Introduction
Located in the bamboo forests south of Wuyi in Zhejiang province is the ancient town of Yuyuan. This small town really seems to have fallen off the fast-moving modernization path that the rest of the country is on. The ruined buildings of the Ming era are grouped together and the only means of transportation is your feet. There are no souvenir shops, no tourist restaurants, no street vendors trying to get you to buy the latest junk. However, you may run into a farmer on the way to his field.
Location
Yuyuan Village is officially called Yuyuan Taijixingxiangcun (俞 源 太极 星象 村) or “Source of the astrological Tai Ji (Tai Chi) village of the Yu family.” I’ll explain more about the peculiar name below. It’s about a thirty-minute drive southwest of Wuyi. Wuyi is about a 4 hour drive from Shanghai. Yuyuan Village is truly in the middle of nowhere.
Story
Yuyuan’s history is one of the most interesting aspects of the place. While I have not found any documentation in English of the story, what I have been told is that an adviser to the first Ming emperor named Liu Bowen came to Yuyuan Village in the 14th century. After examining its design and its relationship to the surrounding area, he felt that it was up to the residents of Yuyuan to change the course of their river to make it an “S” and thus create a more suitable feng shui configuration.
This translates to a giant taiji or yin-yang symbol created in the fields beyond the village. This redevelopment of the river allegedly brought more prosperity to the village and the villagers began to adopt the taiji sign in much of their local architecture and decoration. Therefore, today you can find the taiji symbol in much of modern signage, as well as in ancient architecture. That is why the village is officially called the Tai Ji Astrological Village. (And as for the ‘source of the Yu’, as in much of this part of China, the villagers mostly come from the same clan, in this case the Yu Family).
Architecture
The town itself is tightly packed in the foothills of the local mountains. A good way to get a good lay of the land is to climb up to the local observation deck. You will see the design: the Taiji symbol on one side and the meandering river that crosses the land to form a place for the village buildings on the other.
Many of the buildings are under protection, as they were built more than 600 years ago. This is evident in the crumbling walls and holes in its tile roofs. But they are not just old buildings: many are still inhabited and the entire town becomes a living museum when you walk through it. During our visit, some residents welcomed us into their homes and a woman showed us a wooden bed from the Qing era that her family still uses.
Compared to other “charming” historic villages, such as the much-visited water towns in the Yangtze Delta or the more distant cities such as Lijiang or Dali, Yuyuan is characteristic for its complete scarcity of tourism-related garbage. Cars cannot fit in the narrow alleys, so everyone wanders about doing their business. You really have the feeling of having gone back in time. The highlight was watching an old farmer leave with his straw rain gear, something he had only seen in a museum.
Highlights of the village
Be sure to visit the following:
- Thatched Cabin by Liu Bowen – This is like a small mausoleum rather than a real cabin. It has an open hallway where Liu supposedly sat and met with his classmates, composed poetry and sipped tea. It has a beautiful garden and is occasionally the home of a local fortune teller.
- Yu Family Hall – Deep in the village is the glorious Ancestral Hall of the Yu Family, a beautiful example of local architecture. Built in 1374, it served as a family room for centuries until the 1950s when it housed an army corps and later became a grain distribution center in 1951. It was restored in 1999 and today houses local plays and performances.
- Liufeng Hall – A huge old family home that was built in 1663 and is now open to visitors.
- Liuji Dwellings: These Qing-era dwellings are still inhabited, although now they are divided into small family rooms with multiple generations living together in the same rooms, sharing the courtyard, kitchen, and other main spaces.
- It is also a pleasure to just walk through the village through the rice fields and hike up to the mountains. Walking through the village is also very pleasant as you cross many streams and enjoy the slow life of the village.
Where to stay
There is a very comfortable little Chinese inn in Yuyuan called Yang Chun Shan Ju . There is no website, but you can contact them at +86 (0579) 8769 3333.
Get there
I visited the area with a travel agency called Platinum Private Journeys. They offer private tours to and around Yuyuan Village.
Guidance Notes
As is common in the travel industry, the writer received ancillary services for the purpose of review. While you have not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
