UNESCO World Heritage
Moon Pond
The half-moon pond at the heart of Hongcun, dug in the Ming era over a spring: the Wang clan's water reserve and the mirror of the whole village.
Hongcun, China
Hongcun Audio Guide
Walk the Wang clan's World Heritage village with 27 audio stops narrated by experts. From the Moon Pond to the 500-year-old trees at the entrance, every corner explains why water shaped Hongcun.
- ~3h of audio
- 7 routes · 27 audio stops
- Offline mode
- English
Coming soon
- 7Landmarks
- 27Audios
- ~3hOf narration
Photo: lwtt93
7 audio guides in Hongcun
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UNESCO World Heritage
South Lake
What to see at South Lake in Hongcun: a bow-shaped lake from 1607, the Painted Bridge of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and the village mirrored in the water.
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Clan School
South Lake Academy
The school the Wang clan built in 1814 on the shore of South Lake to turn the merchant fortune of Hongcun into candidates for the imperial examinations.
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UNESCO World Heritage
Chengzhi Hall
The largest mansion in Hongcun, built in 1855 by a salt merchant: a gate of official rank, gold-carved beams and pavilions for opium and mahjong.
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Ming Ancestral Hall
Lexu Hall
The ancestral hall of the Wang clan in Hongcun: the only Ming building in the village, held up by some seventy wooden columns and carved beams.
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UNESCO World Heritage
Hongcun Water Channels
A guide to the Hongcun water channels: the dam of around 1405, the channel running past every door and under the houses, the Deyi Tang pond and the story of the water system that shaped the village.
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Fengshui Trees
Ancient Trees at the Village Entrance
What to see at the entrance of Hongcun: a Chinese wingnut and a ginkgo some 500 years old, fengshui trees and the horns of the ox traced by the village.
Hongcun Audio Guide
What to see in Hongcun with the EarGuide audio guide
Hongcun, inscribed on the World Heritage List together with Xidi in 2000, is a village the Wang clan reorganised around water: the Moon Pond, dug in the Yongle era (1403–1424) over a spring at the exact centre of the village; the stone channels opened around 1405, which run past every door and beneath the halls themselves; South Lake, dug in 1607 over farmland to close the system; South Lake Academy, which in 1814 merged six private schoolrooms to prepare for the imperial examinations; Lexu Hall, the clan's ancestral hall and the only Ming building still standing; Chengzhi Hall, the 1855 mansion of the salt merchant Wang Dinggui, with 136 carved and gilded columns; and the two trees, some 500 years old, that serve as the gateway to the village.
With the EarGuide Hongcun audio guide, every place reveals its history through professional narration prepared by guides who know the village and Hui culture inside out. Unlike a free walking tour or a conventional guided visit, you set the pace, the order and the stops. No groups, no timetables, no internet connection.
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No internet needed
Download the routes before you head out and explore without using data.
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Smart geolocation
The narration starts by itself when you reach the point of interest.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the Hongcun audio guide
How much does the Hongcun audio guide cost?
The EarGuide app is free. The Hongcun audio guide includes 7 independent routes with nearly three hours of professional narration spread across 7 sites and 27 audio stops, and it is found inside the app itself.
Do I need an internet connection to use the audio guide?
No. EarGuide works entirely offline. Download the routes over WiFi before you set out and you can use the audio guide with no connection and no data use throughout your walk around Hongcun. The map shows your GPS position in real time even without coverage.
What languages is the Hongcun audio guide available in?
The Hongcun audio guide is available in Spanish and English, with professional narration prepared by guides and experts in the history of Huizhou and the Hui merchants.
How long does the full tour take?
The audio guide brings together 7 independent routes with nearly three hours of narration in total, from 20 to 35 minutes per route. They are designed for a half-day visit on foot: you can do them separately or string them all together in a single walk around the village.
Is the audio guide better than a free walking tour or a guided visit?
They are different experiences. The EarGuide audio guide lets you walk Hongcun without timetables or groups, pause and resume whenever you like, and replay any explanation as often as you need. It suits independent travellers, families and anyone who prefers to understand the village at their own pace, with no prior knowledge of China.
Which landmarks and points of interest does it include?
The Hongcun audio guide covers 7 main sites: the Moon Pond, South Lake, South Lake Academy, Chengzhi Hall, the Wang clan's Lexu Hall, the village's water channels and the ancient trees at the entrance.
Can I do it all on foot?
Yes. All 7 sites are inside the village or at its entrance, a few minutes' walk from one another, and they link up by following the course of the water: from the trees at the entrance to the channels, the Moon Pond, Lexu Hall and Chengzhi Hall, and from there to South Lake and its academy.
Can I use a purchase in the other EarGuide apps or on another phone?
Yes. Purchases belong to your EarGuide account, not to one app or one phone. A city unlocked in the EarGuide app is also unlocked in that city's own app, and the other way round, on both iPhone and Android. Just sign in with the same account on the other device. The store's “restore purchases” button only covers the app the purchase was made in, so signing in is what carries it across.
Download the Hongcun audio guide free
The Hongcun audio guide is inside the EarGuide app, free and ready to use offline. Carry it in your pocket and explore the village at your own pace.
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