Elderly local woman offers free guided tours at century-old stilted house in China’s Guangxi
Source Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror
Hou Yujin (L) gives an introduction to a tourist at her stilted house in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin gives an introduction to tourists at her stilted house in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
A tourist poses for photos with Hou Yujin (2nd L) in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin (R) introduces the embroidery pattern to tourists at her stilted house in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin (L) introduces an old item to a tourist at her stilted house in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Tourists bid farewell to Hou Yujin (L, front) in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin (L, front) communicates with tourists about embroidery techniques in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Tourists look on as Hou Yujin (front) works on an embroidery work in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin checks the growth of pea sprouts in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin airs ears of corn in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin makes an embroidery work in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Hou Yujin is pictured at her stilted house in Longji Village of Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 15, 2026. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes of the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 15, 2026 shows a view of Longji Village in Longsheng County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Longji Village, home mainly to the Zhuang ethnic group, features traditional wooden houses nestled among terraced fields and retains its distinctive ethnic cultural heritage.
Hou Yujin, an elderly local woman who lives in one of the century-old stilted buildings of the Zhuang ethnic group in the village, has volunteered to offer free guided tours to tourists. Despite never having attended a single day of school, Hou taught herself Mandarin through great effort to share with visitors the history of her house and the dramatic changes in the village. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20261016/55952bd435864656b8da1aa4e78fc564/c.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
