Zhongxie Ancient Village

Zhongxie Ancient Village

Zhongxie Village is located in Che Tou, Jidong Town, Shaoxing County, over thirty kilometers from the city center. It lies to the north of Dalong Mountain and to the south of the Shun River.

Zhongxie Ancient Village preserves a considerable number of residences, ancestral halls, guildhalls, post stations, ancient wells, and lanes that are rich in the distinctive style of mountain villages in Shaoxing. With profound cultural heritage, it is a typical representative of ancient mountain villages in the Jiangnan region, boasting high historical, scientific, cultural value, and exhibition potential.

The Yongxing Ancestral Hall was first built in the 9th year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (793 AD) to commemorate Yu Shinan, a great calligrapher and poet of the Tang Dynasty, who was honored as one of the “Five Perfections” by Emperor Taizong. The Yongxing Ancestral Hall is situated at the southern foot of Dalong Mountain in Zhongxie, covering a construction area of 1,045 square meters. The hall has two courtyards, with the main hall housing a statue of the Yongxing King and the rear hall featuring statues such as the Tathagata Buddha. There are 28 side rooms in both the front and rear halls.

The Yu Family Ancestral Hall, also known as Mingde Hall, was first built in the Gengchen year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1760), and has a history of over 250 years. It covers a construction area of 560 square meters. In front of the ancestral hall stand two flagpole stone slabs inscribed with “Wen Kui” (Literary Excellence) and “En Ke” (Imperial Examination Honor). The hall is divided into two courtyards, with the front courtyard featuring a three-meter-high wooden fence along the corridor, which connects to the upper floor and the side rooms on both sides. The rear courtyard houses a main hall over seven meters high.

The Zhongxie Ancient Stage is located within the Yu Family Ancestral Hall and was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. It is square-shaped, covering an area of over 30 square meters. The stage roof features a coiled-ridge caisson ceiling, with a circular Bagua (Eight Trigrams) design at the center, where a lamp hook is placed. The four diagonal corners of the caisson are adorned with shallow carvings of “Clouds and Cranes Holding Auspicious Herbs,” while the outer square corners are fitted with round longevity melon pillars. The stage has a decorative screen with a spread-winged design, and the couplets on the two side pillars of the backstage read: “The dancing rainbow is graceful, making the moon shine even brighter” and “The singing lingers, causing the clouds to linger as well,” with the horizontal inscription “Residual Charm of Guanghan.”

The Bayelao Courtyard Gate, originally called the Xiaxinwu Courtyard Gate, is located on the eastern side of the ancient village, covering an area of 2,619 square meters. It was built in the 35th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1770) and was primarily constructed by You Changgong, a Guoxue student, honorary Advisor to the Court, later promoted to Duke of Glory and Rank 2 official, along with his sister-in-law. The courtyard gate has three courtyards in total, with a large inner courtyard, and two “En Ke” flagpole stone slabs standing on both sides of the gate entrance, along with side rooms on the east and west sides.

Over the long course of labor and life, the villagers of Zhongxie have created a unique and diverse range of intangible cultural heritage, such as tea-making techniques, sweet white wine brewing, and fermented tofu production. They have also preserved traditional culture such as the Yu the Great worship, ancestor worship, and the Zhongxie Temple Fair. Visiting Zhongxie Village, one can experience a strong sense of clan culture, ancient architectural culture, and the culture of the mountainous areas of Shaoxing.