Jiangcun Scenic Area

Jiangcun Scenic Area

Jiangcun Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Jiangcun was first built in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, boasting a history of over 1,300 years. Records show that in the early years of the Xianfeng era (1851), Jiangcun had a population of over 80,000 and was known as "Little Hangzhou." The village once had nine study houses, emphasizing “valuing poetry and books, diligent study, and inviting renowned teachers to educate the children.” During the Ming and Qing dynasties, members of the Jiang clan passed the imperial examinations to become jinshi (advanced scholars), civil and military juren (presented scholars), with 126 passing the Mingjing (Classical Literature) exams. In the first ten years after the founding of the Republic of China, 17 more earned doctorates and bachelor's degrees — an extremely rare achievement among ancient villages in China. In 1938, over 2,000 faculty and students from the Six-County United Middle School under Ningguo Prefecture relocated from Xuancheng to Jiangcun in Jingde. Over eight years, more than 8,000 students studied there, earning widespread renown both at home and abroad. The area’s rich cultural environment nurtured many distinguished figures: revolutionary martyr Jiang Shangqing (father of Chairman -); Qing dynasty physician Jiang Xishun, inventor of the human pox vaccination method; Qing dynasty Hanlin Academy editor and calligrapher Jiang Zhiyi; leader of the China Social Party Jiang Shaoquan; folklorist and co-founder of the literary journal Yusi, Jiang Shaoyuan; renowned mathematician Jiang Zehan; Hu Shi’s wife Jiang Dongxiu, and others — all proud sons and daughters of Jiangcun. Other notable figures include interim premier of the Republic of China Jiang Chaozong; Anhui provincial governor of the Republic of China Jiang Shaojie; and naval officer Jiang Zeshu, also from Jiangcun. The phrases “father and son jinshi” and “brothers as doctors” have been celebrated through generations.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Jiangcun flourished. At its peak, the village had up to eight ancestral halls, majestic and imposing; old street archways stood densely, standing firmly and proudly; the 24-skywell ancient residences were laid out rigorously and exuded grandeur; and the several dozen acres of Juxiu Lake gathered the beauty of the twin streams flowing down from Golden Turtle Mountain. After a thousand years of vicissitudes, the archways, old streets, ancestral halls, and residences in Jiangcun still retain their charm. The surrounding scenery — such as “Sunrise over Huang Peak,” “Verdant Tiandu,” “Sunny Snow on Zhuling,” “Lion Mountain in the Rain,” and “Evening Glow over Yang Ridge” — is picturesque and poetic. Every corner of the village tells a story, and every sight is like a piece of literature.

According to the Jiang clan genealogy, Bo Yi’s son Xuanzhong, who served as minister to Emperor Yu of the Xia dynasty, was enfeoffed by Yu’s son Qi in the State of Jiang, becoming the earliest ancestor of the Jiang clan. The 86th-generation descendant of Jiang Xuanzhong, the literary figure Jiang Yan, was a native of Kaocheng during the Liang dynasty of the Southern and Northern Dynasties and served as prefect of Xuancheng. Jiang Yan’s fifth-generation descendant, Jiang Shao, loved landscapes and was a renowned geomancer. After traveling extensively through Huangshan and Baiyue mountains, he discovered that the Golden Turtle Mountain in Jingde was rich, robust, and full of overwhelming momentum — a rare geomantic treasure. Thus, he moved his entire family to settle and establish the Jiangcun village at the foot of the mountain in western Jingde.

Jiangcun nestles against mountains and is encircled by water, with crisscrossing fields and spiritually uplifting landscapes. Towering peaks stand guard in front, while secluded valleys hide behind. Golden Turtle Mountain dominates the center, flanked at the entrance by Lion Mountain and Elephant Mountain. The village is surrounded by Dragon Creek and Phoenix Creek, which converge and lock at Juxiu Lake at the entrance. Around the lake are ancient temples, pagodas, poetic stone tablets, embankments, weeping willows, and lotus flowers, creating a picturesque scene. A poem reads: “Sunlight on ancient temples wafts purple mist, / Lion Mountain’s reflection gathers beauty in the lake. / Imperial grace remains vast to this day, / Lotus fragrance fills Jiangcun under night skies.” The accumulated legacy of Huizhou merchants and officials once earned Jiangcun the reputation of “Little Hangzhou.” Villagers once praised the water-mouth culture at the entrance and the poetic charm it embodied: “Golden Turtle relics remain from eight dynasties, / Village beauty rivals that of Hangzhou. / Three Pools Mirroring the Moon compare to Juxiu, / Wenchang Pagoda stands like Leifeng.”

Jiangcun suffered years of severe droughts, floods, and pestilence, compounded by raids from the remnants of the Taiping Rebellion. As a result, “nine out of ten homes were empty, survivors resorted to cannibalism, and the remaining population was less than one percent of the prosperity seen in the Jia and Dao eras.” Many villagers left their homes and wandered afar, with refugees mostly traveling down the Yangtze River from Wuhu, eventually settling in Nanjing and Yangzhou. The ancestors of Chairman - moved to Yangzhou during this time. The village once had nine ancestral halls, 18 archways, nine study houses, tens of thousands of volumes of books, and the Six-County United Middle School, which educated over 8,000 students during the war. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Jiangcun produced 18 jinshi (including four appointed as Hanlin Academy editors), 42 civil juren, six military juren, 40 Mingjing scholars, and four xuanju appointees. In the first ten years of the Republic of China, 18 individuals earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees. This is truly rare among ancient Chinese villages and far surpassed many other ancient villages in Huizhou.

The deep accumulation of historical culture nurtured many talents in Jiangcun. “Heroes are engraved in the family genealogies,” with key representatives including: Tang dynasty imperial censor Jiang Quanming; Ming dynasty prefectural judge of Shuntian Prefecture Jiang Zhongwen; Ming dynasty regional inspector of Huguang Jiang Tingji; Qing dynasty official Jiang Han, acting governor of Nanhua and canal intendant; Jiang Shuyun, Hanlin Academy editor with a second-rank official title; Jiang Linrui, cabinet scholar and vice-minister of the Ministry of Rites with a second-rank title; Jiang Shun, Qing dynasty medical expert and inventor of the human pox vaccination method; Jiang Zhiyi, Qing dynasty Hanlin Academy editor and calligrapher; Jiang Zeshu, naval officer who sacrificed for the nation during the Republic of China; Jiang Shaoyuan, founder of Yusi and folklorist; Jiang Chaozong, special mayor of Beijing and interim premier of the Republic of China; Jiang Kanghu, Anhui provincial governor of the Republic of China; Jiang Dongxiu, wife of Hu Shi and a giant in cultural education; Jiang Shangqing, revolutionary martyr (father of Chairman -); and Jiang Zehan, a towering figure in mathematics and renowned mathematician — all hailed from Jiangcun.