Shangjiaoyang Earth Building

Shangjiaoyang Earth Building

The Shangjiaoyang Earth Building is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

The Shangjiaoyang Earth Building is located in Shangjiaoyang Village, Luoyang Town, Taishun County, and was built during the Taiping Rebellion in the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty.

The earth buildings in Taishun are not traditional local dwellings but a special type of civilian defensive housing constructed during a particular historical period. They are primarily found in the southern and southwestern parts of Taishun County, adjacent to Shouning County and Fuding City of Fujian Province.

The Shangjiaoyang Earth Building is the first earth building structure in Taishun, built during the Taiping Rebellion in the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty. In the summer of the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858), the Taiping rebel forces led by Shi Dakai captured Chuzhou (present-day Lishui) and occupied areas such as Yunhe and Jingning, approaching Taishun. This caused widespread panic among the local people, many of whom discussed relocating. To protect the family properties built over generations, the Zeng family of the village employed the architectural techniques of Fujian-style earth buildings to construct a square, corridor-style earth building. The interior of the building features a beam-frame structure, while the exterior is enclosed by thick earthen walls about 1 meter wide, with stone blocks lining the base. Protective trenches were dug on three sides, and a large water well was built in the central courtyard. The ground floor was designated for grain storage to stockpile food supplies. In the event of war, the entire clan could take shelter in the earth building. Thanks to its solid structure and ample food and water resources, it could withstand enemy attacks for a certain period. The Shangjiaoyang Earth Building is now well-preserved. This typical example of Hakka rural architecture in Taishun was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in May 2013.

Shangjiaoyang Village: General Overview

Shangjiaoyang Village in Luoyang Town is located in the eastern suburbs of the county town, about 2 kilometers from the county center. It lies along the key transportation route between Nanyuan and Luoyang Town, with fields crisscrossing the landscape. Historically known as “Jiaoyang,” the village is situated above the fields, hence the name “Shangjiaoyang Village.” The old Provincial Highway 58 runs through the village, providing convenient transportation. The village administers 10 villager groups, with a total resident population of 1,165 (registered population: 745) and 227 households. There are 34 party members in the village. The total area of the village is 4,456 mu, including 320 mu of arable land and 3,300 mu of forested land. The village hosts a national-level cultural heritage site—the earth building... More detailed information about Shangjiaoyang Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units