**Deep and quiet stone lanes

Counting from the north end of the Qing buildings, the first stone lane running between the residential houses is marked on the wall at the entrance "Lane 1 of the old village ". To the south, the lanes are numbered second, third, etc, and altogether, there are 11 such lanes. Each lane is about 80m wide, covered with stone slates about 3 meters long and 20 centimeters wide. Looking from east to west at the entrance, it seems like four stone slates, rather than stone lanes, are extending into the west.

**Vivid carvings in ancestral temples

The stone carvings under the eaves of Huang Aixian Ancestral Temple are a stunning sight. On each side of the girder which crosses the walls of the ancestral temple, there is a stone carving of kylin with a bright pearl in the mouth and a blooming glossy ganoderma on the head. The kylin and glossy ganoderma are an eye-catching combination. In other ancestral temples, pictures of nature, such as tigers, pine trees, cranes, suns and eagles can be found under the eaves, which are more exquisite in appearances and more demanding in technical skills, providing a glimpse into the advanced carving techniques and sculptural culture in Lingnan (south China).

There are seven ancestral temples altogether in Gualing Village. They are invariably decorated with wooden carvings. The color of which has deteriorated due to years of exposure to wind and sunshine. Quite a variety of colors were employed in the carvings, with the seven major colors, including red, yellow, green, purple, etc, applied to various pictures of nature, especially the wing-spreading swallows and the blooming silk cotton flowers.

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