Traditional village with character, LiKeng, Jiangxi

LiKeng is a wonderful old village dating back about a millennium. I loved its endearing character, nice, relatively clean-water river running as a 'main street' through it; bright green, dew-bathed rice fields and 2 good temples around it. Not only the houses/buildings but also the way of life are quite preserved in its old not so hurried ways, alternating portions of being and doing all in a wonderful natural setting.
The preservation effort for things, especially houses/building, is imposed to very strict measures, for example new construction is not allowed, and only restoration in the old style is permitted. The new houses are built in the near-by, but light years away in terms of spirit and attitude Da LiKeng (Da = Big) which is reportedly very touristy, highly commercialized, with KTVs (karaoke bars) and so on in the main street.

30 yuan admission fee, on the top of the 160 or so yuan ticket for the whole Wu Yuan area. Accommodation there is in a private houses each having 2-3 or more rooms adopted for visitors. My and the ones I saw were clean and good, well deserving the
60 yuan. It had also good, inexpensive food, all served by friendly folks.

In the morning, everybody was carrying on a cleanness contest, washing their cloths and/or teeth in or over the river. In the evening, many people would gather together here and there and chat, knit outside their houses on the bridges above the river. No any other visitors in sight the whole evening, in the morning – 4-6 more tourists but that was all (which is amazing, highly unusual in abundant on human resources China). It was a greatly relaxing, tranquil place, really lovely.