[2025 Tonglu Attraction] Travel Guide for Shen'ao Village (Updated Mar)

Shen'ao, or Ao Shen, is the largest natural village in Tonglu County. With a population of over 4,000, it boasts more than 50 surnames. The ShenTu clan, descendants of the Western Han Dynasty prime minister ShenTu Jia, migrated to Shen'ao during the Song Dynasty and now account for over 80% of the village's population, making it the largest ShenTu settlement in China. Covering an area of approximately 5.2 square kilometers, Shen'ao Ancient Village features a unique, thousand-year-old water system composed of streams, pools, ditches, ponds, and wells. The village houses over 100 ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, covering an area of about 40,000 square meters. These structures retain the architectural characteristics and lifestyle customs of that era, with the majority belonging to the Hui architectural style, one of the four major architectural styles in China. These ancient buildings can be categorized as ancestral halls, temples and monasteries, opera stages, bridges, and residential houses. Most of the ancient houses in Shen'ao are courtyard houses, providing both tranquility and privacy. Each house is typically built along a central axis, or along the outer wall if limited by the terrain, a style known locally as "hugging houses." Most courtyards have a single central open space, with the largest having up to seven. Regardless of the number of courtyards, houses in Shen'ao have double main gates, forming a gate hall. Typically, the gate hall is smaller than the hall inside, symbolizing good fortune. Entering the main gate leads to the reception hall, and further inside is the main hall, used for receiving guests and ancestor worship. Above the back wall of the main hall is a plaque, and in front of the wall is a long table flanked by armchairs, with an ornate round table in front. This arrangement exudes order and grandeur. Notably, the interior is adorned with exquisite wood carvings, combining traditional Chinese architectural patterns with masterful craftsmanship. Shen'ao was also an ancient commercial hub. It is recognized as a Famous Historical and Cultural Village of China, one of the first Traditional Villages of China, and its ancient architectural complex is a key protected cultural relic site in Zhejiang Province.

Located in Houju Alley, Shen'ao Village, Jiangnan Town, Zishantang was built during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, according to 80-year-old Shentu Shusong. Originally built by the ancestors of the seventh branch of the family, it was later sold to the fifth and sixth branches and remains in use today.  The building covers an area of 242.5 square meters and faces southwest. It features brick hollow walls, staggered straight masonry, and a brick-wood structure, forming a three-bay, two-story courtyard house.  The roof is a double-sloped hard mountain roof with horse head walls. The first floor has a stone gate, with three pillars and five purlins in the central bay and side doors on both sides of the rear corridor. The courtyard is paved with stone slabs and surrounded by double eaves, with two-story side wings on the north and south sides, each with two pillars and three purlins and a double-sloped hard mountain roof. The second floor has five pillars and seven purlins in the central bay, with a front corridor and side doors on both sides. The entire building has a rigorous layout, with simple and unsophisticated decorative carvings. It is one of the buildings in the Shen'ao Village complex, a provincial key cultural relic site.

Built by Shen Tu Richun in the eighth year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1888), Jiude Hall faces west and covers an area of 430 square meters. It is a two-story, four-sided courtyard house with a cobblestone wall and wooden structure, featuring a double-sloped, hard-mountain roof and a three-room, two-hall, two-entrance layout. The first entrance has four pillars and seven purlins, with a flagstone-paved courtyard and two-story side wings with two pillars, three purlins, and double-sloped, hard-mountain roofs. The third entrance has five pillars and ten purlins. The building boasts exquisite wood carvings. A five-room, two-wing, three-sided annex is built against the south wall of the main building, with its main entrance located on the south wall behind the courtyard. The courtyard is paved with flagstones, and the two-story side wings have three pillars, seven purlins, and double-sloped, hard-mountain roofs. The five-room building has two pillars and five purlins, with the rear eaves resting against the wall. Currently, Jiude Hall has been transformed into the "Hospitable Jiangnan Seasonal Experience Center." Half of the center showcases the seasonal culture of Jiangnan, while the other half offers a seasonal banquet experience. Visitors can sample the dishes displayed, including those traditionally prepared by every household during specific festivals. Jiude Hall is a historical building in Tonglu County.

I've always envied people with compound surnames like "Zhuge" and "Linghu." This time, I stumbled upon a village where everyone has the surname "Shentu." · Although it's called a village, it's much larger than a typical village. I spent 2 hours there and still didn't manage to explore every alley. It seems to have been forgotten by the world, as there were only a few tourists, including us. The lack of outside interference has allowed the ancient Ming and Qing architecture and the simple rural landscape to be preserved. · So if you want photos without strangers in the background, or if you want to quietly explore the Huizhou style, come to Shen'ao Ancient Village. —————— 💵Tickets: Free🆓 · 🚘Transportation: 1. Drive to Shen'ao Ancient Village. Parking on the roadside or in the alleys is free. 2. Take a high-speed train to Tonglu East Station, then take a taxi 🚕 for 15 minutes. · 👀Tour route: Every attraction in the village is worth exploring, and the roads are well-connected. There's no need to stick to a fixed route. 🔈If I had to recommend something, it would be the Shen'ao Teahouse, which offers the best experience. For CNY 15, you can enjoy a cup of Longjing tea 🍵 and free refills of sunflower seeds and peanuts 🥜. You can sit there for an entire afternoon. The elderly here love energetic young people and are happy to chat with them. If you're lucky, you might even catch a performance on the stage. · 🍜Dining: There are many restaurants both inside and outside the village, and the prices are very low❗We ate at a restaurant called "Dali Tang Noodle House" at the entrance of the village. A bowl of noodles costs just over CNY 10, and the portion is double the usual size. It's almost served in a basin❗There are also many roadside snacks. You can spend as much as you want💰. I could eat 5 pieces of gluten for CNY 2 each.

In April this year, five of our families went to the picturesque Tonglu together. Here there are mountains, water, wind and moon, and our deep friendship. The meaning of travel has never been just about the destination, but also about the changes in scenery and mood along the way. Being casual and at ease also leaves many beautiful moments in our travels. Day ① ➡️After lunch, everyone drove from Suzhou, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang to Tonglu and met at the B&B (we arrived in the evening because we had something to do) ➡️The first stop is [Shen'ao Ancient Village], then [Yuxi Restaurant] for dinner (we "cloud participation" in the group) Day ② ➡️After breakfast at the B&B, set off to [Daqishan National Forest Park] It deserves to be called the "Little Jiuzhaigou in the South of the Yangtze River". Climbing along the winding plank road, every step feels like stepping into a secret paradise. Tickets are required 🎫. We visited the "Daqi Waterfall" for more than three hours in total. We didn't go to the "Daqi Waterfall" after hearing passers-by say it didn't have much water. The "Flying Squirrel in the Forest" ride down the mountain is a paid item, so you can negotiate the price in a low voice. ➡️【Chaihuo Renjia】Have lunch Real wood-fired iron pot stew, there are many of us, the chicken, fish, and ribs are paired with it, the taste is 🉑 ➡️Back to the B&B to rest, dads prepare dinner Day ③ ➡️After checking out of the B&B, we set off to [Shishe Village] and had lunch at [Auntie’s Restaurant] on the roadside (then we were going to go for a walk on [Maling Ancient Trail]. If it was a little rainy, we went straight to the next stop) This quaint village is surrounded by mountains and rivers, surrounded by the Fuchun River and its tributaries. Due to heavy rain in the middle of the night the night before, the originally clear and green water turned turbid after the rain. I found a small restaurant on the roadside, but it tasted delicious. I ordered two portions of stir-fried pork and stir-fried vermicelli. You must try the rice sieve that is unique to Shishe Village. ➡️The last stop of this party is [Luci Village]. The original plan was to take a boat and experience the boating on the river. We temporarily adjusted it to [Yuanxiang Luci Coffee] to quietly watch the river view. We sat leisurely in the cafe, accompanied by the aroma of coffee, overlooking the slightly turbid but full of vitality Fuchun River after the rain. At the same time, we watched the children playing happily and enjoying their innocent happiness. About the B&B [Tonglu Letuwangshan B&B] 🔹There are five rooms in total, all with independent bathrooms. Single rooms can be rented as a private room. Private rooms on weekends are about 1,800 yuan/night. 🔹In the village, there is a large open space for parking at the door. It takes 5 minutes to drive to the town and 20 minutes to the city. 🔹The kitchen is fully equipped with pots and pans, but there is an additional charge for cooking. The five dads cooked a dinner, but there was only one wok that was too late to cook. They even borrowed a pot from the neighbor next door. The neighbor was very friendly.

--- 🏞️【Exploring Ancient Villages in Tonglu】🏞️ 📍Location: Tonglu County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province In this fast-paced era, there are always some places that can make you stop and appreciate the beauty of life. Tonglu is such a place, a hidden paradise in the heart of Zhejiang. Here, you will find ancient villages, the rippling Fuchun River, and mesmerizing natural scenery that will make you linger. Today, let me take you to explore several ancient villages in Tonglu and uncover the stories behind them. 🏡【Maoping Village】 Maoping Village is located on the south bank of the Fuchun River and has a history of hundreds of years. The grand Wen'an Building stands in the center of the village, as if telling the glory of the past. Walking on the ancient stone roads, you can see historical relics such as the round grain warehouse, the Zhiqing Building, and the Dongshan Academy. Every brick and tile is full of stories. **Transportation Guide**: - Self-driving: Depart from Hangzhou, take the S32 Hangxinjing Expressway to the Tonglu exit, and drive along Tonglu Avenue to reach. - Public transportation: Take the high-speed train to Tonglu Station, then transfer to a bus or taxi to reach. 🏛️【Shenao Village】 Shenao Village is located upstream of the Fuchun River and has a thousand-year history. Here, you will find white walls and black tiles of Hui-style architecture, clear ponds, and the ancient Jingsong Hall. Strolling through Shenao Ancient Street, feeling the stone roads from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and seeing the straw raincoats and flying eaves supported by ox legs on the house pillars of ordinary people, you will feel a sense of traveling through time. **Accommodation Recommendations**: - **Yunxi·Shenaoli Bookstore**: Not only a bookstore but also provides accommodation services, allowing you to fall asleep immersed in the fragrance of books, offering a unique experience. - **Republic Memory Coffee**: Enjoy a cup of coffee here and savor a moment of tranquility. 🏞️【Luci Village】 Luci Village is located in the southeast of Fuchun River Town and is a shining pearl of the national scenic area "Two Rivers and One Lake". The picturesque landscape here allows you to enjoy beautiful natural scenery and experience traditional crafts such as oil pressing and tofu making. **Nearby Attractions Recommendations**: - **Yan Ziling Fishing Platform**: Located on the opposite bank of the Fuchun River, it is a famous scenic spot from the Eastern Han Dynasty. - **Fuchun River Small Three Gorges**: Take a boat ride to experience the beautiful scenery on the river. - **Baiyunyuan Waterfall**: The cool mist and spectacular waterfall will make you linger.

The ancient village is located on the south bank of the Fuchun River in Tonglu County, Hangzhou. Its history is very ancient. At the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty, the ancestors of the Shentu clan moved here, starting the chapter of this secluded ancient village. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shen'ao ancient village had developed to its heyday, and most of the Huizhou-style buildings in the village were also built during that period. Strolling through the narrow alleys of the ancient village, towering houses, deep lanes, long cobblestone paths, and one after another 'Ao Kou' come into view. As early as when the village was established, an independent water system was planned. An 800-meter-long underground channel runs through the village, perfectly reflecting against the ancient buildings with white walls and black tiles, forming a unique style!

From the Yanziling Fishing Platform to the Tonglu County town, I asked the Didi driver on the way, what are the fun places in Tonglu. The tasteful young man immediately recommended the ancient villages in Jiangnan Town, especially Dihu, Shena'o, Xufeng, and Huanxi. So I decided to take a look, especially at the representative Shena'o ancient village. 👍 Shena'o ancient village is just to our taste. The mansion with seven courtyards, the beautiful wood carvings in the old house, the local specialty Shenxian chicken, the autumn drying that needs no staging, the ancestral hall of the Shentu family, and so on, Shena'o ancient village has fulfilled my imagination of the ancient villages in Jiangnan. 👍 Graceful Tonglu County, Shena'o village is not to be missed!

In Tonglu, Hangzhou, there is a beautiful thousand-year-old village: Shen'ao Ancient Village. Although it is a "village", it is more like a "town". It is the largest ancient village in Tonglu, with a large group of ancient buildings. There are more than 140 ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and more than 60 ancient buildings from the Republic of China period. The architectural style of the ancient village mainly combines Huizhou architecture and Zhejiang West Mountain residential buildings. What is unique about Shen'ao Ancient Village is its water system, which is composed of dark canals, open ditches, Kan'er wells, ponds, and streams. The ancient village is rectangular, with old streets in the middle, running from south to north, about 500 meters long and about 3 meters wide, with cobblestone pavement and a spring dark canal (commonly known as 'ao') built underneath. The 'ao' is deep and the water is clear, hence the name of the village. In simple terms, there are live water dark canals all over the bottom of the village. 'Ao' in the local dialect means underground well, and Shen'ao means deep underground well, hence the name Shen'ao Village.