Ancient Villages in Southern
Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun (2000)
China
The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or was transformed during the last century. Their street plan, their architecture and decoration, and the integration of houses with comprehensive water systems are unique surviving examples.
In the Xidi Village surrounded by hills, there are more than 120 ancient houses, picturesque streets and a stream running by. The Ming-dynasty Virtue Arch devoted to Hu Wenguang standing at the entrance of the village is the landmark of the village.
All four stamps in the set have the same face value (80 f), and each stamp is identified by the number indicated in the lower right corner.
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The Hongcun Village, first built in the Song Dynasty, is laid out in the shape of cattle. With over 130 ancient houses, the village naturally blends into the exquisite landscape, known as a "village in traditional Chinese painting".
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There are around 100 ancient villages scattered in the beautiful landscape of green mountains and racing streams in southern Anhui Province. These villages embrace many elegant ancient houses with exquisite carvings. Yixian County alone has about 3,600 of them, which is the most in southern Anhui.
Sources and links:
Other World Heritage Sites in China (on this site). Inactive links are not described on stamps. Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, section China for further information about the individual properties.
Revised 20 jun 2007 |
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