Huitong Ancient Village in Zhuhai

Huitong Ancient Village, located to the north of Fenghuang Mountain in Zhuhai, is a small village that cannot be found on a map. The village still preserves ancient gates, watchtowers, large ancestral halls, and the Qixia Xian Guan from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China era. Approaching the entrance of the village, one can see several ancient camphor trees that shade the sky, and between their swaying branches, the quaint elegance of green walls and black tiles is faintly visible, hidden and tranquil, like an ancient village from another era. Entering the village of Huitong, one is greeted by the collapsed northern gate, with the words 'North Ring Purple Extreme' inscribed on the lintel, quite imposing. The gate is firmly supported by steel on both sides, presumably to preserve this half-wall during repairs. Isn't this how the development of tourism in ancient villages should be? It is better to preserve what exists, even if it's just half a wall, than to demolish and rebuild. What tourists need is not perfect architecture, but historical relics. Behind the gate is a short stretch of blue brick road, no more than 50 meters long, leading to the Huitong Artists' Village. In fact, there is only an exhibition hall inside, and the white building seen at the entrance—probably a studio. It seems that the opening hours here are also limited, and beyond the exhibition hall, it is not good to disturb further. 'A pond in front, two gates enclose a village, a temple with three pagodas on top, a literary pavilion on the left like an archway, a tile kiln on the right really impressive, the fruit in the pond garden fragrant, everyone who passes by prospers, truly Huitong Village is a good place.' A typical Lingnan folk song that tells of the former glory of Huitong Village. The 'pond' mentioned in the song has been filled in, with a few small western-style houses built on top. Of the 'two gates,' only the half-wall of the southern gate and the northern gate remain. The northern watchtower has been repaired, and its exterior wall is now covered with striking white lime, while only the southern watchtower at the end of the village, with its exterior wall weathered by the years, still tells of the vicissitudes of life. In the 1930s, the Mo, Bao, and Ouyang families agreed to build a village in the secluded Fenghuang Mountain depression, and thus Huitong got its name. Among the three surnames, Mo Shiyang of the Mo family was successful in business, becoming the chief comprador of Swire in Hong Kong. Three generations of the Mo family served in Swire for more than 60 years, and the prosperity of Huitong Village can be said to be the result of the Mo family's return to their hometown in glory. Huitong Village has three famous large ancestral halls—Mo's Ancestral Hall, Huitong Hall, and Diaomei Hall, lined up next to the carved buildings. The latter two are too dilapidated to enter, but are now under repair, so I went into the Mo's Ancestral Hall. Mr. Warren Mok, a descendant of the Mo family and 'the first Chinese tenor,' once planned to hold a concert in the Mo's Ancestral Hall, but unfortunately, it was never realized. However, it is this incomplete and ancient beauty that inspires imagination. It would have been a unique concert, with moonlight pouring over the courtyard like water, and the pure tenor voice piercing the darkness of the night, lingering in the Fenghuang Mountain depression. Just the thought of that scene makes one yearn for it. The architectural layout of Huitong Village is a square and orderly 'chessboard style,' with three streets and eight alleys intersecting vertically with the residential houses. Therefore, if you come to Huitong Village and do not wander through those eight alleys, you will always feel something is missing. Deep in the alleys of the village are uniformly Lingnan-style residential buildings, with gray tiles, blue bricks, and ancient eaves, mostly built during the Tongzhi to Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Every courtyard has a quiet patio, and the setting sun shines through the colored glass windows into the patio, warmly illuminating the eaves, lintels, and the exquisite decorative patterns and carvings of lifelike landscapes and birds. The well-preserved ancient buildings are still inhabited by residents, but there are also a few small western-style buildings newly built within the old residential buildings. The villagers are busy in their courtyards, and the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking come in waves from deep in the alleys, bringing a lively worldly atmosphere. The literary and artistic youth bar is also a major feature of Huitong Village. I happened to walk into one and found that the bedrooms on both sides of the main hall had been turned into a book bar. The young people sitting quietly with books on the side of the retro bookshelf, as if the world behind them had nothing to do with them. It should be the lively noise coming from his house that made my stomach rumble, and of course, the aroma of the roasted chicken was the main attraction, but it's not fun to eat alone. I swallowed my saliva and decided to leave it for next time. I especially love how these little details are all so artistic; no matter how many photos you take, it's never enough.