Dangjiacun

The view of Dangjicun upon entering the village.

Located in Shaanxi province near the banks of the Yellow River, just a few hours north-east of Xi'an and 20 minutes outside Hancheng, lies the ancient village of Dangjiacun (党家村). The name, pronounced 'dung-jya-tsoon', literally means "the Dang family village". Built in 1331 during the Yuan dynasty, this beautiful village is surprisingly visited by a relatively small number of tourists. Most of the people that do come to visit are domestic Chinese tourists.

The view of Dangjicun following the road that leads into the village.

Before you can enter, you need to buy a ticket at the gate blocking the road that leads down the side of the valley into the village. This money goes towards the upkeep of the site, considering it is now half empty as many of the residents have left for the big cities looking for work. 

A monument supposedly erected by an emperor of the Ming dynasty.

Ornamental wooden carvings above the doorway to a house.

I visited this village back in 2010 when I was studying in Xi'an on exchange. 

As my three friends and I entered the village, a number of people approached us and offered accommodation in their homes. Seeing as there are no hostels or hotels within the village, this was our only option. A friendly man with one arm led us to his house and showed us our room which only cost RMB 20 per person per night. It had four single beds and we had a key to lock our belongings up for when we were wandering around outside. 

Our one-armed host sharpening a cleaver before making dinner.
That basin above his head was our bath for three days.

The family we were staying with ran a small restaurant out of their kitchen. The food was very nice and affordable. When we first ordered food, we ordered some dishes and asked for rice for four people, as you do when eating Chinese food. However, the cook informed us that in the regional areas of northern China they generally eat noodles, as the climate is too dry to grow rice. 

A wooden door leading into the central courtyard of one of the houses.

Inside the grounds of a nearby school there is a small tower. My friends and I looked around and set off some firecrackers that we had bought at the front gate.

Some flowers in bloom, signalling the beginning of spring with the tower in the background.

A wooden screen providing privacy from the courtyard outside.

My friends and I wandered around for a couple of hours soaking up the tranquil and calm atmosphere. We explored the cobblestone alleyways and the old houses that had been left open for tourists to come in and see. 

The old home of a wealthy family, now uninhabited.

Eventually, we made our way up the side of the valley for a better view. We found makeshift dwellings that had been carved out of the valley walls. Inside were beds made out of stone and bamboo or straw mats. 

The make-shift homes in the valley walls.

To the north of the village was a beautiful old temple. We decided to walk there along the country road than ran along the wheat fields. Along the way, cars and bikes would occasionally drive past and slow down to have a good look at us foreigners, with a few people calling out "hello!" and having a good laugh. A couple of girls on pushbikes came riding past, and as they drew near I called out in Chinese "is the temple that way?". One of the girls almost fell off her bike in shock, as she obviously didn't expect me to be able to speak Chinese. As she steadied herself with her feet safely on the ground, she had a little laugh and nodded her head. 

We spent the whole afternoon wandering about the temple grounds, soaking up the calm and relaxing atmosphere. 

The next day we walked out of the village and took a taxi to the Dragon Gate Bridge (龙门黄河大桥). This bridge spans the famous Yellow River which marks the border between the provinces of Shaanxi (陕西) and Shanxi (山西).

A Red Star atop the Dragon Gate Bridge

A view of the bridge from the banks of the Yellow River

Me beside the famous Yellow River, known as the "Cradle of Chinese civilisaiton".

Getting There

From Xi'an, get a bus to Hancheng City and then a bus from there to Dangjiacun. 

Click here to see all of my photos of Dangjiacun.