huangmag

Huangmag is a village situated in the north‑western part of the Yan Mountains, within the administrative jurisdiction of Xichuan County in China. The name 'Huangmag' is derived from the local dialect, meaning 'Yellow Peaks'. The settlement lies at an altitude of approximately one thousand two hundred meters and is accessed by a single paved road that connects it to the county seat. The surrounding terrain is characterized by terraced fields and patches of pine forest that have long supported the local economy.

Archaeological investigations carried out in the 1990s revealed evidence of habitation dating back to the Eastern Han period, suggesting continuity of settlement for more than one thousand eight hundred years. The site contains several stone watchtowers, remnants of dry‑field agriculture, and pottery fragments that are typical of frontier communities during the Tang dynasty. Local folklore posits that the village was founded by the legendary warrior Huang Meigong, whose exploits are mentioned in the Xichuan annals of the early seventh century.

In contemporary times, Huangmag is primarily agrarian. The principal crops are barley, wheat, and a variety of medicinal herbs that are sold in the regional market. Livestock, especially yaks, are kept not only for meat but also for transport. The village hosts an annual Yellow Peak Festival, during which residents perform traditional music, dance, and pilgrimages to a stone shrine perched on the village headland. The population is roughly one thousand two hundred residents, predominantly of Hui ethnicity, with a small minority of Han Chinese who settled during the twentieth century.