THE largest, oldest and best-preserved village of the Yao minority ethnic group, Nangang Thousand-year Yao Village in the city of Qingyuan, Guangdong Province was built on limestone hills, around 800 meters above sea level. Built over 1,000 years ago during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the village covers an area of 11 hectares with its well-arranged houses and intertwining flagstone roads. During its peak, the village consisted of over 700 houses, 1,000 households and 7,000 people.