Baihou Ancient Town 百侯古镇

About Baihou Ancient Town

The Meitan River crosses the town from east to west and divides the old settlement into a northern and a southern half. Dabu County records 120 well-preserved dwellings of the Ming and Qing periods here, and describes Baihou as the place where the greatest number of 官厅-style old dwellings has so far been found in the country. The surviving groups take in the deep courtyard mansions of officials and merchants and ancestral halls large and small, and set Hakka 官厅-style houses beside Chinese-Western hybrid building groups introduced by overseas Chinese. The Baihou Mingzhen tourist area holds a national AAAA grade.

Several individual buildings carry heritage protection in their own right. Zhaoqing Tang is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, while Tongyi Dafu Di, Zhongyi Dafu Di and Lianrui Liuxin are protected units at Guangdong provincial level.

What to look for

• Zhaoqing Tang (肇庆堂), the one building in the town listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
• Tongyi Dafu Di (通议大夫第), Zhongyi Dafu Di (中议大夫第) and Lianrui Liuxin (莲瑞流馨), the three Guangdong provincial-level protected units named by the county.
• The 官厅-style Hakka houses, the form the county says is represented at Baihou in greater number than anywhere else yet found in China.
• Chinese-Western hybrid compounds introduced by overseas Chinese, standing among the older courtyard mansions and the ancestral halls.
• The Meitan River, which runs through the town from east to west and separates its northern and southern halves.

Location & getting there

Getting to Baihou Ancient Town

Identify the main visitor approach and any separately managed houses, museums or performances. Ask before entering residential spaces or photographing residents.

• Search for 百侯古镇 with 梅州市 and 大埔县.