Qiaotou Town Zoumalou

Qiaotou Town Zoumalou

The Ninety-Nine Rooms Zoumalou in Xiaoxiaotou Village, Qiaotou Town, was built in the mid-Qing Dynasty. This large, deep-compound mansion was originally a grand residence of the Yu family, featuring five sections: the gate tower, main hall, central hall, Yiyan Hall, and rear section. The gate tower has collapsed, and the main hall and central hall are no longer extant, but Yiyan Hall and the rear section remain well-preserved. Aside from the gate tower, the other sections all consist of four bays. Between the central hall and Yiyan Hall, there is a partition wall with a brick-carved watchtower on top, inscribed on the front with “Lu Sui Yuan Ji” (Steps to Auspicious Peace) and on the back with “E Hua Ning Rui” (Magnolia Blooms Bringing Auspiciousness), both rendered in brick carving. The upper part of the partition wall features painted patterns that are still clearly visible. Yiyan Hall is the most artistically refined section of the entire building, not only adorned with exquisitely carved floral and plant motifs on the beams, but also featuring five bats of varying sizes, vividly crafted, on the inner side panels of the doors. The waist boards also display shallow-relief antique paintings. These carvings provide valuable clues for dating the building.

According to local elders, the first owner of this house was a timber merchant. The timber yard was located to the southwest of the house, known as Shuxing Cao. In those days, whenever more than ten foreign ships moored on the river in front of the house, the owner would set up a stage and host theatrical performances, creating an extraordinarily lively scene. Later, a theater stage was even built in the northeast corner, but it reportedly disrupted the feng shui, causing an immensely wealthy family to vanish into decline almost overnight. Although this legend lacks scientific basis, the principle that business is as competitive as battle remains timeless. Though the Zoumalou is now two hundred years old, its majestic structure, interconnected corridor and pavilion layout, and exquisite carvings continue to hold both scientific and artistic value.

Xiaoxiaotou Village: Located in the center of Qiaotou Town, Xiaoxiaotou Village borders Wuxing Village to the east, the extension of Siming Mountain Range to the south, Shanglinhu Village to the west, and Tanheyan Village to the north. The village has 302 villager groups, a total of 1,969 households, and a population of 5,895. It currently has 1,880.5 mu of arable land, including 1,114 mu of paddy fields, 766.5 mu of dry land, and 2,068 mu of forested land (150 mu of Chinese fir, 196 mu of bayberry, and 1,722 mu of other types). Agricultural products mainly include rice, cotton, vegetables, melons, wheat, beans, and rapeseed. The industrial sector is relatively developed, focusing on the production of... More details about Xiaoxiaotou Village++