Liukeng- Gorgeous well preserved ancient village
Liukeng is a well preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty village that is so far out in the mountains, that it has been spared most of the destruction inflicted on beautiful cultural sites throughout China over the last hundred years. The village sits along a river in a wide valley filled with huge ancient camphor trees and surrounded by mountains. For hundreds of years, this village has been the home to an unusually high number of scholars and officials, making it a wealthy respected town. Many of the homes are decorated in and out with intricate stone and wood carvings. The only major damge to the artwork was during the Taiping Rebellion in the 1800's. Many of the doors have small doggy doors built into them. Liukeng is home to a unique "mute" opera. The performers dance to music wearing masks but neither sing nor speak. The local specialty food is called "mei dofu", a kind of very spicy kind...
