Banliang Village was founded during the Ming dynasty and that it is 600 years old. Most houses in the village have been surveyed: a small plaque nailed on the courtyard door gives information like the name 

Going inside the houses: 
Many houses are marked with the character ‘di’ 第, a sign that during the Ming and Qing dynasties they were the homes of candidates to the imperial examination or of local government officials. Locals will welcome you for a visit. It’s only inside that one realizes the treasures hidden in these houses articulated around a sky well. The patterns of the window covers and the wood and stone carvings that inside were a real treat of this rural exploration.

Fans of rural exploration (rures), Chinese history, semi-abandoned village, off-the-beaten path destinations and photography (like me) will definitely find the village very appealing. With the high-speed train being so close to the village, it’s relatively easy to organize a day trip from Changsha or Guangzhou.
State of semi-abandonment
According to a lady I struck conversation with during my exploration of Banliang said there are roughly 300 houses and that only 2000 people in the village. While some of them are still meticulously kept by their owners, others have been abandoned a long time ago. Their owners left the hardship of farmer’s life behind to go and work to the city, either in Changsha or in Guangzhou. They also left behind historical houses which wooden structures is slowly decaying with the humidity and crumbling away.

How to get there ?

From Chenzhou high speed rail station, you can either take a bus to Chenzhou bus station (郴州汽车站)  where you switch to a local bus heading towards Matian Township (马田镇), 30 to 40 km north. In Matian, you will have to hire a mini-van or motorcycle to drive you the village as there is no public transportation.
There are frequent high speed trains that runs between Changsha and Chenzhou or between Guangzhou South – Shaoguan and Chenzhou (almost every 15 to 20 min).