Seventeen kilometers west of downtown Ji’an lies Diaoyuan Village in Xingqiao Town, an ancient hamlet steeped in primitive charm. As you approach the village, lush greenery greets the eye. Rolling low hills encircle residential houses built with blue bricks and black tiles. The wooded belt on the northern hill alone holds over 18,000 luxuriant ancient camphor trees. Particularly striking are four ancient cypresses in front of the village ancestral hall Zhongjie Mansion, each over one meter in diameter and nearly a thousand years old.

Houses spread along slopes on both sides, linked by seven ponds of varying sizes that split the village into northern and southern halves. Alleys paved with bluestone wind and twist toward each ancient dwelling. Walking on smooth, polished flagstones, you see old houses staggered in neat rows, quiet and weathered, utterly captivating. Ancient buildings of diverse styles unfold like delicate scrolls of folk customs, pleasing to both eye and heart. The village’s distinctive feature lies in its rich architectural varieties and layout structured around Taiji and the Eight Trigrams. Research by experts confirms the design follows ancient Yin-Yang and Bagua philosophy, embodying the harmony between humanity and nature. Diaoyuan Village gathers nearly all major types of traditional folk architecture from southern China, hailed as a treasure encapsulating the charm of ancient Chinese villages. Numerous domestic and foreign scholars come to conduct field investigations, speaking highly of its ancient constructions.

Ticket Price: 25 RMB

By Bus: Take Bus No.203 from Ji’an People’s Square for a direct ride to Diaoyuan Historic Village (18 km from downtown Ji’an).