Banliang Old Village 板梁古村

About Banliang Old Village

Banliang was settled at the end of the Yuan by Liu Zifang, a refugee from the wars who was said to descend from Liu Jiao, the brother of the founder of the Han. The whole village shares the Liu surname, which makes it a characteristic southern Hunan lineage settlement. More than two thousand villagers still live among the old houses, and the village was listed as a Chinese historic and cultural village in 2010; it also appears in the provincial list of national AAAA-grade scenic areas.

The approach crosses the Ban stream by Jielong Bridge, a stone slab bridge of three arches and nine slabs, and local custom holds that a visitor has only really entered the village once that bridge is behind them. A long bluestone road runs through the settlement, known to villagers as the official road; it formed part of the Jinling post road heading south towards Guangxi and Guangdong. Along it stand an old pagoda, temples, ancestral halls, a former money shop and an old private school, with more than 360 buildings and over a thousand rooms of Ming and Qing date spread over nearly three square kilometres.

The most elaborate house is the former residence of Liu Shaosu, a third-rank Qing official. It has a three-hall plan and brings together stone, wood and clay carving; the clay relief of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea on its courtyard wall is described as the finest clay sculpture left in the village. The Songfeng private school, the Liu family's own school, was the earliest place of learning here.

What to look for

• Jielong Bridge, a stone slab bridge of three arches and nine slabs over the Ban stream
• The bluestone official road through the village, a surviving stretch of the Jinling post road
• The former residence of Liu Shaosu, a Qing third-rank official, with its three-hall plan
• The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea clay relief on the courtyard wall of that house
• The Songfeng private school, the Liu family's school and the village's earliest place of learning

Location & getting there

Getting to Banliang Old Village

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

• Search for 板梁古村 with 郴州市 and 永兴县.