The ancient village of Qiangang in Guangzhou Conghua dates back 800 years

Qiangang Ancient Village has recorded a period of historical changes. The village was founded during the Song Dynasty, which is more than 200 years earlier than the establishment of Conghua County. Hence, there is a saying in Qiangang Village: 'Qiangang existed before Conghua was established.' Qiangang Ancient Village has a relatively flat terrain and a rather casual layout, with more than a thousand houses of various sizes. There are 12 famous village alleys, and countless unnamed small alleys. It stretches about 1.3 kilometers from east to west and about 1 kilometer from south to north. Gates are built in all four directions: the east gate is called Qiting Gate, the south gate is called Zhenming Gate, the west gate is called Zhenhua Gate, and the north gate is called Yinglong Gate. The gates are connected by ancient green brick walls. Most of the traditional buildings in the village, including archways, ancestral halls, gate towers, watchtowers, and academies, were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, the Guangyu Ancestral Hall located in the center of the village is a national key cultural relics protection unit.