Maoping Village in Tonglu

Maoping Village was established during the Song and Yuan dynasties, with a history of over 700 years. The village is located in the southeastern part of Fuchunjiang Town, Tonglu County, nestled in the midsection of the mountainous gorge of the Luci Stream basin. The majority of villagers bear the Hu surname and the village is one of the main settlements in the Fuchun River rural slow living experience area. The villagers live off the mountain by making charcoal for a living, selling charcoal as a trade, and becoming wealthy through charcoal. Through the relentless entrepreneurship of generations of villagers, Maoping became a prosperous and affluent village in the western Zhejiang region by the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. To this day, it retains a good number of ancient sites including the Maleng Ancient Trail, the Renshou Wanfu Ancient Bridge, and ancient trees like the cypress, camphor, and Huanglian, as well as more than twenty ancient residential buildings such as the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall and the Wen'an Building. We drove to Shishe Village in the morning and passed through Maoping Village on the way back, taking a right turn onto a bridge and then a left turn along the stream to enter the village, where parking is free. Maoping Village boasts clear mountains and beautiful waters, simple local customs, and a profound cultural heritage. The honest and enthusiastic villagers welcome guests from all directions.