Four hours drive out of metropolitan Shenzhen and less than 30 minutes from
Chaoyang, this charming village steps back in time preserving the cultures of another
era in today’s fast developing China.
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Public laundry - the pond which was once a swamp where ducks used to swim in is
now a community washing area. ‘Duck swamp’ is the literally translation of the name
of the village.
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Classical-style houses and vegetable farms. Most of the folks are ethnically ‘Teochew’.
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Many of residents of these old houses have moved to the cities.
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‘Open-air’ toilets. In the past, night soil were deposited into the circular pits
and used as organic manure in the vegetable farms.
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Narrow alley between rows of houses.
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Classical-style houses have charming open-air courtyards. The little cubicle on
the right is a bathroom.
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Village cuisine - ‘ta pen cai’ or ‘big basin dishes’ shared during festive gatherings
and other celebrations.
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The Yan clan temple – very well preserved over the years. Many generations of folks
with the surname Yan are being honoured and worshiped here by their descendents.
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Offerings to commemorate their ancestors.
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Back alley. Buildings share a common back wall (left).
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