Things to do in Zhaoping

There are so many ancient towns nowadays, but very few have the rich history and cultural heritage of Huangyao Ancient Town. The town is beautiful, surrounded by karst landforms, and the ancient banyan trees exude a sense of history. It's definitely worth a visit.

Huangyao Ancient Town, a Lingnan version of a dreamlike hometown. Nestled deep within karst mountains, surrounded by verdant peaks, a thousand years of time have polished the bluestone slabs of the ancient alleys to a smooth, rounded surface. Stone bridges and clear streams connect the old houses, scattered at varying heights, creating a poignant sense of nostalgia. Here, time can pass slowly; by the pond, under the banyan tree, a chair and a cup of tea, one can "sit for so long that one forgets the rising sun, and idly laugh at the busy white clouds." Or time can pass quickly; life is fleeting, like grass in autumn, decades and centuries seem like yesterday. All sorts of joys and sorrows seem to be etched into the vicissitudes of the ancient town, yet everything remains unchanged.

There are three small dams where you can experience the thrill of rushing through them, but it's only for a fleeting moment. The manual rafts are a bit pricey at 80 yuan per person. The whole trip takes about 40 minutes. The scenery is decent. If you don't want to crowd onto the Li River but prefer Huangyao Ancient Town, this is a good option. It's less crowded and the scenery is nice, so overall it's worth a visit.

There have been many activities in the ancient town recently, so I took advantage of the holiday and the discounts to visit. The experience was indeed great. The entire scenic area has been fully upgraded and looks brand new, with excellent order. There are many unique activities inside, such as intangible cultural heritage shadow puppetry and fish and dragon lanterns, which are very distinctive and charming. During the day, I strolled from the East Gate Tower to the Dragon Claw Banyan Tree, the ancient street, the Fairy Well, the water windmill, and the stepping stone bridge. In the evening, I experienced the Night Huangyao, and the lighting effects were very nice. I also happened to be there during the Pomelo Lantern Festival, which was my first time experiencing a local specialty activity. I found it very interesting and atmospheric.

The ancient stage in Huangyao Ancient Town is one of the oldest existing opera stages in Guangxi. Originally built in 1524 (during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty), it has undergone several renovations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and remains well-preserved. Its architectural features are distinctive: a single-eave hip roof, brick and wood structure, a "凸"-shaped floor plan, eight pillars supporting the structure, upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, exquisite decorations, and elegant couplets inscribed by famous figures, such as "Hearing its music brings life, even after exhausting one's hearing; observing its colors brings one to the brink of exhaustion, requiring one's mind to follow," conveying profound meaning. Located on the banks of the Yao River, next to Baozhu Temple on the left and leaning against a century-old camphor tree on the right, the stage enjoys a serene environment and was once the center of the ancient town's cultural life, bearing witness to centuries of opera and everyday life. Although performances are less frequent today, as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, it silently tells the story of Huangyao's historical changes and is a living fossil of the town's history and Lingnan architectural art.

Surrounded by mountains, with streams flowing through alleys and long, winding bluestone slabs, Huangyao Ancient Town blends its natural landscape with ancient charm, resembling a tranquil and beautiful ink painting. Ancient bridges and old houses hold the echoes of a thousand years of history.

The scenery is average, the air is good,

Walk west along the South Ring Road for a few minutes and you will reach the Gui River. There are cliffs and huge rocks along the river. The river water is clear and green, and there are many people swimming! What a comfortable life! It is very beautiful and worth a visit...

For families with children, it's definitely worth a visit! Visiting the entire park in one day would be very rushed and tiring, leaving your knees sore. For a better experience, I recommend two days and one night. The park has a wide variety of animals, and the cable car and miniature train are quite unique; children had a great time. The staff are very friendly, patiently answering questions and engaging in friendly interactions. If I had to complain, firstly, the food prices inside the park are relatively high (although the Chinese food was okay); secondly, the smell was too pungent when the miniature train passed the bird area (I wonder how this can be improved); and thirdly, the prices in the interactive areas are also quite expensive (for example, feeding the giraffes costs 36 yuan for a single branch!!!). Overall, I highly recommend it for families with children!

Guo's Courtyard is located a little bit inside Huangyao Ancient Town. Next to a B&B called Hanshe. It is a family courtyard with some history. I especially like the shape of its round arch. There are also some small commodities for sale in the courtyard.