Travel Notes of Shangfeng Ancient Village: In the "Nine Ancient Marvelous Villages," Walk Through Six Hundred Years of Time at a Leisurely Pace
Location: No. 1 Shangfeng Village, Jinhu Street, Daye City, Huangshi City, Hubei Province
Rating: National 4A (officially rated in December 2025) | China Traditional Village · China Historical and Cultural Village
Tickets: The ancient village itself is free to enter (parking about 10 RMB/car), experience projects are charged separately
Before Entering the Village: A 600-Year-Old Village Hidden in the Mountains
Heading south from Daye city center, about a fifteen-minute drive, the cityscape is swallowed by mountains. After the last turn, blue tiles and gray walls emerge from the woods—Shangfeng Ancient Village, locally known as the "Nine Ancient Marvelous Villages."
At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Feng ancestors settled here among the mountains and waters, living here for over six hundred years. Villagers say they are descendants of Feng Jing, the top scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty, the one "mistakenly called Ma Liang"—regardless of genealogical proof, the scholarly and farming heritage is truly engraved in every blue brick.
Act One: Bluestone Slabs Are the Keys of Time
At the village entrance stands a millennium-old Chinese cornel tree (locally called "Thousand-Year-Old Tree Dad"), the first shock. The tree trunk is thick, the canopy umbrella-like, branches reaching skyward like a dragon’s claw refusing to touch the ground. A protective pavilion is built beside it—the old trunk is gone, but the petrified roots remain gnarled, silent yet powerful.
Stepping into the village, the ground beneath your feet changes texture immediately: the bluestone slab road is polished smooth and shiny by countless footsteps, uneven like piano keys, each step playing the "bass notes." On both sides are over 40 Ming and Qing dynasty ancient residences, mainly Huizhou-style horse-head walls and white walls with dark tiles, mixed with the simple and sturdy Gan style—narrow door lintels, high thresholds, upturned eaves, like rows of old dreams unwilling to wake.
Act Two: The Nine Ancients Are Alive, Not Just for Show
The "Nine Ancients" of Shangfeng are not just slogans in a tour guide; you will encounter them as you walk through the village:
Nine Ancients | How to Encounter | Feeling
Ancient Residences | Grand official mansions, top scholar’s old homes... brick and wood structures, carved beams and painted rafters, exquisite courtyard drainage | When stepping over the high threshold, you smell the scent of old wood
Ancient Trees | Millennium cornel tree + over 40 century-old camphor and maple trees | The shade feels like another season
Ancient Wells | Spring well—still gushing water, so clear you want to cup a drink | "Gurgling," villagers still use it
Ancient Stone Mill | Stone mill lying flat on the ground, nearly four meters in diameter | Imagine six hundred years of rice being milled here
Ancient Paths | Bluestone ancient path on the back mountain, leading to Jiangxi, once a salt merchant route between Gan and E provinces | Deep in the grass, traces stubbornly remain
Ancient Ancestral Halls / Ancient Steles / Ancient Ditches / Ancient Tombs | Scattered in alleys, hillsides, and wall bases | Not dramatic, but authentic
I squatted by the spring well for a while. Water gushes up from stone cracks, overflowing the well edge and flowing along ancient ditches—this well neither dries up nor smells, nor pretends; it is like a living organ of the village, still beating.
Act Three: The Old Village’s "New Way of Life"—Micro Renovation, Fine Enhancement
The most precious thing about Shangfeng is that it was upgraded to 4A without turning into a commercial ancient street that empties villagers and replaces them with Hanfu rentals. The renovation logic is "micro renovation · fine enhancement"—the old auditorium became the Nine Ancients Storytelling Hall, electricity was installed under the ancient trees without damaging roots to create Big Tree Coffee, a derelict red brick house was transformed into a half-slope courtyard tea space, villagers donated old items to create the Shangfeng Memory Museum inside ancient residences, and a top scholar cake shop opened (combining Huangshigang cakes with top scholar culture).
I ordered an iced brew at Big Tree Coffee and sat under the tree—above me were 600-year-old branches and leaves, in front of me rows of blue tiles, and around me the sound of wind through leaves and occasional voices from the ancestral hall. This coexistence of old and new without conflict is why it deserves the 4A rating.
Act Four: Going Outward—Tianchi, Bamboo Sea, and Glass Sky Bridge
If you only stroll through the ancient alleys, two to three hours is enough; if you want to explore the surroundings, it’s recommended to stay half a day or more:
· Lushangjing Tianchi (Heavenly Pool Scenic Spot): A jade-green mountain pool, quiet, pure, with perfect reflections, a prime photo spot
· Jinling Bamboo Sea: Tens of thousands of acres of bamboo forest, the whole mountain breathes with the wind, perfect for slow walks, daydreaming, and martial arts style photos
· Yunhai Glass Sky Bridge / High-altitude Glass Rafting / Colorful Slide: Experience projects inside the scenic area; the timid can watch from afar, thrill-seekers can buy single tickets
Before Leaving: The Weight of a Bowl of Firewood Rice Crust Porridge
Lunch was at a farmhouse restaurant at the village entrance—firewood rice crust porridge, stir-fried local greens, spicy shredded pork, glutinous rice meatballs, simple but solid. The owner pointed to their old wall and said, "Over a hundred years old," as if it were yesterday.
Looking back before leaving: The couplet at the village entrance reads—"Benevolent waters and kind mountains, not failing the wandering heart; morning sun and evening glow, forever leaving the beautiful days of old friends."
The six hundred years of stone won’t answer you, but it firmly catches the sound of your footsteps as you walk.
Quick Practical Information
Item | Details
Tickets | Ancient village itself free (parking about 10 RMB/car); experience projects (glass sky bridge/rafting, etc.) charged separately
Opening Hours | About 08:30–17:00 (subject to daily scenic area announcements)
Address | No. 1 Shangfeng Village, Jinhu Street, Daye City; search "Shangfeng Ancient Village Ecotourism Area Visitor Center" for navigation
How to Get There | Self-driving is most convenient: about 1.5 hours from Wuhan; taxi about 25 minutes from Daye North Station; also accessible by bus No. 101 (Daye North Station → Scenic Area, about 50 minutes/2 RMB)
Recommended Duration | Leisurely stroll 2–4 hours (including surrounding Tianchi and Bamboo Sea, half a day or more)
What Shoes to Wear | Soft-soled, non-slip! Bluestone roads are beautiful but hard on feet and slippery after rain
Shangfeng is still a living village, with some ancient residences inhabited—please be mindful of drying clothes and privacy before taking photos, do not climb walls or step on vegetable fields. The ancient trees are even more stubborn than people; do not climb or carve on them—they really "feel pain."