Cuandixia Village: Potala Palace of Beijing

Cuandixia Village is located in Zhaitang Town, about 90 kilometers from downtown Beijing. It has a history of about 400 years and preserves more than 70 courtyards that were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. So, let's pay a visit to this ancient mountain village famed for being the best preserved in China.

Encircled by mountains, Cuandixia Village stands on the northern slope of the hills. A winding and rugged lane, built from oddly-shaped stones, stretches its way from east to west and divides the village into two groups.

There are mainly quadrangle dwellings and a few courtyards with houses on three sides. The houses, which are in good order, have delicate gate piers and screen walls. In the village, every place including the stone, wood, and brick carvings reflects ancient Chinese culture.

A local villager said, "This is the largest courtyard in Cuandixia. We can still find wall paintings from the Qing Dynasty on both sides of the gate. Most of the courtyards here are very small, but the arrangements of the courtyards are delicate."

The character "Cuan" has the meaning of a stove. Villagers named it "cuandixia" with the implication of being a shelter to keep away the severe cold and war. On the walls still remain the inscriptions of ancient China, as well as the red slogans of the 1950s and 60s. Nowadays, the local people are capitalizing on the attractiveness of the village, and have turned it into a tourist destination. Some have found themselves a job as tour guide.

The beautiful landscape and interesting stories attract many visitors from other cities and even abroad.

The family of Spanish ambassador to China was deeply impressed, not only by the local food, but also by the preservation of the village itself.

Eugenio Bregolat, Spanish Ambassador to China, said, "This village is nice, and we like the buildings here. There are even doors for cats. The village is very well preserved, and I hope there are more like this in China."

Local villagers say that they have benefited a lot from the development of tourism. But they fully understand the importance of preservation.

A local villager said, "If it's well protected, more visitors will come here, and our living standards will keep improving."

After 400 years of ups and downs, Cuandixia Village remains natural, pure and prosperous. More visitors are making their pilgrimage here, to experience the life at the "Potala Palace" of Beijing.