Tao Village in Taoxi Town

Tao Village in Taoxi Town

Tao Village is about 30 kilometers from the county seat of Wuyi. Nestled among five mountains, the village boasts a scenic layout known as "Five Dragons Vying for a Pearl." The southern and northern peaks of Taoriver Mountain stand opposite each other, while West Mountain and East Mountain complement one another, and to the east, Tianlonggang and Jinggong Rock shine in harmony.

It is a large village comprising 29 natural villages, with over 1,600 households and nearly 4,000 residents. The majority of villagers bear the surname Tao, followed by Zheng, Wang, and other surnames, totaling 53 family names in the village. The Taos in Taoxi are divided into East Tao and West Tao. East Tao refers to residents in areas such as Jielu and Shangxia Fanxin, while West Tao refers to the Taos in Xishanxia Village. Their common ancestor is Tao Yuanming, and they all originally came from Jinyun County, though they migrated at different times.

According to local villagers, the people of Tao Village have traditionally valued farming and weaving as the foundation for family prosperity and clan development. They have placed great importance on culture and education throughout the dynasties, producing nearly a hundred successful candidates in the imperial examinations—including jinshi, gongsheng, linsheng, and xiangsheng—during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The village is home to numerous ancient Ming and Qing architectural complexes, mainly distributed in Xishanxia, Houshanjiao, Jielu, and Xiafanxin, totaling 61 structures with a construction area of over 32,000 square meters (excluding more than 20,000 square meters of buildings from the Republican era). Architectural styles vary by period, and the wood carvings, stone carvings, and brick carvings are simple yet elegant, with vividly depicted figures. There are seven ancestral halls in Tao Village, and the “ancestral hall culture” is quite rare among villages in the county. All seven ancestral halls feature a traditional siheyuan (courtyard) layout, with a central courtyard and a stage that connects to and faces away from the front hall’s rear eaves. The brackets under the eaves are exquisitely crafted, and the upturned roof corners are gracefully shaped. The horse-head walls are sealed with specially made bricks featuring mortise-and-tenon joints, and the wall paintings beneath the eaves depict orchids and historical figures. The central bay of the rear hall uses a through-tenon beam structure, with most columns being square stone pillars with rounded corners. The front eaves of the front hall’s rear section, the rear hall, and the corridors are commonly adorned with brackets supporting the overhanging eaves.

Yanfu Temple is located on Fuping Mountain in Tao Village. Originally built in 937 by the monk Zongyi, it was initially named Futian Temple and was granted the name “Yanfu Temple” during the Shaoxi era of the Song Dynasty. It has been designated as a key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. The temple is renowned for its ancient architecture, which has been well-preserved and showcases the artistic style of the Yuan Dynasty. The time-honored and exquisite architectural artistry of Yanfu Temple, along with its fascinating legends, attract batches of domestic and international experts and tourists for appreciation and research.

Source: Jinhua Government Website

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