Abstract: In the process of rapid development of industrial civilization, the conservation of ancient villages in China has encountered great challenges. Through a combination of field visits, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires, we empirically analyze the dilemmas of the protection and development of ancient villages in China, such as insufficient legal supply, management failure, planning and design failure, and lack of investment guarantee. Based on this, in the future protection and development of ancient villages, ancient village protection strategies such as strengthening legislation, improving management, coordinating planning and design, and improving investment mechanisms should be adopted.