Guangxi Self-Drive Tour (Part 18)

Shenpo Village was originally an alternative because Xiushui Scholar Village was really disappointing, and since there was plenty of time left, we decided to take a look. It's a half-hour drive from Xiushui Scholar Village, with a tourist center parking lot that is unattended. There are many old houses in the village, and the Xiaohe Ancient Trail runs through the main street, with many houses on both sides retaining traces of shops, indicating that it was once a bustling place. The arrangement of the streets and alleys is quite sophisticated, with stone roads, ditches, and wells coexisting harmoniously. In the small alleys, the courtyards on the north side face the street with their doors open, while on the south side, they all retreat half a room's space with the street doors facing east towards a screen wall, which is probably related to Feng Shui. Several main alleyways have gate towers, which were probably used to separate the living areas of the villagers from the passing merchants on the Xiaohe Ancient Trail. There are a few noticeable study halls in the village, and it is said that this place has produced four 'jinshi' (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), nine 'ju ren' (successful candidates in the provincial examinations), and several 'gong sheng' (tribute students). Several old ancestral halls record the village's glory. The village has a small hill with a trail that leads up to it, and at the top, there is a large viewing platform from which you can see the entire village and the surrounding scenery. It is the season when the rapeseed flowers bloom, with green mountains surrounding and bright yellow fields, and the village scattered in between. An unexpected delight, the trip was not in vain. Shenpo Ancient Street