During a tour of Hubei Province, central China, in 2013, President Xi Jinping said ancient villages should be better protected, and restoration should be an integral part of rural development.
The village, located in deep mountains and unknown to many for approximately 1000 years, is attracting an increasingly number of tourists, especially painters, photographers, and architects.
The temple is the only one in China that combines the religions of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Visitors can walk through the monastery and see the humble cells where monks lived and the intricately decorated halls where they prayed to their gods.
Due to inconvenient transportation and out-of-date infrastructure, ancient villages seem to be left behind by modern life. This makes protection work a challenge and tourism may be the best choice for protecting them.
The government of Jincheng, Shanxi province, has launched an investigation into the demolition of an ancient village that was torn down to make way for coal mining, and it has ordered an immediate renovation of the remains.
