Chinese Traditional Village - Laochehe Village, Miaoer Tan Town, Longshan County, Hunan Province

Laochehe Village is situated at the confluence of the Dianfang River and the Xiche River, 75 kilometers north of Longshan County. Laochehe Village is renowned as the premier Tujia village in the Wuling Mountain region. The "Laoche Reba Tujia Wind and Rain Bridge" signifies the elegant Tujia wind and rain bridge spanning the Laoche River. This 288.8-meter-long Tujia wind and rain bridge, erected in 2008, currently holds the title of the world's longest wind and rain bridge. In the vicinity of Laochehe Village, the Peng, Liang, and Xiang families are prominent surnames, claiming descent from three chieftains. According to legend, during the Five Dynasties period, Wocuochong, a chieftain of Xizhou, was defeated by Peng Yanxi, a general of the Ma Yin tribe. On his way, he boarded a carriage from Shoucha, now located in Longshan County, to escape for his life. He traveled through Nongche, Laoche, and Xiche, and finally died in Xiwoping. Therefore, all these place names in Longshan County are related to Wocuochong. Among the more than 200 residential buildings in the village today, there are still 5 buildings from the Ming Dynasty, 58 buildings from the Qing Dynasty, and 116 buildings from the Republic of China era. There are also distinctive buildings such as the Chongtian Building, ancient oil houses, and Baishou Hall. Laoche has maintained unique folk customs to this day, such as crying marriage, hand-waving dance, Maogusi, Daliuzi, Dongdongkui, and dragon boat races. When a girl is getting married, all the closest female relatives from the same village will come to accompany her in crying and singing crying marriage songs. The hand-waving dance is also known as Sheba dance, Sheba Gezi, etc. Villagers gather in groups, swinging their hands, and dance to imitate the production and life of their ancestors. Maogusi refers to the ancestral worship on the third day of the first lunar month every year, where villagers dress up as Mao people to perform stories about their ancestors. Daliuzi is an ancient and beautiful percussion music genre of the Tujia ethnic group, used for weddings, festivals, and other celebratory occasions. It is the favorite instrumental ensemble of the Tujia people. The dragon boat race is a rowing competition held for the Tujia people's festival day, the Great Dragon Boat Festival (the 15th day of the fifth lunar month). During the competition, people from all four towns and eight villages come to watch, creating a sea of people, which is a spectacular sight.