After spending a quiet morning in XiXi South Town (西溪南村) we cycled an hour cross country to another sleepy village barely touched by the ravages of time. Tangmo Ancient Village (唐模古城) is built along a river crisscrossed by stone bridges, lined on either side by old residential houses and ancestral halls.
There is a fee for visitors to enter the village and surprisingly they let us in with our bicycles which we wheeled through the streets. Once inside, we were quickly immersed in the quiet streets lined by beautiful whitewashed Hui-style buildings.
Under a covered section of the stone path that runs beside the river, a group of elderly residents wearing thick coats sat in the afternoon sun for a chat. Nobody was in a hurry.
As well as being a mirror for the beautiful architecture, the river also serves a practical purpose for locals to wash their clothes in it. It’s hard to believe that only
Looking back at Gaoyang Bridge, the double arches are said to represent the eyes of a dragon, with the water flowing out its tears. Gingko trees hang over the river.
At the northern end of the village is a beautiful pagoda beside a 400-year-old camphor tree which was once in a popular movie. Couples tie red ribbons to the tree to pray for the endurance of their love.
After an immensely enjoyable walk through the village with nary a tour group sighted, we rode back to Huizhou, this time along a more enjoyable cycle path separated from the traffic. The 35km ride had been tough but well worthwhile.
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