Lanxi Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province, Goulan Yao Village

Goulan Yao Village is a thousand-year-old Yao village located in Lanxi Yao Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. The Yao Village retains the ancient village wall relics from the Ming Dynasty, with three layers of defense works, which is a typical castle-style ancient Yao Village. Goulan Yao, along with Fuling Yao, Qingxi Yao, and Gudiao Yao, are collectively known as the 'Four Famous Yao' of Jiangyong County. As the name suggests, Yao Village is a settlement of the Yao people. Goulan Yao Village has a long history, spanning more than a thousand years from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It still retains more than 300 ancient houses from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Other larger buildings include Panwang Temple, Xianggong Temple, Shuilong Temple, Guan Gong Temple, etc.; there are also small landscapes such as social altars, dance pavilions, gazebos, bridges, and ancient relics can be seen everywhere in the village. Goulan Yao Village is composed of Huangjia Village, Shang Village, and Daxing Village, covering an area of about six square kilometers. The overall layout follows the mountainous terrain, with mountains and water. There are currently 13 surnames including Jiang, Ouyang, Huang, He, etc., with more than 2,900 people, and it has continued for more than 40 generations. Thousands of years ago, the ancestors of Goulan Yao Village built a complete village wall and pass for the safety of the clan, which combined with the eight mountains around the village to form a closed whole. The village wall is built with bluestone masonry, and supporting facilities such as night watch houses, guanxiang, surname gate towers, and alley gate towers are built. The village gate is set in the middle. The early village wall was 2,000 meters long, and about 800 meters remain. The courtyard-style houses are surrounded in the middle of the village wall. Defensive buildings like Goulan Yao Village that appear in ancient villages are very precious. They not only reflect the superb skills of the ancients, but also reflect local customs, and have passed on the long history and rich cultural heritage of Yao Village to future generations. 📍Location: Lanxi Township, Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province 🚗Transportation: 35 kilometers by self-driving from Jiangyong County, 30 kilometers by self-driving from Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi. 💰Cost: No admission fee 👫Tips: Choose good weather for more beautiful photos, there are homestays in Yao Village for meals and accommodation, and the price is not expensive.