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Voykit pocket guide · China
Zhangguying village
张谷英村
Half a day: see Ming-dynasty clan houses and a creek running through them, then head back to Yueyang or Changsha. One night if you want the quiet after the day-trippers leave.
Zhangguying is a single-family Ming-dynasty village 80 km southeast of Yueyang, Hunan. All the houses are linked by halls and walkways under dark wooden roofs. You can see the whole place in 2–3 hours, eat tofu, and leave. The appeal is the intact layout, not any single sight.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 张谷英村
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Chinese New Year week
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥100–200 excl. bed · Mid ¥200–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Homestay double room | ¥100 |
| You Doufu (oil-fried tofu), portion | ¥10–20 |
| Simple meal (noodles or rice with vegetables) | ¥15–30 |
| Bus Yueyang–Zhangguying, one way | ¥30 |
| Village entry fee | ¥50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CSX · Changsha Huanghua International
- About 2 h by bus or taxi to Zhangguying; check
- YYA · Yueyang Sanhe Airport
- Smaller airport, about 1.5 h by bus or taxi; check
Typical fares
- Bus Yueyang → Zhangguying
- about ¥30, 1.5 h (check)
- Taxi Yueyang → Zhangguying
- ¥150–200 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is walkable. A path up the small hill behind gives a panoramic view of the rooftops.
See and do
Known for
- Ming-dynasty clan architecture
- Connected houses with covered walkways
- Oil-fried tofu (You Doufu)
- Fengshui layout with a creek and mountains
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yueyang | Bus from Yueyang bus station (Balingzhong lu), about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Changsha | Bus or taxi via Yueyang, about 2.5–3 h total | About 3 h |
| Pingjiang County | Hitchhike or taxi east from the main road; check | About 1 h |
Sleep
- In the village (homestays near the creek)
- Simple rooms, about ¥100 for a double; book through the homestay owner or ask at the village entrance.
- Yueyang city
- More choices and higher comfort; 1.5 h bus ride each way.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián |
| Old town | 古镇gǔ zhèn |
| Where is the bus? | 公交车在哪里？gōng jiāo chē zài nǎ lǐ |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses from Yueyang may drop you at the new town, not the old village; ask for 'gu zhen' (old town).
- Homestays are basic: shared bathroom, no heating in winter.
- No English signage; have the Chinese name (张谷英村) ready on your phone.
Very safe; the main risk is slippery stone paths after rain and limited medical facilities. Bring any medication you might need.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zhangguying village yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ming-dynasty clan architecture
- Connected houses with covered walkways
- Oil-fried tofu (You Doufu)
- Fengshui layout with a creek and mountains
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Zhangguying village, revision 4692464 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4692464
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Zhangguying village张谷英村
请到张谷英村
To Zhangguying Village, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Nearest consulates in Guangzhou or Shanghai; embassies in Beijing. Check <a href="/china/visa-requirements">china visa requirements</a>.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/zhangguying-village). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.