Huizhou merchants were the main builders of the Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui, which present the appearance of a native place of ancient merchants in a period of economic prosperity. The architectural styles and decorations reflect the ideas of Huizhou merchants.

Huizhou people believed that merchandising is the best means of livelihood. Restricted by the feudal hierarchy, Huizhou merchants were rich but were not of high social status. Brick, wood and stone carvings adorned their residences and allowed them to show off their wealth. The wealthiness of Huizhou merchants helped promote moral education based on Neo-Confucianism. The fact that ancestral halls are at the centres of the villages shows Huizhou people’s commitment to Confucian loyalty and filial piety. In terms of geomancy, the layouts and buildings of Xidi and Hongcun stress harmony between man and nature and respect for nature, and somewhat suggest Huizhou merchants’ pursuit of wealth and auspiciousness.