Banwan Ancient Buyi Village Scenic Area

Banwan Village consists of six villager groups living close to one another, with a total of 370 households and 1,628 residents. Ethnic Buyi people account for 85.4 percent of the population.

Perched halfway up the mountain, Banwan Ancient Buyi Village faces the flat valley with mountains at its back. Houses were built according to the terrain using local materials. The buildings stand separately with independent courtyards. The ancient stilt houses (diaojiaolou) have been well preserved up to now. Some feature wooden plank walls covered with black tiles, while others have rammed earth walls topped with grey tiles. The ground floor is used for raising livestock or storing firewood and sundries, and families live on the upper floor.

Most semi-stilt houses are constructed along mountain slopes. Some have single-story rear sections and elevated front parts; others are single-storey on the right and multi-storey on the left.

Hidden amid primeval green bamboo and ancient trees, the ancient village forms a sharp contrast with the new village below, conveying a sense of time-honoured antiquity and solemnity.