Cuandixia Village Photos

Plan your Beijing village tour? Numerous villages are dotted in the suburbs of Beijing. One village known as Cuandixia V illage stands out as a unique window through which you can learn more about the folk culture and vernacular architecture in Beijing.

Cuandixia Village is nestled in a valley among the mountainous areas, 90km west of downtown Beijing. One and half hours driving brings day-trippers to this village. Cuandixia Village is a supremely peaceful over-400-old village, hugging a hillside in a valley with ancient Qing-Dynasty styled courtyards scaling many layers.

The courtyard buildings are spread like a huge fan spreading to the east and west side along a north-south axis. The village running up the hillside is naturally divided into the Upper village and Lower Village by a curved wall 200-meter long and 20-meter high. Also 170-meter curve wall circles the village from the bottom of the populated hillside. Three north-south lanes connect the upper and lower villages, keeping the village from possible floods and robbery in the past.

A curved walking route brings you atop the slope of the valley south of Cuandixia Vi llage, you may have a panoramic view of the village fanning on the hillside on the another side of valley. You will clearly see a high wall cutting the village into upper and lower parts.

Many visitors would choose the two curved walking routes ( one loop waking trail ) – one curve takes you to the village and the other brings you up on the top of the hillside south of the village where you may have a bird’s-eye view of the village hugging other side of the valley.

One thing we’d like to remind you that you won’t expect any paddy fields here in Cuandixia Village s. The remaining families in then village mainly live on rural tourism – offering home stays and food to tourists flocking here.

Listed as one of China’s famous historical villages, Cuandixia is a bright pearl of China’s ancient building encompassing the profound northern China’s architecture. You see plentiful Chinese elements of traditional architecture – Courtyard buildings, wall screens, arch gates with buildings scaling the hillside.

The rich and profound culture could be found from the Ming-dynasty relics, Qing-dynasty dwellings, old wall paintings, ruined houses left over from the Second World War. It is interesting to know that people could still discern the revolutionary slogans painted the exterior walls in the village. Old stone rollers, millstones, old wells and tempes add much to the charming of Cuandixia Village.

Below are a set of photos for you to feel this picturesque ancient village of Cuandixia.

The Chinese character of Cuandixia ” 爨”.

The 200m along and 20m wide wall sections the village into the upper and the lower. Several layer of houses hug the hillside with impressive views.