The unsolved mystery of Ding Wuling, China’s mosquito-free village

Surrounded by lush vegetation and dotted with ponds and pools of water, the Chinese village of Ding Wuling should be a paradise for mosquitoes, especially during the summertime. However, the tiny annoying bloodsuckers allegedly haven’t been seen here in almost a century…

Located in the hills of China’s Fujian province, 700 meters above sea level, the village of Ding Wuling is home to the hakka minority, a people with a very rich history and culture evidenced by the unique architecture of their stone houses.
But in recent years, culture, history and architecture of this picturesque village have been overshadowed by a mystery enhanced by national media – the absence of mosquitoes. Despite being virtually covered by a lush canopy and surrounded by vegetation, the village has reportedly been mosquito-free for several decades.

It’s unclear whether scientists ever carried out an investigation to get to the bottom of this curious mystery, but most of the locals believe it has something to do with the toad-shaped stone some of them worship outside the village. They believe that it is this representation of the “God Toad” keeping the mosquitoes at bay.
Another popular explanation is tied to the locals’ habit of collecting garbage and burying it on the hillside near the village, which some believe helps keep Ding Wuling mosquito free.

In 2016, when Chinese newspaper People’s Daily originally reported the mystery of this mosquito-free village, locals said that they were hoping that experts could soon provide a definitive answer to the mystery that had put Ding Wuling on the tourist map.
Unfortunately, the mystery is still unsolved.