Huangyao

It is believed that settlement of the Huangyao area began during the Song dynasty in the Kaibao era (968 – 977) of Emperor Taizu. The name Huangyao was first recorded in the Huangyou era (1049–1053) of Emperor Renzong when general Yang Wenguang passed through Zhaoping to pacify Guangxi,[2] and the place was named after the two most common surnames of the locals living in the area – Huang and Yao.[3][4]

The town first developed during the reign of Wanli Emperor (1572 – 1620) of the Ming dynasty, and it prospered during the reign of Qianlong Emperor (1735 – 1796) in the Qing dynasty. As a result, it has many buildings from the Qing and Ming eras, numbering at over 300.[5] The town was part of a number of administrative divisions throughout its history; today Huangyao includes both an old town and a new district.[2] Many of the buildings in the old town have stayed relatively unchanged in the modern era, and it began to develop as a tourist destination in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was listed as one the 50 most worthwhile places to visit in China in 2006.[2][6]

View of Huangyao

The karst peaks of Huangyao

Huangyao is surrounded by karst peaks and traversed by streams. There are many bridges, and the streets are paved with slate.[5] There are over 30 temples, ancestral halls and pavilions in the old town of Huangyao. Many of the buildings are doubled-storied structures of simple construction in bricks and black tiles.[3]

Huangyao has a population of around 50,000,[7] covering an area that included many villages.[8] Most of the people live in the new part of the town, with only around 2,000 remaining in the old town as many have moved into the new district.[2]

Because of its picturesque location and old buildings, the old town of Huangyao has been used as a setting for a number of television dramas and films, such as the 2006 film The Painted Veil and the 2001 Chinese television drama Country Spirit.[1][9][4]

• Huangyao