Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
COURTYARD HOMES
The main attraction is the courtyard homes and the steps and alleyways that link them.
Great fun can be had just wandering the cobbled lanes and poking your head into
whichever ancient doorways take your fancy. Many of the homes are from the Qing dyn-
asty, while others remain from Ming times. Some have been turned into small restaurants
or guesthouses, meaning you can eat, drink tea or even stay the night in a 500-year-old
Chinese courtyard.
|HISTORIC HOUSES
MAOIST SLOGANS
Chuāndǐxià is a museum of Maoist graffiti and slogans, especially up the incline among the
better-preserved houses. Look for the very clear, red-painted slogan just past the Landlord's
Courtyard (the village's principal courtyard), which reads: (
yòng Máozédōng sīxiǎng
wǔzhuāng wǒmen de tóunǎo;
use Mao Zedong Thought to arm our minds).
|HISTORIC SLOGANS
TEMPLES & VIEWPOINTS
In the hills east of the village stands the small Qing-dynasty
Guāndì Temple
(Guāndì
Miào). For panoramic bird's-eye-view photos of the village, climb the
hill
south of
Chuāndǐxià (to your left as you approach the village) in the direction of the Goddess
Temple (Niángniáng Miào).
|TEMPLE, VIEWPOINT
OTHER HISTORIC VILLAGES
If Chuāndǐxià is too touristy for you, these lesser-known gems might do the trick. If you fancy staying the night
in Língshuǐ or Shuǐyù, look out for signs for (
nóngjiāyuàn;
farmer-style courtyard). There's nowhere to stay at
Gǔyájū, but some travellers have camped in the caves. This is almost certainly not allowed though, so be discreet.
Língshuǐ
Packed with history, this alluring village is home to Běijīng's oldest temple,
Língquánchán Temple
(Língquánchán Sì). In ruins, with the main gate pretty much all that has survived, it dates from the Han dynasty
(206 BC-AD 220). Also seek out Dragon King Temple ( Lóngwáng Miào) and the Goddess Temple ( Niángniáng
Miào), which are joined together and complemented by a pair of ancient intertwining trees.
Língshuǐ is famed for being a village of
scholars
; 22 former residents passed the notorious imperial exams,
and the village marks their achievements with annual celebrations on 6 and 7 August. Doors marked ' ' (
jǔrén;
graduate) show where they lived.
