Huangpi Dayuwan Ancient Town is known as the Wuyuan of Wuhan because there are a large number of Hui-style buildings with white walls and black tiles, and the whole town looks particularly quiet. The architectural style here is very suitable for taking pictures. Here is a list of interesting projects and attractions in Huangpi Dayu Bay.

More than just a big family in Wuyuan

Driving out of Hankou, about an hour and a half north, we arrived at Huangpi Mulan Township, which is nearly 70 kilometers away from the city. The ancient historical and cultural village Dayuwan is among them, hidden under the famous Mulan Mountain. Here, we must mention Mulan Mountain, which is 580 meters above sea level and belongs to the southern foot of Dabie Mountain. It has beautiful scenery and continuous peaks. This place has been known as the "Hometown of Mulan" since ancient times, attracting many literati and poets to travel here and write articles. Together with the surrounding mountains, it forms a treasure house of "Golden Thread Hanging Gourds", which later led to the creation of Wuyuan Yu Article on migration to Dayu Bay.

Beautiful Mulan Mountain

I am a person who likes to see ancient villages. Of course, I have a habit of watching them. No matter when you go, chat with some old people, or visit museums or ancestral halls. You can always collect some valuable or interesting information. After we arrived at Dayu Bay, the local old man introduced us and took us to see the small museum in our village. Of course, the Yu family’s family history is here.

According to family tree records, before the Ming Dynasty, Yu’s ancestors made a living by farming for generations and lived in Wuyuan, Jiangxi. In the second year of Hongwu, they moved to Ganhu, and the Yu family moved to Wuchang in batches. Later, some people in the family who knew the topography came to Mulan Mountain and found that the green mountains and beautiful waters, the yin and yang embracing each other, were very harmonious with the geographical prosperity. So, they migrated here with their tribesmen and took root, which lasted for more than 600 years.

I don’t know if it’s because of the really good terrain, or because of the tradition of cultivating and researching talents. Later, Dayu Bay became a place where many talents emerged. There are more than 100 literati from the Ming and Qing Dynasties recorded in the genealogy, and hundreds of celebrities have come from here in modern times. How enviable. I wish we could feel the vibe of this place too.

Huizhou ancient architecture inherited for 60 years.

When you walk into Dayu Bay, the first thing you see is the large pond at the outlet of the village. Next to it is a large square with a stage and embroidery building. The buildings of the village extend from here in all directions. There are alleys and alleys, and waterways crisscross the area. The layout of each courtyard is well organized. The courtyard is covered with a small courtyard, which contains various rooms. This lifestyle is basically based on blood ties, with the closest people living together.

According to Yu’s family, this is a great design made by Yu’s ancestors based on the principles of topography. The houses are connected and the courtyards are connected. When it's open, it's like a place where old things are brought in, and when it's closed, it's like a castle that can resist the attacks of bandits. It remains unchanged for six hundred years. Advanced concepts, reasonable functions, and rigorous layout are amazing.

Not to mention Wuhan, even in Hubei, there is only one village with this feature, because it is clearly the Huizhou architectural feature of Wuyuan.

Dayu Bay is desolate in winter, and many old houses are outdated, but the rows of houses made of big stones are still impressive. The neat horse head wall, upright upturned eaves, fine drip lines, auspicious door lintel paintings, and square patio all show the orthodox Huizhou characteristics here. The painted lintels, carved fences with screens, and uniform beds and chairs are all antique and absolutely unique.

There are not many such well-preserved old Hui-style houses. There are only a few dozen houses in the village, and more than 30 are well-preserved, all of which have been restored. In fact, it is not easy, full of inheritance from other descendants. For Wuhan and Huangpi, it is extremely precious. You can appreciate the rare architectural landscape of Wuyuan without leaving home.

A rare traditional juggling act.

When wandering around the village, you will find some interesting and rare sideshows in some corners from time to time. Unlike some live stage plays that are common in large scenic spots, it is not so formal and serious, and you can watch it anytime you want. It's a bit like the arena show business we saw when we were kids, and it fits the atmosphere of v

Next to an old house, there is a simple puppet juggling counter. A beautiful woman was operating in the background, and an old man was explaining in the front stage, performing a folk tale about a couple fighting a tiger.

The puppets were like puppets, constantly doing various difficult somersaults under the humorous explanations of the old man, mixed with funny dialogues, making everyone laugh.

There is a slightly larger performance venue next to the large pond in the center of the village.

Several artists are performing traditional acrobatics. Real-life flying knives, magic whips smashed cigarette butts, and young actors performed 20 somersaults and jujitsu in a row. The wonderful excitement was jaw-dropping. The audience can watch it whenever they want and leave after watching it. If they feel good, give them more applause or volunteer to reward them, which is a great encouragement to the performers.

The most surprising thing is that you can actually see a rare cockfighting performance here. In the past, it was the most popular game among royal families and wealthy families, and is also one of the oldest games in China. According to textual research, it has a history of 2,800 years, and it was recorded as early as "Liezi" years ago.

In fact, there is still a lot of knowledge about cockfighting. We are amateurs, just here to have fun. The two roosters held their heads high, looked at each other angrily, jumped into the air, and even swooped in to catch them until they pushed the other chicken under the ring, which was considered a win. After having fun, you can really feel what the real "chicken blood" is.

When we visited Dayu Bay, we also heard some relatively new allusions. For example, the Yu clan believed that the person who broke the piano was also named Yu and was an ancestor of the Yu clan; the descendants of the national hero Yue Fei once Living in seclusion here, other members of the family also collected many original paintings by Yue Fei and Zheng Banqiao (unfortunately, they were all destroyed).

We are not historians and cannot judge whether it is true or false. But in view of the prominent status of "Five Dynasties, One School, Three Guardians and Four Books", I would rather believe it. I hope these legends can add more icing on the cake to this charming ancient village.