Huangyao Ancient Town 黃姚古鎮

Despite its rapid industrialization， there are still some corners in China that have maintained its original color.

Ancient towns and villages in China are places where traditions are well preserved in terms of architecture， lifestyle， folk customs and craft.

Next， well introduces one of the most beautiful old towns in China to give you a glimpse of Chinas rustic local charms.

Huangyao Ancient Town is located in Zhaoping County in Hezhou City， south Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is said that the town was named after two common surnames back then—Huang and Yao.

Covering an area of 3.6 square kilometers， Huangyao boasts typical karst landscapes and abundant water resources. Streams and rivers mark the territory around the old town like a serpent.

Huangyao has a history of nearly 1，000 years with its origins dating back to the Song Dynasty （960—1279）. It reached its prime in the Qing Dynasty （1644—1912） under the reign of Emperor Qianlong （1733—1735）.

盡管工業化發展迅速，但在中國仍有一些地方保持著原始的色彩。

中國的古鎮和村落，在建筑、生活方式、民俗和工藝等方面都很好地保存了傳統。

接下來，我們將介紹中國最美麗的古鎮之一，帶你領略中國的鄉土風情。

黃姚古鎮坐落在中國南部廣西壯族自治區賀州市昭平縣。據說，這個小鎮是以當時兩個常見的姓氏——黃和姚命名的。

黃姚古鎮占地面積為3.6平方千米，是典型的喀斯特地貌，水資源豐富。小溪和河流猶如蛇一般盤繞著這座古鎮。

黃姚古鎮已有近千年的歷史，可以追溯到宋朝（960—1279）。清朝（1644—1912）乾隆年間（1733—1735），它的發展達到鼎盛。

For this reason， there are many buildings from the Qing and Ming eras that remain unchanged in their architectural styles today. Now it is home to approximately 300 folk houses， 20 temples and ancestral halls， and 10 pavilions and opera stages.

Traditional festivals and customs have been carried on for hundreds of years. During Chinese Lunar New Year， over 20 traditional performances are held， including the dragon dance， lion dance and suona horn （Chinese trumpet） show.

On July 14 in the Chinese lunar calendar， local residents often come to the riverbank and put pomelo lanterns into the river to celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival， or Zhongyuan Festival.

Huangyao tofu is a must-try local dish when you visit， as it is exclusively made and sold in Huangyao. Also， fermented black soybean is often added to its local specialties to create a distinctive flavor.

It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to its small size. But you can always linger longer to experience more of its local hospitality and culture.

因此，清朝和明朝時期的許多建筑在今天仍然保持著原有的建筑風格。現在這里有大約300座民居，20多座寺觀廟祠，10多處亭臺樓閣。

一些傳統節日和習俗在這兒已經延續了數百年。在中國農歷新年期間，人們會進行20多種傳統表演，包括舞龍、舞獅和嗩吶（中國小號）。

在中國農歷七月十四日，當地居民通常會來到河邊，把柚子燈籠放到河里，以慶祝中元節。

黃姚豆腐是來這里必嘗的當地美食，因為它只在黃姚古鎮制作和售賣。此外，當地的特色美食經常會加入一種發酵的黑豆，創造出一種獨特的風味。

由于古鎮面積不大，所以通常只需一兩天的游覽時間。但你可以逗留更長時間，去體驗更多當地的熱情好客和文化。

Word Bank

rustic /'r?st?k/ adj. 鄉村（人）的；鄉村（人）特色的

serpent /'s??p?nt/ n. （尤指）大蛇

exclusively /?k'sklu?s?vl?/ adv. 僅僅；專門地；單獨地

ferment /f?'ment/ v. （使）發酵

Fruit juices ferment if they are kept for too long.