How to Visit Xiamei Village in Wuyi Mountains

Plan your trip to Wuyi Mountains? A half day side trip to the ancient Xiamei Village is highly recommended. As an important part of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site in Mount Wuyi, Xiamei Village was also listed as one of China’s Famous Villages with Historical and Cultural Significance on September 16, 2005.

During the reign of Xianping in Northern Song Dynasty (998AD), Xiamei Village became an administrative distrcit, a village in Chong’an County. In the later Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Xiamei Village had been developed into a tea marketing hub, a starting point of the Ancient Tea Road.

The Ancient Tea Road extended from northern Fujian to Moscow. In Ming and Qing dynasties, many merchants coming from the Shanxi Province who travelled here to buy tea leaves here and transfer them to the north, finally reaching Europe.

Today Xiamei Village is well known for its vernacular Ming and Qing Dwellings featuring exquisite brick, stone and wood carvings. A 900 meters long man made river winds cross the village from west to east, making a landscape of water and village in southern China.

Xiamei Village is located about 10km east of Mount Wuyi National Resort and 8km southeast of Wuyishan City. At the time of my writing, there are no shuttle buses connecting Xiamei Village to Wuyi Mountains National Resort or Wuyishan City. You may take a local taxi or minivan around RMB 30. You’d ask your taxi driver to wait for you on the return trip to your hotel since there is no public transport in the village.

You need to pay RMB 60 to visit the village as kinda of fund to support the village. Most of the young people have left from the village for bigger cities. We don’t know how long the ancient village can sustain. A Chinese speaking tour guide will be offered to show you around in case you are lost in the maze of the village.

We are about to enter the Xiamei Village. The banner says you are welcome to Xiamei Village, a China’s Famous Villages with Historical and Cultural Significance.

Welcome to Xiamei Village

Welcome to Xiamei Village

We are in the village and on the way to the old part of the village starting with the the Ancestor Bridge.

This is the Ancestor Bridge over the 900m river known as the Dangxi River running through the village from west to east. It is now a two-story wooden structure with four upturned eaves. 

This is the Ancestor Bridge

These are the main ancient streets flanking the Dangxi River, the 900m river running through the village from west to east. By the river, the locals built long benches with wooden planks against the railings which have a beautiful name -“Beauty’s Backrest”. On these benches, the villagers have a rest, chating and drinking in leisure time.

The local villagers are playing cards.

The local villagers are playing cards.
A close look at the Dangxi River the streets
A close look at the Dangxi River the streets

This is the entrance to Zou’s Ancestral Temple, the largest and most elegant building in the village. In northern Fujian during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Zou clan was known for its wealth.

Most of the local merchants were from the Zou clan. Xiamei Village was a place of many tea markets, and each day three hundred rafts transfered here to transport tea leaves to other places in northern China and Europe in the ancient time.

This is the entrance to Zou’s Ancestral Temple
The exquisite brick carvings decorating the gate tower is reminiscent of visitors of the past glory.
The exquisite brick carvings decorating the gate tower is reminiscent of visitors of the past glory.
The wood-carved figures the front wall still guard the old courtyard’
The stone-carved figures the front wall still guard the old courtyard
Inside the Zou’s Ancestral Temple. Enshrined in the temple are steles with inscriptions of family rules and temple annals. The main hall is flanked by the side buildings. In the courtyard there is a small rainspout in the shape of ancient Chinese coin.
Inside the Zou’s Ancestral Temple
This is the entrance to the second largest building in the village, a house of the eldest son of the Zou. Below are some picures taken from the building:
Picture 1
 
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
This is the backyard, a gardening part of the house
This is the backyard, a gardening part of the house
The oldest lane in the village with 2000 years history
The oldest lane in the village with 2000 years history
This is the door which was used to shape a girl by the family of Zou in selecting a daugher in law
This is the door which was used to shape a girl by the family of Zou in selecting a daugher in law
The Rock pillar stands by the village entrance inscribed with the words “The Starting Point of Ancient Tea Road”.
The Rock pillar stands by the village entrance inscribed with the words “The Starting Point of Ancient Tea Road”

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