Cuandixia Village

Cuandixia Village is located in Zhaitang Town in Mentougou District about 90 kilometers from downtown Beijing. As the best preserved ancient mountain village in China, it is a very interesting and worthwhile destination to visit when travel to Beijing and you would feel like a time travel back to the past. Although the village is originally built during the Ming Dynasty with a history of about 400 years long the constructions are well preserved with more than 70 courtyards with approximately 500 rooms. The village is built into a fan-shape layout along the south-north cnetral axis and divided by a widing and rugged east-west lane built of oddly-shaped stones. The Village had its name changed to the current Cuandixia in 1958. The village, surrounded by mountains, stands on the northern gradual slope of the hills, built perching in harmony with the terrain of the mountains.

Looking like a mountain city, Cuandixia Village is known as the Potala Palace of the Beijing area. Cuandixia Village is comprised of many old residences and courtyards, quadrangle dwellings, all of which are formed around the traditional courtyard style of the Qing Dynasty, or Siheyuan. The traditional houses were built according to the theory of Fengshui with strict layouts. Generally they have five main rooms, with a main house at the front and a back house. These would constitute three of the five rooms, with two wing rooms on the left and right, completing the courtyard. The dwellings are all in good order with delicated gate piers as well as distinctive screen walls and, along with the stone, wood and brick carvings, reflect our ancient Chinese culture. The surname of the whole village is Han. Till now, there're only more or less 70 people of 29 families still living here.

It is said that their ancestors migrated from Shanxi Province during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty when there were many major migrations all over the nation. Cuandixia Village had a very prosperous time during Qing Dynasty because it was the distributing center for businessmen and goods. What's more, promising inscriptions and slogans, such as the maxims of family, inscriptions of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Anti-Japanese slogans, are still very clear and distinct on the wall. Cuandixia village is becoming more and more popular for people from all over to experience real ancient culture or a time travel. Here's some guide information of Cuandixia Village
Location: Cuandixia, Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, Beijing         Opening hours: twenty-four hours         Tickets: CNY30/Person         Contact number: +86 10 85968802