What impressed me most during my visit to Hongcun, an ancient village in southern Anhui, was the water. Water is the soul of this ancient village, as well as the feature that most attracts tourists. Everyone who has visited Hongcun says the water in Hongcun is legendary and it represents the wisdom of Chinese people.

The unique artificial water system of Hongcun is unsurpassed in China. The water has shapes here. It runs through winding courses to each family, just like the intestine of the ox, maintaining the prosperity of a family. The key feature of this water system is the applying of the bionics principle. The whole village backs onto Mount Leigangshan and leans to the south, forming the shape of a bridling and leaping ox. The mountain is its head, the trees are its horns, the bridges are its legs, the winding courses are its intestine and the moon pond is its stomach and the southern lake is its belly. The stomach, intestine and belly in the ox-shaped village make up the artificial water system, which was an engineering wonder in ancient China. It is easy for every visitor to see the distribution of the water and hear the gurgling sound of the running water wherever he or she is. In Hongcun, beside each stone path there is a water canal, through which water runs endlessly. The clear, quiet and running water gives Hongcun a quiet charm, a perfect combination of motion and stillness. If you walk along the intestine and go upstream against the flow, you will enter the village; if you go downstream with the flow of the water, you will go back to the entrance of the village, which spares tourists the trouble of getting lost in Hongcun. Someone once jokingly said that traveling in Hongcun is just like a journey of going through the belly of an ox.

Outside the village, the southern lake sits calmly in the sun. The layers of houses cast their shadows on the lake, quivering in the ripples. The lake is shaped like a bow, and the arrow on the bowstring is the stone bridge, which is the only way for the villagers to enter and leave Hongcun. The bridge is also regarded as the sharp arrow of the village to put down evil things. The moon pond is another scenic spot reflecting the theme of natural water; it is a must-see destination for tourists. Located at the center of Hongcun, it is surrounded by the unique Anhui-style buildings. The natural scenes and cultural implications reflect upon each other, making a picturesque setting. The very uniqueness of the buildings’ design and picturesque scenery in Hongcun distinguishes it from that of any other areas, which is why it’s one of the most world-renowned tourist attractions and a common scene frequently appearing in films and TV shows. Many scenes in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were shot here. It has also famously appeared in the series of stamps on Chinese ancient civilian houses.

The dynamic beauty of everything comes from water, and water is the source of all life. In Hongcun, water is the soul of this ancient village.