Local-style architecture in Daitou Village

Local-style architecture in Daitou Village

The local-style architecture in Daitou Village is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The local-style architecture in Daitou Village is located in Daruoyan Town, Yongjia County, dating back to the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era.

The ancient Daitou Village is located in Daruoyan Town, Yongjia County. Historically known as Daichuan, it was first built during the Zhizheng reign of Emperor Shundi of the Yuan Dynasty (1335–1340), and has a history of over 700 years. The village lies within the Daruoyan scenic area of the Nanxi River Scenic Zone, adjacent to the Yaxiaku attraction. It faces south and is surrounded by mountains on three sides, offering picturesque surroundings. The Yong (jia)–Xu (yun) Highway passes through nearby Xiaoruokou and Jiufang villages outside the village.

The ancient Daitou Village is built along the contours of the mountain. Behind the village lies the Wolonggang hill, while in front lie terraced fields, the Jade Belt Stream, stone embankments, and Bijia Mountain. To the west are the steep cliffs and jagged peaks of Yaxiaku, and to the east, the serene caves of Xiaoruoyan.

The village boasts numerous ancient houses and buildings. Just among ancestral halls alone, there are several including Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Chen Ci Da Zong), Jicui Shrine, Xialing Ancestral Hall, Qixiu Ancestral Hall, Baopu Ancestral Hall, and Guangyu Ancestral Hall, forming a unique ancestral hall culture. There is also the Lü Family Ancestral Temple from the Ming Dynasty, locally referred to as the Earth God Temple. The village features an abundant water culture, with ditches and canals serving functions such as water diversion, storage, and flood discharge, forming a networked water system. There are many ancient wells and ponds: ponds include Moze Pond, Fang Kai Yi Jian, Guangqian Ancestral Pond, Guangyu Ancestral Pond, and Pebble Checkered Pond. There are five ancient wells in the village: the Gualiao Well under Wolonggang, shaped like a gourd ladle and built from uncut stones, with sweet spring water; the Qu Lu Ancient Well; and four wells in residential homes. Moze Shengxiang, the largest pond in the village, has a perimeter of over 600 meters, providing convenience for villagers’ washing and watering livestock, as well as fire prevention. It also symbolizes the village's cultural richness and scholarly aspirations, expressing hopes that descendants of the Chen family will become scholars and bring honor to the clan. In front of the “Pine, Wind, Moon, and Water” gate, there is a rectangular pond called Fang Kai Yi Jian, which reflects the majestic peaks and green cliffs of Yaxiaku in the water—now visible, now hidden—creating an exceptionally beautiful scene. These numerous ancient ponds help regulate the microclimate of the village, contributing to environmental sustainability.

The ancient Daitou Village contains many traditional residences and public constructions, forming an architectural complex. This complex has been designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Zhejiang Provincial Government. It includes ancient dwellings such as those of Chen Xianzheng, Chen Qingdi, and Chen Zengfu—all featuring blue tiles, stone or brick walls, and two-story wooden structures. Public buildings include the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Lu Ban Temple, and Sifen Xiangtang, all humble yet elegant wooden structures with tiled roofs and stone or brick walls.

The gates of the ancient buildings in Daitou Village are particularly distinctive. There are 17 ancient gate towers worthy of preservation, eight of which are included in the provincial-level cultural relics protection architectural complex, while the remaining nine are separate. The stone walls connecting these gates span a total of 1,964 meters. These gate towers were built across different historical periods, including the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as the Republican era, each featuring unique designs. Most have single-curved roofs, but some feature double layers, brick carvings, dragon-head-shaped roof ridges, or Western-style brick gates. Examining the diverse forms of these gate towers reveals how Daitou Village’s architecture absorbed and integrated styles from various periods and regions. It also reflects the evolution of traditional Chinese rural architecture. Among the most unique is the “Pine, Wind, Moon, and Water” gate tower, which has walls on all four sides. One gate opens to the west with two doors, and another to the south with two more. The western gate connects directly to a stone path via three steps, making it convenient for neighbors. However, the southern gate opens to a large pond, preventing passage on foot. Some speculate that in the old days, wealthy families would leave all gates open during the day for easy neighborly interaction, but lock them securely at night. Should honored guests arrive, the southern gate would be opened, and the homeowner would lower a drawbridge from upstairs, allowing guests to cross the pond and enter through the southern gate. While speculative, this tale may hold some truth.

The ancient Daitou Village is quite distinctive in structure, representing a comprehensive model of an ancient village. It is a traditional settlement of the Chen clan in the Nanxi River Basin and maintains the social structure of a clan-based settlement. The village follows and preserves the clan genealogy system, integrating it with modern rural management to form a clan-village model. Traditional customs with clan characteristics continue, such as folk festival celebrations, forest conservation agreements, and theatrical performances during important holidays. The village retains a full array of functional architecture typical of traditional clan settlements—such as the ancestral hall (Da Zong), smaller ancestral shrine (Xiang Tang), temples, and schools—in remarkably intact condition. Professor Chen Zhihua of Tsinghua University's Architecture Department visited Daitou seven times. In his book *Ancient Villages Along the Middle Reaches of the Nanxi River*, he wrote: “The cultural significance of the village’s architecture, its layout, style, and feng shui are truly unique in the world!” On the ninth day of the seventh lunar month, the village invites opera troupes to perform ancestral worship operas. The community prepares offerings such as pigs, sheep, and chickens, and villagers conduct grand ancestral ceremonies. This beautiful rural tradition has even been captured by China Central Television.

Today, Daitou Village is recognized as a Chinese Landscape Village, National Eco-Village, and Zhejiang Provincial Green Demonstration Village.

On January 7, 2011, it was announced as part of the Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units