[2025 Jiangyong Attraction] Travel Guide for Ancient Buildings, Shanggantang Village (Updated Apr)

Shanggantang Village is located in Xiadipu Town, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. In the 6th year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Xiemu County was established here. Since the Taihe period of the Tang Dynasty (827 AD), the Zhou clan has settled here and established a house, which has a history of more than 1,000 years. For thousands of years, the name and location of the village have remained unchanged. It is a village where people of the Zhou clan live together! It is called a "thousand-year-old village" by historians. The ancient buildings are well preserved and have been passed down through the ages. Many ancient buildings are still inhabited and functional today. Over the long years, the Zhou family has produced 101 officials of seventh rank or above listed in their genealogy. Confucianism is the ancestral line, and farming and reading are the inheritance of the family. This is the continuous cultural context of Shanggantang Village and the rigorous family tradition of the Zhou family. Famous attractions: Wenchang Pavilion, Buying Bridge, Shoulong Bridge, Yuepi Pavilion, Shouxuan Pavilion, Ngong San, Shanggantang Museum, etc.! It is one of the oldest thousand-year-old villages discovered in Hunan Province! National AAA level scenic spot! Opening hours: All day, all year round Tickets🎟️: Free🆓

I always plan my itinerary early and seldom travel impulsively. I just saw the video of Shanggantang Ancient Village and it made me wonder. For the first time, I temporarily changed my hotel and adjusted my itinerary to see the centuries-old ancient village in Yongzhou, Hunan. . There are parking spaces at the entrance of the ancient village, but if it is not the peak tourist season, you can continue to drive into the village. Go straight to the end and then turn right to park directly near Wenchang Pavilion Square. In the evening when the sun is about to set, the first thing you see when you get off the car is the quiet Xiemu River flowing slowly. On the other side of the river is a residential community that has experienced hundreds of years of wind and rain. On the river bank is the towering Wenchang Pavilion covered with the setting sun. Wenchang Pavilion used to be the location of Kantang Primary School. I recall how many children read loudly in those days, with light in their eyes and looking forward to going there. Travel far and see the outside world. To see the ancient houses, you need to cross the Xiemu River. There is a broken bridge called "Buying Bridge" on the river. Three holes are still there, and the bridge width is only half. It looks old, but it has been weathered for 800 years. Standing on the bridge, you can see the distant mountains on the left and Wenchang covered with gold on the right. For a moment, people see the scenery and they are also the scenery. Walking off Buying Bridge and walking about 100 meters into the residential community, with tall houses and narrow alleys, moss hanging on the corners, you suddenly feel the rich history and the prosperity of the past. There is no need to know the road, so why bother to identify the direction? Walk casually, just like a historical scroll unfolding slowly. Every step and every corner seems to be talking to the smoke of history. Hello, Shang Gantang, I’m here!

Shanggantang Village is located in Xiachengpu Town, 25 kilometers southwest of Jiangyong County. In the 6th year of Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanding era (111 BC), Xie Mu County was established in Shanggantang. Since the Tang Taihe era (827 AD), the Zhou clan has settled and built houses here, with a history of over 1,000 years. Throughout the centuries, the village's name and location have remained unchanged, making it a village where the Zhou clan has gathered and lived. Shanggantang Village currently has 453 households and nearly 2,000 residents. Apart from seven families who moved into the village after the founding of the People's Republic of China, all others are members of the Zhou clan. The village is one of the oldest ancient villages discovered in Hunan Province. The ancient village stretches along the riverbank, surrounded by walls. Inside the village, there are guesthouses, convenience stores, and restaurants, all small but sufficient. The village is surrounded by green trees and rapeseed flowers, making it an excellent place for photography in spring. The village is not large, and one can walk through it in half a day. However, the environment is quiet, with green water and green mountains, making it an ideal place for leisure and vacation. The village is only a dozen kilometers away from Jiangyong County, where you can stay overnight. We stayed at the Jiangyong Nüshu Hotel. There are several attractions near Shanggantang Village, the most famous of which is the Jiangyong Nüshu Museum. Jiangyong Nüshu is the only script in the world specifically designed for women. Another attraction is the Goulan Yao Village, one of the "Four Great Miao Yao" villages. Qianjiadong in Jiangyong is the birthplace of the Yao people. Friendly tip: It is best to search for a local guide on social media, as having a guide will make the tour much more lively. Such guides are local residents working part-time, but they are professional enough, speaking clear and fluent Mandarin, allowing tourists to understand everything clearly. 🏞️🌸📸🏡🌄🌳🌼🍃

◆Location: Shanggantang Village, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province 🎫Ticket: Free, there is a parking lot at the entrance of the village It is very suitable for self-driving as the road conditions are very good, with very little commercial atmosphere, yet it is conveniently accessible. The ancient village is not large, but it is full of surprises. The village has preserved many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it is amazing to find that they are built in the Hui style. The villagers living here are the original inhabitants, with simple customs, tranquility, and a sense of worldly life. The village has a history of over 800 years, and even though half of the Buyin Bridge has collapsed, it is still in use. It is the only remaining three-arched ancient stone bridge from the Song dynasty in Hunan Province. Standing on the bridge and taking photos with the adjacent Ming dynasty building, the Wenchang Pavilion, is very picturesque. There is also the site of the Xiemu County Yamen, located behind the village, but it took us a long time to find it. There are signs in the village, but the signs are a bit misleading, as they stop halfway. Just follow the direction, and at the back of the village, after the last sign, walk down the alley in the direction of the village's back, and you will find it. If you really can't find it, just ask the villagers. The reason to visit the site is that next to it, you can walk up to the top of a small hill and overlook the entire village, which is truly a beautiful sight.

Shanggantang Village is located between mountains and rivers. Shanggantang Village is only 9 kilometers away from Gou Lan Yao Village, but due to lack of time yesterday, we left Shanggantang for today. Shanggantang is a Han village, and its architectural style and layout are similar to those of the surrounding Yao villages. The Zhou family has settled here for more than 1,000 years and has continued for more than 40 generations. The family has produced many talents, including more than 100 officials above the seventh rank, two Jinshi, and countless Juren and Xiucai. The village is much larger than I expected, and it retains more than 200 buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, except for the area along the river, most of the old houses near the mountains have been abandoned. Like Gou Lan Yao Village, there is no need for tickets, and the car does not need to be parked in the parking lot outside the gate of the scenic area (the navigation only guides here), you can drive directly to the parking lot near Wenchang Pavilion. Shanggantang Village and Gou Lan Yao Village both have hotels and inns. They are not far from Jiangyong County, 25 kilometers away, and a half-hour drive. (2023/12/1)