富接江南、文风昌盛和秀丽山水是明清时期徽州地理环境的主要内涵,创造了灿烂的徽州文化。古村落是历史上徽州人生产生活的中心之一,是徽州文化的主要载体。聚族而居、宛如城廓的村落以及村落中众多高大的祠堂、牌坊形成直观可视的文化景观,极大地渲染了古时徽州的宗法观念和宗法制度。文风犹存的书香村落拥有大量的书院、私塾等文化建筑,淡雅明快的居民等建筑大多饰以典雅工丽、寓意深刻的雕刻和楹联,体现了浓厚的文化氛围。园林化是徽州古村落人居环境的主要特征之一,园林化村落拥有的水口园林、书院园林和宅院园林等多种园林烘托了徽州古村落的园林情调。

Surrounded by continuous unbroken mountains, Huizhou, which abounds in bright mountains and limpid waters, is an important settlement for people migrated from the northern China for 3times in Chinese history, as well as the hometown for Cheng-Zhu Idealist Philosophy and Hui Merchants. The geographical environment of the Ming and Qing dynasties in Huizhu boasted beautiful mountains and rivers and flourishing style of writing, and thus, had created glorious regional culture of Huizhou characteristics. As one of the center of agricultural production and living place for Hui people, ancient villages are the major carrier of Hui Culture. Inhabitants of the same clan, city-like villages and the many high-rise ancestral halls and archways scattering in the villages, together form the directly perceived cultural landscape, exaggerating greatly the patriarchal clan concept and system in ancient Huizhou. Rich cultural atmosphere are reflected in such educational architecture as academy schools and old-style tutorial schools scattered in ancient villages as well as local people's residential architecture decorated with elegant and meaningful carvings and antithetical couplets. Gardening is a major feature of the residential environment in Huizhou villages. Shuikou garden, academy school garden and residence garden, the various kinds of gardens together set off more gardening atmosphere to Huizhou ancient villages.