Little Lijiang near Shenzhen

Xiabafang in Dongguan is a village that blends creation, design, leisure and art into one.

In the vicinity of Shenzhen hides a small ancient village which carries the nicknames “Gulangyu” and “Little Lijiang,” thanks to its well-preserved nature, traditional architecture and charming Lingnan culture. The village is Xiabafang, a place that blends creation, design, leisure and art into one.

在深圳周边有这样一个地方,它被冠以“鼓浪屿”和“丽江”之称，至今仍保留着高度的自然风味！它就是“下坝坊”，一个集创意、设计、休闲、艺术于一体的生活街区，景区古树、古建整齐分布，拥有保存完整的传统建筑以及迷人的岭南风情！

Located in Batou Community, Wanjiang District in Dongguan, Xiabafang covers an area of 0.7 square kilometers. It was originally a normal village, but was later transformed into a place that is now thoroughly soaked in the ambience of literature and art, similar to Gulangyu in Xiamen, Fujian Province.

下坝坊位于东莞市万江区坝头社区，万江、南城与莞城的交界处，该村辖区区域面积约0.7平方公里。坝头其实原来是一个村子，被各行各业充满想象力的人打造成了一个类似厦门鼓浪屿的地方，逐步变身为一个充满文艺气息的地方。

A courtyard rooftop in Xiabafang.

Gathering the culture essence of the Batou Community, Xiabafang is home to intact ancient constructions such as the Zhan Ancestral Hall and Shao Guangzhan Communal Ancestral Temple. It also still preserves the Lingnan water village layout dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

下坝坊汇集了坝头社区的文化精粹，坝头社区较好地保存了詹氏宗祠、绍广詹公祠等古建筑以及明清时期的岭南水乡村落格局，很多房子保留着古代的牌匾和古建筑270多处，下坝坊是珠三角地区岭南水乡文化保存较为完整的村落之一，被誉为东莞市的“岭南水乡文化泛博物馆”。

Walking around the village, you will be attracted by the simplicity of the place: Each house is built with layer upon layer of bricks without any further decoration.

层层叠叠的房砖毫不羞涩地裸露，为这古建筑增添了不少韵味，各具特色的小店一间间融于这岭南风情中。

Hanging street lamp in the alley

Deep into the alleys, you may from time to time, bump into the hanging street lamps, which even after ages of being battered by the wind and rain still preserve their original appearance and add a distinctive vintage glamour to the old place.

路旁偶见吊挂着的小路灯，纵使被风吹雨打，仍保留着原本的样子，为这寂静的巷子增添光亮。

Glass bottles hanging together to form a glass bottle wall

Glass bottles, which may only serve as recycling waste in other places, turn into unique works of art here, with many of them hanging together to form a glass bottle wall.

瓶瓶罐罐在这里被视为珍宝，从不起眼的一个到引人注目的多个，一个容易被吹倒而多个就不一样了，反而成了最具个性的装饰。

Dexian Courtyard is a small courtyard with a bit of an antique flavor to it, a nice place for tasting tea or wine, playing chess or the zither. Here you can embrace a slow-paced life, taking the time to unwind and relax from the droning of life.

得闲小院是个古色古香的小院，或品茗或饮酒，或对弈或抚琴，生活的节奏任由变缓，拥抱并且享受这种慢生活吧！

No. 38 Low House is a chic Tibetan style pub. During the day, it is like a quiet girl while at night it turns into a coquettish woman.

38号矮房子，是一家别致的藏式清吧，走进去就有种亲近藏族的感觉，白天的她似一名安静得女子，晚上的她似一名妖艳的女子，令人捉摸不透......

Xiabafang in the night time is often compared to Lijiang. The soft yellow lights reflecting on the lake water create a warm and romantic atmosphere, a nice choice for taking a stroll with your lover.

夜晚的下坝坊足以比丽江，轻黄色的灯光倒映在平静的湖面上，夜游下坝坊也是一个不错的选择。

A bar in Xiabafang.

When you feel tired, thirsty or hungry, you can easily find a small restaurant to drink some juice or coffee, eat some snacks or baked rice. Most of the stores and restaurants here do not open until 2 p.m. and close at around 2 a.m.

如果逛累了、渴了、饿了，可以就近找一家自己喜欢的小店，坐在小店里喝喝果汁咖啡是一件特别惬意的事情，有的小店还推出有小吃和焗饭，特色的饮品咖啡基本每家店都有。这里的店铺大多下午2点才开始营业，一直到夜间2点闭店，而且是以清吧形式出现的居多，特别适合城市白领年轻一族聚会，当然还少不了有歌手驻唱的清吧。

When you come here, you can also visit other tourist attractions nearby, including Batou Village, Yuan Chonghuan Memorial Hall, Keyuan Garden and Dongguan Foods and Custom Museum.

附近有坝头村、袁崇焕纪念园、可园、东莞饮食风俗博物馆等景点。

Add: Xiabafang, Batou Community, Wanjiang District, Dongguan 东莞市万江区坝头社区下坝坊

Transportation: Take the Intercity Bus No. 28 from Fuyong Bus Station to Dongguan Terminal, then take Bus No. 29 to Batou Village Committee and walk around 150 meters to reach the destination.