Explore nostalgic flavors at Guiyang's Wanggang village

Wanggang village is an ancient village with a history of more than 600 years located in Guiyang. [Photo/ddcpc website]

Wanggang village in Xingpu Bouyei township, Wudang district, Guiyang, capital city of Southwest China's Guizhou province, is an ancient Bouyei village with a history of over 600 years, situated 36 kilometers from the city center.

Sixty-year-old Wei Delong is a member of the CPC Wanggang village committee. According to Wei, almost every family in the village has its own lineage and genealogy. Over generations, the population has grown, helping the village to develop.

The village's Tonggu Square was completed several years ago. Nearby lies a spring that has been in use since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), named "Sien Spring", which symbolizes gratitude for the source of water and the natural gift bestowed upon Wanggang's residents.

It is said that the spring water is rich in strontium and slightly silicic, and when used to make paotang soup (fresh pork boiled in clean water), the result is fatty but not greasy.

During the annual pig slaughter season, every villager plays their part, and when the work is done, the host invites everyone to a paotang soup banquet. Amidst toasts and laughter, neighbors share food, satisfying their taste buds and fostering social connections.

The blue bricks, black tiles, and eaves of Bouyei architecture, along with the tradition of eating paotang soup, are a source of comfort and nostalgia for the people of Wanggang, and they have helped turn the village into a weekend countryside retreat for city dwellers.

On Dec 8, 2007, Wanggang opened to the public as the "first village of paotang soup", lending a boost to the traditional Bouyei paotang banquet and marking the beginning of tourism development in the village.

In 2009, the village was named among the first batch of provincial historical and cultural famous villages. In 2011, it was recognized as the "most charming ethnic village in Guizhou".

Since 2013, Wanggang has received titles such as "ethnic group characteristic demonstration village" and "national civilized village and town", and was selected among the seventh batch of "national demonstration village for democracy and the rule of law".

It also won the "healthy food award" and "model award" for China's most beautiful villages and towns twice. In 2019, Wanggang was selected among the first batch of provincial key rural tourism villages in Guizhou.

Today, the village historical museum in Wanggang is adorned with various plaques. In an area of less than 30 square meters, it offers a thorough exploration of the village's past, present and future.