External trade of the town was developed via the shipping of local specialties such as lobster sauce and huangjing, a kind of herbal medicine, to Wuzhou, Guilin and some cities in nearby Guangdong Province, where merchants would buy raw materials and daily commodities and take them back to Huangyao. Lobster sauce and huangjing produced in the town used to be sold in Hong Kong and exported to some Southeast Asian countries. Today, many people in Huangyao still keep items that bear the trademarks or logos of the goods their ancestors dealt a long time ago.

Foreign trade greatly boosted the economic development of the small town. Many merchants from Guangdong Province went to Huangyao, hoping to get rich. They gradually settled down in the town and expanded their businesses. As the town's population increased, its economy boomed. After many generations, the town developed into what it is today.

Defensive architecture

To protect their wealth and deter robbers, wealthy business people in Huangyao usually built their houses with strong defenses. The front halls of most houses were converted into shops displaying the goods that they sold, while the backyards served as warehouses. Bedrooms were often on the second floor. For safety's sake, most shops lining the streets tended customers through shopping windows.

In addition, blockhouses and other types of watchtowers stood in the center and surrounding areas of the town. The watchtowers were generally two stories-the second floor was used for surveillance and the first floor served as a gate for people and vehicles to pass through.

Although the town has strong defensive features, the boundaries between houses are not very clear. Residents could easily enter their neighbors' houses through the backyard.

Simple life

As the town has been less affected by modernization, the life of people there has not changed much from its slow and simple pace. Visitors would see few people in the streets, only some staggering elders. The town only shows signs of life at dusk when people are busy cooking.

According to local guides, most of the young people in the town have moved to big cities to seek jobs while their parents and children stay behind.

The local people are very hospitable. Entering the town, visitors are likely to be invited by the residents there to have a rest in their houses and try some traditional delicacies, such as dried sweet potatoes. They often receive chili paste or lobster sauce as gifts, which may leave them a permanent memory of this remote town.