Huangjueshu Village

Huangjueshu Village

Huangjueshu Village in Qingmu Town is located in the northeastern part of Qingmu Town, Siyang District, about 5 kilometers from Qingmu Town. The village has a forest coverage rate of 68%, covering an area of 23.5 mu, with 62 households and 268 residents. A cement road runs through the village, and it has access to running water, fiber-optic digital TV, as well as local access to schools, medical care, shopping, and grain sales.

Since ancient times, Huangjueshu Archway Market has been a key stop along the route from Bazhong through Enyang to Yuxi, then to Cangxi and Langzhong. The ancient post road passed right through it, serving as a resting and cooling spot for traveling merchants. The village is backed by mountains to the north and south, and flanked by valleys on the east and west, combining advantages in security and transportation. In ancient times, people built residences, shops, and government buildings along both sides of the post road (Archway Street), adapting to the mountainous terrain. During the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Chastity Archway was constructed. This archway, 7 meters long and 6 meters high, is situated right in the center of Archway Street. The Huangjueshu tree on the western side of Archway Street is said to be over a thousand years old, with a trunk diameter of 2.5 meters, a crown height of around 8 meters, and a coverage area of approximately 80 square meters. It has been designated a “National Tree.” The Li Family Ancestral Hall was built during the Daoguang era, located in the middle of the western side of Archway Street, covering an area of about 80 square meters. Its inscriptions and stone carvings are well preserved. A pair of stone lions were damaged during the Cultural Revolution—their heads were destroyed, but the bodies and bases remain intact. The plank-wall houses (residences) were first built in the Daoguang period, constructed around the archway with earthen and wooden tiled structures. Most of them originally used raw wooden planks for walls and windows, giving them an antique charm. About 60% of these houses still retain their original appearance. A stone-slab ancient street was built during the Daoguang era, 8 meters wide and more than 180 meters long, paved entirely with uniformly sized stone slabs, and it remains well preserved to this day. Temples such as Sanqing Temple and Guanyin Temple were also built in the Daoguang reign and were damaged during the Cultural Revolution, but were later relocated by locals to the foot of the mountain. In the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936), the Archway Bao Office (now the site of the village committee) was constructed, featuring an auditorium that could accommodate over 1,000 people, which remains in relatively good condition. In 1978, the Qingpai Highway was built, followed by roads from Qingmu to Shangbamiao and Qingmu to Heping in the 1980s, and in 2007, the road from Huabao Village to Archway Market was completed. Since then, Archway Market has been fully connected to Qingmu, Enyang, Shangbamiao, and Heping, and it has now become an important transportation hub.

The Origin of the Huangjueshu Tree at the Village Entrance

Legend has it that the tree was planted by Li Tongguang, a locally renowned filial son. Originally surnamed Tian, Li lost his parents at a young age and wandered from place to place. When he collapsed from exhaustion while wandering along the post road and reached this area, he was on the verge of death when he was discovered by an elderly farmer named Li who was working in the fields. The old man carried him back home. Thanks to the attentive care of the elderly couple, the young Tian recovered fully. After learning of his background, Old Man Li adopted him as his son and gave him the name Li Tongguang. Later, in order to repay his foster father’s kindness, Li Tongguang planted a Huangjueshu tree beside the post road. As if touched by heaven, the tree grew into a towering giant overnight, providing shade for the once barren ridge. Travelers and merchants passing along the road could rest and cool off under its branches. Afterwards, the locals named the place Huangjueya (Huangjue Fork) after the tree, and built various types of homes around it, gradually forming a market.

Highlighting the Value of Antiques

The village’s opera stage was built in 1892 under the supervision of the renowned local scholar Xie Zhihan. Covering an area of about 500 square meters, it is supported by 10 round mulberry wood pillars, each with a diameter of about 1 meter. The front section serves as the stage, with a solid wood floor, and its edge is carved with wood-relief patterns of the “Twelve Zodiac Animals.” The left and right sides are adorned with carved floral railings. The backstage area includes dressing rooms, makeup rooms, and prop storage. The entire stage, both front and back sections as well as the sides, is constructed entirely of wooden walls, without the use of any metal or iron components.

In 2012, the first round of evaluations and recognitions for China's Traditional Villages was conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Culture, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Finance, and the Expert Committee on the Protection and Development of Traditional Villages. A list of 648 villages was designated as the First Batch of China's Traditional Villages, and Huangjueshu Village in Qingmu Town, Enyang District, Bazhong City, was included.