The "Museum of Ancient Architecture" by Mountains and Rivers (Entering Traditional Villages)

Tech 2023-11-04 08:14:32 Source: Network

Photographed by Xie Youchang (People's Vision)Figure 2: Tourists are studying and visiting the academy in Bailu Ancient Village.Photographed by our reporter Zhang WujunLuohua PaintingShot by Xiao Zhuyuan (People's Vision)Photographed by our reporter Zhang WujunOn the banks of Luxi River, in front of Yuping Mountain, there is a crescent shaped ancient village nestled by mountains and waters

Photographed by Xie Youchang (People's Vision)

Figure 2: Tourists are studying and visiting the academy in Bailu Ancient Village.

Photographed by our reporter Zhang Wujun

Luohua Painting

Shot by Xiao Zhuyuan (People's Vision)

Photographed by our reporter Zhang Wujun

On the banks of Luxi River, in front of Yuping Mountain, there is a crescent shaped ancient village nestled by mountains and waters. From a high altitude, the ancient village is like a white egret flapping its wings in a gentle breeze and rain, faintly visible - this is the White Egret Village in Ganxian District, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province.

Bailu Village was first built during the Southern Song Dynasty, with over 200 intact Hakka ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a famous historical and cultural village in China. These buildings are mostly based on the Hakka philosophy combined with the Gan style, with a magnificent momentum. There are countless and diverse flower windows, wood carvings, stone carvings, colored paintings, etc. They are both ancient and heavy, and beautiful and generous, known as the "Museum of Ancient Architecture". In 2012, Bailu Village was included in the first batch of traditional Chinese village lists.

The simple and hospitable Hakka people still live in the village to this day: the ancestral hall with its open door, the mellow and leisurely tea, the fragrant fried fish sticks, and a few casually humming Donghe Opera tunes. The ancient village's smoke and fire have been flowing through the time and have been thriving for hundreds of years.

The Luxi River has a long history

The history of the village should start with the ancient ancestral hall Shichang Hall in the village. The Shichang Hall, originally built during the Southern Song Dynasty, is located in the center of Bailu Village, covering an area of approximately 400 square meters and featuring a double eave structure. The large plaque at the front of the main gate of the ancestral hall reads "Shichang Hall" horizontally, while the large plaque at the middle gate reads "Zhong Clan Ancestral Hall" with gilded characters.

The Shichang Hall was built by later generations in memory of their ancestor Zhong Yu, and has undergone multiple renovations and expansions over the centuries. The ancient eaves have touched the wind of the Song and Yuan dynasties, bathed in the rain of the Ming and Qing dynasties. When people reach out to touch the walls, it seems like they can feel the breath of history.

The construction of ancestral halls and ancient houses in the village has spanned hundreds of years, silently telling the story of the family culture and traditions that have continued to this day in the ancient village of egrets.

Wenqingtang is a famous residential building built during the Ming Dynasty in the village. The large plaque hanging on the gate reads "Gathering Sangzi", meaning that only those who have left the egret ancient village can return to the village for development and construction.

The life experiences of the villagers' "leaving" and "returning" also witness the unique local commercial culture. Ganjiang River has been an important hub of China's waterway transportation since ancient times. Especially with the opening of the ancient Meiling (Dayu Ridge) road in the Tang Dynasty, the golden waterway trade channel of Canal Yangtze River Ganjiang the Pearl River was opened, and Jiangxi ushered in the grand scene of "natural treasures" and "outstanding people".

After the Ming Dynasty, the egrets took advantage of the direct connection between the Luxi River and the Gan River to transport goods such as bamboo, wood, tea oil, and tung oil from the surrounding areas to other places for sale through the Luxi River. They also brought in production materials and daily necessities such as cloth and kerosene from outside, creating the Luxi River as a golden waterway for business.

In addition, there is also a strong trend of farming and reading in the village. At the entrance of Bailu Village, there is a Shuzhen Hall built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. In the center of the hall, there is a couplet hanging: "It is advisable to pay attention to both the reading of books and the cultivation of fields, and to pay attention to both ends of the hall with words and instructions. This couplet teaches future generations that whether they are studying, farming, politics, or business in the future, they must do their best to achieve success.

From the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty to the Guangxu period, the egrets competed to build schools and built 11 private schools in one go. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, a total of 568 scholars, 17 jurors, and 2 jinshi were admitted to Bailu Village.

The traditional buildings in Bailu Village are like amber, which freeze the thousand years. These buildings not only have Gan style characteristics such as the fire sealing horse head wall and the four water returning hall, but also have Hakka elements such as cornices and carved beams and painted rafters, which witness the history of unity, humility and harmonious coexistence in Bailu Village.

Integrating the Past and Bringing the Present to Celebrate Literature through Travel

An autumn rain nourishes all things, and the ancient alleys have a unique charm amidst the misty rain. The water vapor in Yuping Mountain is dense, as if it were bright or dark, and a simple Jiangnan ink painting slowly unfolds in front of the tourists traveling between. Deep into the deep streets and alleys of the ancient village, ancient houses crisscross, filled with magnificent gatehouses, exquisite flower windows, wood carvings, and colorful paintings.

Walking to the temple of Lady Wang in the deep village, there was a square table under the tall gate tower. A 3-year-old girl was wearing a towering braid and had big eyes open. Her mother was humming a local nursery rhyme on the side. The ancient temple still houses a family of four villagers.

Unlike many villages that underwent unified planning and renovation in the later stages, most of the ancestral halls in Bailu Ancient Village still reside with villagers, and their daily lives have become a special scenery in the ancient village.

Most of the ancient buildings in Bailu Ancient Village are well preserved. In terms of ancient building repair, Bailu Village adopts the method of transferring one building to another, repairing the old as before, and preserving the unique style of traditional architecture. As of now, a total of 13 ancestral halls have been transferred, and 5 ancient buildings have been repaired. "Xie Yunlong, Deputy Secretary of Bailu Township Party Committee, introduced.

Building ancient bridges, river channels, protecting mountains and forests, and building folk squares, Bailu Village utilizes project funds to protect and improve the surrounding environment. At the same time, focusing on the integration of the style of Weizhen and ancient villages, it promotes the renovation of more than 200 houses in Weizhen and ancient villages, and the surrounding area of the ancient village takes on a new look.

In front of the antique Xingfu Hall, several villagers sat on the steps chatting, chatting about the great changes in the ancient village. Many ancestral halls and alleys had electricity and lights on, and there were more leisure places for everyone.

As of now, Ganxian District has invested over 100 million yuan in the renovation of ancient villages, the renovation of Luxi River, and the construction of parking lots. Bailu Village receives about 150000 tourists a year and more than 50 research teams, "said Xie Yunlong.

Entering the alleys of the ancient village, several experts were standing on a few meter high ladder with magnifying glasses to study the eaves, stone carvings, and colored paintings of the gatehouse. In the distance, some tourists were also discussing the different shapes of drum stones in front of the residential buildings. We not only need to protect these ancient buildings, but also excavate the cultural history and folk culture of the village, such as ancient temples and houses, and tell the story of Bailu Village well, "said Wang Yan, the narrator of Bailu Ancient Village.

At present, the development of ancient villages faces some difficulties, such as talent shortage, extensive product levels, and incomplete tourism supporting industry system. "Luo Benchang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Bailu Township in Ganxian District, said that there is an urgent need to solve the problems of the depletion of the original water system in the ancient village, as well as the transformation of communication, electricity, and sewage pipe networks.

The development of ancient villages relies on their people. There are still villagers living in the ancient village, and we have helped the people better understand the protection and development prospects of the village through forms such as rural cadres' symposiums, rural night talk household heads' meetings, and mass representative special meetings, forming a joint effort to promote construction.

We are planning to create a 'Hakka Day' experiential tourism project, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in visiting the ancient village. Wang Yan introduced that tourists can come to the ancient village to have a meal of Hakka cuisine, wear a set of Hakka costumes, drink a bowl of Hakka tea, watch Donghe Opera, listen to a Hakka story, stay at a Hakka homestay, learn a Hakka craft, and appreciate Hakka customs. At the same time, Bailu Village also encourages the masses to participate in cultural tourism, taking the first step and welcoming guests from all directions with a smile.

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