Ancient Village That Should Not Be Forgotten: Yuanhu Ancient Village

Located in Meixian Town, Youxi County, Fujian Province, Yuanhu Ancient Village is an ancient village close to the national highway 235, and is a necessary route from Youxi County to Fuzhou. Historically, Yuanhu Old Street was born from the Yuanhu Ancient Wharf, standing on the gentle slope of the mountainside at the confluence of Yuanhu Creek and Youxi River. The earthen forts, wooden buildings, red bricks, and blue bricks witness the historical development of Yuanhu Old Street. Once, the ancient wharfs on the main stream of Youxi were dominated by the three major wharfs of Xibin Yongkou, Meixian Yuanhu, and Banmian Gujikou. Yuanhu, due to its settlement form, historical buildings, and wharf relics being relatively well-preserved, was once one of the three major commercial hubs in Youxi. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Youxi developed small commercial towns along the river with timber sales as the main link. At that time, Yuanhu Village was a very prosperous commercial town. There was a popular folk song: 'Walking forward or backward, not as good as Yongkou; sliding forward or backward, not as good as Huizhou; traveling forward or backward, not as good as Yuanhu,' which shows the prosperity of Yuanhu at that time. Historically, the Yuanhu Wharf was crowded with people. The keen business sense of Fujian merchants attracted people from Fuzhou, Nanping, and other places to move to Yuanhu Wharf to build houses and settle down, gradually forming a commercial street with numerous inns, warehouses, banks, teahouses, restaurants, and pawnshops. In a short street of less than 300 meters, there were more than twenty households with foreign surnames, indicating the bustling market more than fifty years ago. Although it is no longer visible today, it remains an indelible memory and spiritual wealth for the middle-aged people who grew up in Yuanhu. Now, only a few households remain in Yuanhu Ancient Village, mostly elderly people. Yuanhu Old Street still exists and is the longest ancient street in Youxi County. The long ancient alleys, smooth old stone roads, and old earthen walls... Such architectural styles are extremely rare in Youxi today. Yuanhu Ancient Village, with its simple buildings, moss-covered surfaces, and mottled walls, may not have bustling streets, but it has cultural heritage, historical value, and spiritual value. It is an ancient village that should not be forgotten.