No. 1 Village in Yunnan: Zhengying ancient village in Shiping

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Edited and translated by Du Mingming, People's Daily Online

Located along the Chirui Lake, Baoxiu Town, about 10 kilometers west of Shiping County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Zhengying village has a history of more than 600 years. In 1999, Zhengying village is named as historical and cultural village of provincial level; hence it acquires the reputation as the "No.1 Village in Yunnan".

There are three streets and nine lanes in the village, which are named after people's family names and geographical environment. The streets are paved with bluestone, and the houses are mainly big quadrangle courtyards sitting south and facing north. There are 403 quadrangle courtyards in the village, of which 28 are well preserved. Ancient architectures like Chen's Lineage Hall and Zheng's Lineage Hall are famous for their large scale and exquisite designs include carvings, paintings, and calligraphies.

Surrounded by mountain and water, Zhengying village has picturesque scenery. The ancestral halls, pavilions, and residential architectures together form a unique historical cultural style. Zhengying village is regarded as "Ming and Qing Residential Architecture Museum in China" by construction experts.