Kantou Village: A Pearl of Ancient Huizhou Villages, Bearing Traces of Time
Kantou Village, located in Jiapeng Township, Jixi County, Anhui Province, is an ancient village with a long history. I first visited it in March 2019 with a photography group, and it left a good impression on me. Every spring, when the season is enchanting, Kantou Village becomes a paradise for backpackers and photography enthusiasts. In March 2021, I drove there with a friend to revisit Kantou Village and relive the wonderful slow time...
Kantou Village, historically known as Yunchuan and Jianzhou, has been settled for nearly a thousand years. As early as 1989, it was approved by the provincial government as one of the first batch of historical and cultural protection zones, and experts have hailed it as the "Pearl of Ancient Huizhou Villages." This time-honored village stands out for its unique characteristics in both cultural and natural landscapes.
Entering the village, you see mountains surrounding it like a screen. The entire village is built along the terrain with clever layout. Houses are densely packed along the slopes on both sides of a stream. In the middle of the village flows the Yunchuan Stream, winding from south to north in an "S" shape.
"Baiyue Siping" Archway
On the opposite bank of the stream, there is a Jiexiao Archway, which tells the story of a family's generational vigil.
It is said that 90% of the ancient buildings in Kantou Village were built during the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods. The village has withstood many major floods throughout history, yet its ancient appearance remains. Unfortunately, newly built houses have disrupted the original layout of the ancient village.
Shops on the street sell homemade cured meat and ham!
The Yunchuan Stream runs through Kantou Village, and the two streets along its banks, called "Water Street," are paved with granite strips, typical of ancient Huizhou roads.
This is the provincial key cultural relic protection unit: Xu Clan Ancestral Hall and Tingquan Tower. The Tingquan Tower, located next to the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall, is particularly distinctive and eye-catching. In the midsummer of 1859 (during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty), County Magistrate Wang Jun presented a plaque, which still hangs upstairs. Four sets of wind chimes hang from the tower's eaves, producing different sounds depending on the wind direction, allowing one to predict weather changes by listening to the chimes. Climbing the tower at night, you can hear the gurgling spring water by the stream beneath, sounding like the tinkling of jade.
In front of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall stands the "Jiefang Archway" (Chaste Woman Archway), built in the 16th year of the Jiajing reign of Ming Dynasty (1537). Its architectural art and carving are of a high level, with Ming Dynasty features, making it an important representative of Ming Dynasty archways.
The Xu Clan Ancestral Hall is an ancestral hall building first constructed in the Ming Dynasty, serving as a place for the Xu clan to worship their ancestors and sages. The hall has a long history and is rich in ancient charm.
Worn and mottled walls still bear traces of the passage of time...
In a small alley not far from the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall, there is a "Moon Pond," as smooth as a mirror. It was originally the residence of a villager named Xu Shirun (1522–1597). According to records, Xu Shirun served as an official in Guangxi for 30 years, rising to the position of Chief Judge of the Guangxi Provincial Military Commission. After returning to his hometown, Emperor Wuzong of Ming Dynasty, in recognition of his merits, granted him the construction of a mansion named "Huai'en Hall." In front of the gate, a half-mu pond was dug, surrounded by ancient stone walls in the shape of a half-moon, commonly known as "Boyu Inkstone Washing Pond" or "Moon Pond."
Only when you approach Kantou Village and venture deep into its old houses and alleys, among broken walls and fallen tiles where melon vines climb over rafters, haystacks, barking dogs, and cooking smoke, can you experience the still simple and honest folk customs.
Along the stream, a water street naturally formed, where residents live by the water. Villagers can go down to the stream to wash rice, vegetables, and clothes just steps from their doors, making life very convenient. During the tour, we often saw villagers washing by the stream.
Strolling through Kantou, with small bridges and flowing water, you get a rustic and elegant mountain village atmosphere.
Outside the village, the stream murmurs, and layers of rapeseed flowers waft their fragrance.
Looking down from a high vantage point outside the village, you can see stacked horse-head walls rising and falling in a pleasing rhythm, with smooth lines, spacious forms, and overall harmony, showing a highly unified architectural style.
Overlooking the beautiful Kantou Village
A bird's-eye view of terraced fields of flowers, a sea of blossoms contrasting with the white walls and black tiles of Huizhou architecture, is breathtakingly beautiful. Here, there are beautiful natural landscapes and rural scenery, and the thousand-year-old village of Kantou lies right in this setting.
