Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County 恭城瑶族自治县

History and culture

A county was first set up here in 618, under the Sui, and the county town is listed as a national historic and cultural town. Four of its buildings are national key cultural relics: the Confucian Temple (文庙), the Martial Temple (武庙), the Zhou Wei Shrine (周渭祠) and the Hunan Guild Hall (湖南会馆). Eighteen villages are on the national list of traditional villages. The Meishan scroll (梅山图), more than 100 metres long and painted in 1743, depicts Yao history and culture in colour; the county government says it is the only such scroll found in China. Yao festivals held here include the Panwang (盘王节) and Powang (婆王节) festivals and the firecracker festival (花炮节).

What to see

The Confucian Temple, begun in 1410 under the Ming, climbs the southern foot of Xishan (西山) in six terraces, facing south towards the Cha River (茶江). Its buildings run along one axis from the screen wall through the Lingxing Gate (棂星门), the Pan pool (泮池) or moon pool and the Dacheng Gate (大成门) to the Dacheng Hall (大成殿), which holds plaques written by the Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and Guangxu emperors.

Fifty metres to the west stands the Martial Temple, a temple to Guan Yu (关羽) begun in 1603, which the county calls the largest and best-preserved in Guangxi. Its old stage, raised 1.32 metres on bluestone, has a coffered ceiling painted with a yin-yang symbol, and a Guan Yu festival is held every year on the 12th day of the fifth lunar month.

Hongyan (红岩村), 14 kilometres from the county town near Lianhua (莲花镇), is a village of more than 60 farmhouse villas on the Lianhua River, backed by the karst Matou Hill (马头山); it faces a persimmon orchard, and century-old persimmon trees still grow in the village.

Food and local products

The cultivation system of the Gongcheng moon persimmon (恭城月柿) is listed by the Ministry of Agriculture among the fourth batch of Important Agricultural Heritage Systems of China. A persimmon festival, first held in 2003, runs at Hongyan each year from the Mid-Autumn Festival to the Spring Festival. Gongcheng oil tea (恭城油茶) is the county's signature Yao dish; in 2019 the county set a Guinness World Record for the most people pounding oil tea at once.

Highlights

• Gongcheng Confucian Temple 恭城文庙: Ming temple of 1410 on six terraces below Xishan, with imperial plaques.
• Gongcheng Martial Temple 恭城武庙: Guan Yu temple of 1603 beside the Confucian temple, with an old stage on a bluestone base.
• Hongyan Village 红岩村: Village of farmhouse villas facing a persimmon orchard; home of the persimmon festival.
• Gongcheng moon persimmon 恭城月柿: Cultivation system listed as an Important Agricultural Heritage System of China.
• Meishan scroll 梅山图: Over 100-m painted scroll of 1743 on Yao history and culture.