In the village, schools were allocated designated fields for growing crops so that elementary and secondary education was entirely free. Senior primary graduates might even have the right to farm on the school's farmland or collect the land tax. The present-day Guodong Elementary School today actually originates from the old family school "The How ling Bamboo Academy" founded by Uncle Jingshan, the eighth ancestor of the village more than four centuries ago. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, 114 students from the village passed the imperial examination s at the county level and another more than 100 went to learn in the highest royal academy. Because education was free here, it became a fashion for local families, rich or poor, to send their children to study. In addition to academic learning, people in Guodong also advocated martial arts. Among 114 students who passed the imperial examinations, 35 passed the examinations for martial arts.

Guodong village is noted for its combination of natural sceneries and artificial landscapes. The appropriate locations of all the towers, bridges, pavilions, and temple s match greatly with the high hills, waters, villages, and ancient trees.

The following are the eight most famous ancient architectures.

Tower on Ao Peak (huge turtle hill): This is a three-storey tower first built in 1778, which gets its name because it is on a hill with the shape of a huge turtle. The letters on the stone plaque set at the bottom of the tower were written by Mr. He Yuanqi, an elite of the village.

The Water Pass: It is a five-meter-high ancient wall made of cobblestones, stretching from west to east and standing at the entrance of the village. Inside the wall stand some 80 old trees planted during the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty . Villagers all entered and exited the village through the gate of this ancient wall until 60 years ago. Visitors would know they arrive at Guodong as they see the couplet on the gate.

Bridge of Returned Dragon: It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty with the original name of "Stone Rainbow". The current bridge was rebuilt in the 60th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and remains intact today. The bridge has a single arch with the central part higher than the two ends. A small pavilion supported by four pillars stands in the center of the bridge and the cream flow through the bottom of the bridge. In 1988 the bridge was designated as a heritage site under the county-level protection.

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