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The secret symbolism of Huizhou horse-head gables

Travel 16:40, 02-Nov-2026

CGTN

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Hongcun Village, Anhui Province, China, Oct, 2026. /CGTN

The mythical fish-dragon symbolizes fire suppression as well as outstanding achievement. It mostly appears as a brick or ceramic adornment on ancestral halls and gate towers.

The shape of a magpie’s tail, fashioned from curved brick, stands for good fortune. It is widely used on residential buildings.

Auspicious messages are carved into this stately square adornment. These are found on the mansions of wealthy merchant families, conveying the owners’ wish for their offspring’s academic success.

Modelled on the tablets held by officials at court, this decoration is tall and slender, symbolizing lofty ambition and the prospect of promotion to high office. You’ll find it on the largest of mansions.

The winding alleyways buzz with activity in Hongcun, an ancient village in the mountainous Huizhou region of eastern China’s Anhui province, as visitors from near and far admire the iconic horse-head gables of the region’s architecture.

Aside from their imposing grandeur, these stepped walls serve to separate one home from the next, preventing the spread of fire, a threat that has plagued the region’s densely-packed village since ancient times.

The name comes from the upturned end of each ridge, resembling the head of a prancing horse.

Looking more closely, you start to spot differently shaped adornments, evoking the hopes and wishes of residents. These symbols, and the blessings encoded within, form a distinctive architectural mark of the Huizhou region.