinions.

There are also these 2 places that I found mentioned in Chinese guidebooks to be among the top too but English guidebooks just don't have them. Are these places new in popularity that English guidebooks have not known yet or are they popular only among the Chinese ? The names of these 2 places(in Mandarin pronounciation) are:

Wu Yuan(described as most beautiful village in 2 Chinese guidebooks) & Nan Si Jiang.

These 2 places are somewhere in south-east China, below Shanghai. When I refer to the maps by Insight and others English maps, I could not find any names that sounds close.

Thank you for any help.

Feb 25, 2008 22:46

ELLYSE
Points:
Join Date: Oct 30, 2005
Status: Offline

Wuyuan in Jiangxi province is covered by Lonely Planet China 2007.
Nanxijiang is in Zhejiang province.
There're plenty of other ancient towns/villages that're worth a visit. Eg Tongli (Jiangsu province), Xitang (Zhejiang province), Ciqikou (Chongqing municipality), Dali (Yunnan province), Yangshuo (Guangxi province) etc etc etc.
If you read Chinese, http://www.sozhen.com.cn is an excellent resource.

Feb 26, 2008 01:34	#2
FAERIEQUEENE Points: Join Date: Aug 8, 2006 Status: Offline	Lijiang, Dali and Fenghuang have become very commercial now, and so are the watertowns. But they still deserve a visit Wuyuan is highly recommendable , it offers in addition to the 'taste' of the ancient town, great scenery, especially when the rapeseed flowers are rampart. there are also many villages out there, worth to be claimed among the most beautiful, of other ethnic tribes of china

Feb 26, 2008 03:50	#3
JABAROOTOO Points: Join Date: Jul 4, 2005 Status: Offline	Langzhong on Jialing River in Sichuan Taoping (Tibetan village more than 1000yo) in Sichuan Zhongshan is just one of several around Chongqing. I wouldn't recommend Siqikou in the same category as the others these days. Too small too commercial and too renovated and not so old. There are so many and they are all unique.

Feb 26, 2008 11:13	#4
GUEST36228	Yes, I found Wuyuan mentioned in Lonely Planet but they don't praise it as much as any other Chinese Guidebooks. Do you feel that it deserves to be named Most beautiful Village ? It seems quite far from other major attractions and rather time consuming to get there. Any other replacement place recommendation of similar interest and scenery ?

Feb 26, 2008 22:20	#5
ELLYSE Points: Join Date: Oct 30, 2005 Status: Offline	Experiences can be subjective. I loved Wuyuan on my 1st trip (6 days) but went again with friends on a weekend group trip and they all hated it. The villages of Xidi, Hongcun, Nanping, Mukeng etc near Huangshan are easier to get to, but more touristy.

Feb 27, 2008 07:29

FAERIEQUEENE
Points:
Join Date: Aug 8, 2006
Status: Offline

I always read many guidebooks and materials, when planning out a trip, those from my country, the LP and other guides, and a great deal Chinese ones (I find they provide the most detailed transportations, and present the ‘essence’ of the places in its context that may potentially make a very Chinese experience), and I can always get inspired out of reading them, or from photos of the places, and find out exactly what I want to do…

Some guidebooks are just shallow… but any one of them won’t fault you on the touristy, the major attractions… Good luck

Feb 27, 2008 10:46

APAULT
Points:
Join Date: Mar 11, 2006
Status: Offline

I would not include Yangshuo in a list of traditional villages as it has become an out and out holiday resort.

You could consider the ethnic villages, in north Guanxi and south Guizhou. You could visit Chengyang Bridge and the various Dong villagese are some tourist facilities including hotels and hostels but so far they are not heavily visited. There are some good backroads and hiking opportunities to get to out of the way places there too. Then you could catch a bus through the mountains towards Kaili and get off at a village up there - but don't expect tourist facilites. Near Kaili are several minority villages, including the Miao minority. In one Miao village there is a famous bullfight' festival (irt was in the first week of August in '07) where water buffalo are paired up against each other. I am sure there are many other such places especially further west in Yunnan

If you happen to be in Nanning, Guanxi, a trip to the historic village of Yangmei is very worthwhile. You take a locals' bus there crossing on a small river ferry. It is about a 90 minute trip and if you go early (from a tiny bus station near the main rail station) you can make it a day trip. Otherwise there is simple accom there.

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