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It has an area of 15,5 square kilometers, gathering the national minorities tribes that are mainly dominated by the Tujia nationality and Miao nationality. The terrain of the whole village is chiefly the gently rolling country. The area is blessed with plentiful rain and a mild climate, with forest coverage reaching 42%, with an average elevation of more than 350 meters.
Hewan Mountain Village lies south of the Sanwu Mountain and to the east of Shidi Town in Xiu Mountain, also at the center of Youshui River National Wetland Park where has the ten-miles long pool with the eye-catching scenery, simple and honest folkway and strong folk culture atmosphere. All of these wonderful views make the area the first choice for drawn ecstatic tourists, artists and writers alike, photographers and painters.
The mountain fastness is nestling at the foot of the mountains and overlooking the river, with generally stair-stepped layout and highly organized. Despite the fact that there was no danger at all of flooding, it was really not astonishing that these houses were still built on stilts. The houses of varying heights along the waterway of varying widths could give a sense of rhythm.
Ancient trees in this village reach into the skies. The range upon range of old trees which seem to stretch to infinity and are thickly carpeted with green bamboos. The architecture of the village is the stilts of Tujia local customs, with unique style and features. There're tiers of terraced fields at the back of the village, with elegant natural environment, with the history of over 600 years.
The entire village had over 150 families, more than 600 people, mainly dominated by the family name Bai of Tujia nationality. The beautiful House-of-Hand-Shaking of Hewan Mountain Village was built in the first year of the reign of Qing Emperor Xianfeng by the family name Peng of Tujia nationality. It's nowadays the best preserved House-of-Hand-Shaking in the southeast of Chongqing.
Outside the house is covered with stone slates that are carved by some animated landscape. There're many old shrines and ancient temples in the scenic spot. Here you could enjoy the colorful Tujia cultures with its distinctive charming Tujia style. Moreover, you could even some other cultures of Tujia nationality that are full of ancient mystery originated from primitive cultures.
For example, the brides' laments of Tujia nationality in wedding were once the popular lyric folk songs of Tujia people and the bride's right of utterance. These wailing songs with attractive melody and good lyrics, which could make people act vigorously, the melody is so wonderful that the audiences are all lost in it. Every lyric and every word of the song is worth pondering over.