Editor's note: Shenzhen is home to many ancient villages that are little known to the public. These century-old villages are away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, quietly nestled in a corner, providing spiritual nourishment to the city with their rich cultural heritage.In Longhua District, there is an abundance of ancient villages, which are scattered widely in subdistricts such as Guanlan, Dalang, Guanhu, and Fucheng. Join us as we explore the secrets of some of these ancient villages.

New Who Art Village in Guanlan, Longhua District is a popular venue for domestic and international artists to do residency projects.

A bird’s-eye view of New Who Art Village in Guanlan, Longhua District. Photos by Sun Yuchen

The former Niuhu Old Village, a place located in the margins bordering Dongguan in Guanlan, could have been like any other old village left to decay from neglect, but thanks to native villager, Deng Chunru, who is also an artist, and others, it has been transformed into an art village that fosters a strong cultural climate.

A statue on a bridge in the village.

Since 2013, local artists have been exploring the century-old Hakka village as an inspiring atmosphere for their contemporary art works. New Who Art Village is now home to more than 60 artists from home and abroad. They set up studios for creating their art here with incredible diversity, including traditional Chinese painting, printmaking, oil painting, sculpture, drama, music and calligraphy.

A display room at a privately owned art studio.

Street art on the outside of a house in the village.

A yurt in the village set up by residents who are from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Visitors can have a taste of highland barley wine in the yurt, while the owners create their art works in the workshop behind the structure.