Ancient allure makes village a modern magnet

"Liangxi is unique among other ancient villages in that its ancient buildings feature Western elements."

Traditional-Chinese rooftop carvings feature such motifs as dragons, phoenixes and fish, which symbolize auspicious meanings, such as longevity and happiness. But doors, windows and balconies hail to Western architecture.

"Most houses were built by Chinese who'd returned from the United States," Luo says.

The nearly 8-square-kilometer village is less than two hours' drive from the provincial capital, Guangzhou.

Visitors come to see its roughly 500 households, chastity arch, two ancestral halls, village walls and four former residences of famous locals.

An ancestral temple that honors clan elder Luo Gui features a statue of the patriarch.

He's said to have led his clan to the area when fleeing wars in northern Guangdong about 800 years ago. Most villagers still share his surname.

Visitors also explore the 20-meter-long Qingyun Road that's paved with flagstones that are over a century old. Another name for the main thoroughfare, pingbu qingyun, means "being promoted" in Chinese, so villagers will ceremoniously walk along the road before leaving to study or work outside.