Daji Village

Daji Village

Daji Village is located in Songyuan Town, about 2.5 kilometers from the county town. The founding ancestors of the Wu family who settled here placed great emphasis on education and Confucian values throughout generations, nurturing a continuous emergence of talented individuals. As a result, this small village—historically home to fewer than 300 people—produced 26 successful imperial examination candidates (known as jinshi) from the Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, earning it the title "Village of Jinshi."

Numerous historical relics such as the Golden Street, ancient roads, ancient tunnels, Lu Fu Temple, Wu Family Ancestral Hall, wooden arched corridor bridges, and residential buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties have been preserved. It is designated as a provincial-level historical and cultural heritage protection area.

Bian Que Temple (also known as Lu Fu Temple): The current structure was built in the year 1341 during the Yuan Dynasty (Yuan Huizong, Zhiyuan Year of the Metal Snake), making it 660 years old.

Historical records indicate that Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty valued the development of medicine and was the first to posthumously confer the title “Shenying Hou” (Responsive Marquis) upon Bian Que, ordering the establishment of a temple in his honor. The grand full set of marquis ceremonial regalia can still be found in the Great Bian Que Temple. Wu ?b, a successful jinshi examination candidate from Daji who served as a “Dali Temple Pingshi” (judge of the Supreme Court), returned to his hometown after retirement and founded the “Bian Que Lu Yi Temple” to commemorate this legendary physician.

Ancient Tunnels: Distributed underground across approximately two square kilometers of the Daji village area, seven ancient tunnel entrances have been discovered, which is quite rare in southern China. These tunnels come in two types—some lead into certain houses, while others connect to the outskirts of the village. Internally, the tunnels form an interconnected network.

Dade Hall: Constructed by Wu Wenkui during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1870). According to records, Wu Wenkui was born posthumously and raised single-handedly by his mother, Madam Zhang. Despite a humble family background, he was kind-hearted, gentle in nature, often helped his neighbors, and earned a reputable status, living up to the name “Dade” (Virtue and Virtuous Conduct).

The entire residence is intricately carved with various patterns, floral designs, and inscriptions, embodying both traditional architectural style and distinctive characteristics of Jiangnan-style houses.

History: The Wu clan of Daji gradually became a distinguished and prestigious family throughout history, with a notable lineage:

Wu Huan, a jinshi of the Northern Song Dynasty, had a eldest daughter who was the mother of Li Gang, the prime minister of the time, and a eldest son, Wu Yanshen, who was Li Gang’s uncle. The uncle and nephew both passed the imperial examination in the same year, 1112 (the second year of the Zhenghe era).

Wen Tianxiang, the famous statesman and patriot of the Southern Song Dynasty, was the nephew and student of Wu Yuan, a descendant of the Daji Wu clan. As a result, Li Gang composed the epitaph for Wu Yanshen, and Wen Tianxiang wrote the preface for the Wu family genealogy.

Address: Daji Village, Qingyuan County, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province

Type: Historical Sites, Ancient Towns, Ancient Villages