[2024 Tonglu Attraction] Travel Guide for Shen'ao Village (Updated Oct)
Ancient Villages
Address:
Tonglu County, Hangzhou
Opening times:
Opens at 8:00-18:00Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
0.5-1 hour
Shen'ao Village in Tonglu, Hangzhou
Located in Tonglu, Hangzhou, Shen'ao Village is a relatively lesser-known ancient village in Zhejiang.
There are very few tourists, surrounded by mountains and fields, giving a full sense of relaxation.
Its history dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty when the ancestors of the Shentu family moved here, and the Shentu Ancestral Hall is at the entrance of the village.
It is famous for its water system, with an 800-meter underground canal running through the entire village, a drainage system that embodies the wisdom of the ancients and is still in use today.
The village mainly features Ming and Qing Dynasty Huizhou-style architecture, with blue bricks, cobblestones, horse-head walls, and exquisite wood carvings inside the houses, all telling the history of Shen'ao.
On one side, there are cafes, tea houses, and homestays injecting vitality here; on the other side, old residential houses are preserved, depicting the most simple and honest human life.
However, the ancient village now gathers many young craftsmen, such as paper cutting, gourd pyrography, cyanotype, and kintsugi restoration, giving this village a greater sense of cultural heritage.
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✅ Must-visit attractions
Shen'ao Grand Hall, Shentu Ancestral Hall, Huaisu Hall, Gongsitang, Shen'ao Hundred Crafts Art District, Shen'ao Tea House
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📍 Shen'ao Ancient Village, Tonglu County
💰 Free, 2 hours of playtime
⚠️ 1 hour drive from Hangzhou, 3.5 hours drive from Nanjing, near Tonglu East Station
🚗 20 minutes from Daqishan Forest Park, 30 minutes from Fuchunjiang Town
leonaortiz97
Encounter Tonglu, encounter poetry and distant places
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🏞️【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.
ZACHARIAH KENNEDY
Shen'ao Village
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!
Seraphina_Blackthorne_73
Explore the ancient village of Shena'o and admire the protected ancient architectural complex in Zhejiang Province!
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!
Brooklyn Jackson
Shen'ao Ancient Village, a thousand-year-old village with a unique water system
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.