Diaoyuan Ancient Village

Diaoyuan Ancient Village

Diaoyuan Ancient Village is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Located about ten kilometers west of Ji’an City in Jiangxi Province, Diaoyuan is an ancient village inhabited by descendants of Ouyang Xiu, a literary and political figure of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Approaching Diaoyuan is like viewing an enchanting painting of Ming and Qing dynasty scenery; being in Diaoyuan is like stepping through a time tunnel and immersing oneself in the social life of that era. Whether gazing from afar or up close, the verdant mountains, clear waters, long paths, short alleys, multi-eaved houses, and the mysterious wonders hidden within all inspire a refined interest in exploring the enduring charm and ancient elegance...

The Unique Layout of the "Taiji Bagua"

Diaoyuan Village consists of two natural villages: Weixi and Zhuangshan. It stretches from east to west, with Chang’an Ridge—shaped like the “S” curve dividing line of the Taoist Taiji diagram—acting as a natural barrier to the south of the village. The “Taiji” dividing line’s “sun” center zone, “shaoyin” position, and “taiyin” area respectively house Weixi and Zhuangshan.

The exquisitely beautiful Diaoyuan not only has a naturally formed “Taiji Diagram,” but also boasts a seemingly naturally occurring “Bagua Shape.” Zhuangshan Village, extending across the “taiyin” area, has Duimen Mountain lying horizontally to its north. More than ten ponds connected in a straight line along the east-high-west-low terrain run through the entire village, forming the traditional Bagua symbol “Li” (representing beauty and good fortune) with two mountains flanking one body of water. The layout of the ancient buildings in the village is also often designed according to Bagua principles.

The Unique Layout of the "Taiji Bagua"

Diaoyuan Village consists of two natural villages: Weixi and Zhuangshan. It stretches from east to west, with Chang’an Ridge—shaped like the “S” curve dividing line of the Taoist Taiji diagram—acting as a natural barrier to the south of the village. The “Taiji” dividing line’s “sun” center zone, “shaoyin” position, and “taiyin” area respectively house Weixi and Zhuangshan.

The exquisitely beautiful Diaoyuan not only has a naturally formed “Taiji Diagram,” but also boasts a seemingly naturally occurring “Bagua Shape.” Zhuangshan Village, extending across the “taiyin” area, has Duimen Mountain lying horizontally to its north. More than ten ponds connected in a straight line along the east-high-west-low terrain run through the entire village, forming the traditional Bagua symbol “Li” (representing beauty and good fortune) with two mountains flanking one body of water. The layout of the ancient buildings in the village is also often designed according to Bagua principles.

Unusual Carvings of Rats and Qilins with Profound Symbolism

To outsiders, the people of Diaoyuan may seem conventional, yet their ways of thinking often include surprisingly bold strokes. In a Ming dynasty-era ancient house, the lower part of the window lattice features gold-plated carvings of three lively rats leaping among auspicious flowers. Why would rats—usually considered repulsive—be depicted here in such a joyful and unrestrained manner? According to one expert, the Chinese character for “rat” (鼠) sounds like “promise” (许), and “many rats” implies “many promises.” In the Chinese zodiac, the rat is first and, by the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, represents “zi” (子), hence three rats symbolize “many sons.”

Similarly rich in meaning is a Ming dynasty bridal bed. At the center of the bed canopy is carved a qilin lying on its back, surrounded by auspicious floral designs. Why would a bridal bed feature a single qilin lying upside down? Even highly knowledgeable experts and scholars were puzzled. It was the veteran village chief of Zhuangshan, Ouyang Zhonglin, well-versed in local customs, who solved the mystery: the people of ancient Diaoyuan believed that qilins had no gender and became pregnant by drinking sweet dew and drawing celestial energy. Therefore, the qilin image on the bridal bed symbolizes receiving grace and nurturing a child.

A Western-Chinese Fusion Villa of Wonder

To the east of Zhuangshan Village, across a row of connected ponds and facing the “Diaoyuan Ouyang Clan Ancestral Hall,” lies a villa built during the Qing dynasty’s Qianlong era. Known as the “Ningguo Mansion” because its owner once served as the magistrate of Ningguo in Anhui, this estate has been identified by architecture experts as a Western-Chinese fusion-style villa that incorporates Western cultural elements. Within its rectangular compound spanning two acres, a two-story main building with a hip-and-gable roof stands at the rear, featuring a “front courtyard” that reverses the traditional Chinese residential layout of “front court, back yard.” Although the once-flower-filled courtyard has now fallen into disrepair, a seasonal osmanthus tree with a trunk about a foot in diameter still stands tall, occasionally wafting its fragrance.

Several-meter-long giant bluestone slabs serve as steps—an unmistakably Western touch. The building’s left, right, and front sides all have arcades. The “floor tiles,” made of glutinous rice mortar laid in a grid pattern on the floorboards, often make people think they are modern cement tiles. Standing on the “floor tiles” in the center of the building and looking up only deepens the mystery: above the coffered ceiling with spiral patterns, one can see from the side layers upon layers of stacked wooden beams resembling “wooden oxen and flowing horses.” These structures are not held together by a single nail or iron piece, nor do they follow any discernible structural logic.

Address: No. 1, Zhuangshan Village, Diaoyuan Village Committee, Xingqiao Town, Jizhou District, Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province

Tips

How to Get There: Take a flight or other transport to Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province. From People’s Square, take Bus No. 203 directly to the entrance of Diaoyuan Ancient Village.

What to Eat: Try local dishes such as Yongxin dog meat and Xiajiang rice noodles, as well as local green vegetables, melons and fruits, peanuts, etc.

What to Do: Visit the nearby Furon Taiwanese Garden to enjoy flowers, grass skiing, camping, barbecuing, and watch the Diaoyuan women’s dragon dance during major festivals.

Ticket Policy

1. Diaoyuan Ancient Village Admission Ticket: 40 RMB per person

2. Children aged 6 to 18 (inclusive), and full-time university undergraduates and below, enjoy a discounted price of 20 RMB per person upon presenting valid ID.

3. Active-duty military personnel (including retired and disabled veterans), journalists, tour guides, seniors over 70, children under 1.2 meters, nationally certified photographers, people with disabilities, and qualified travel agency managers holding general manager credentials may enter the scenic area free of charge upon presenting valid ID.

Diaoyuan Village: Diaoyuan is a thousand-year-old ancient village, listed in the first batch of China’s Traditional Villages, and has been rated successively as a National AAA-level Scenic Area, a Chinese Historical and Cultural Village, a Provincial Eco-Village, and a Jiangxi Province AAAA-level Rural Tourism Demonstration Site.

Diaoyuan Ancient Village is located at the foot of Jinggang Mountain in Jiangxi, 18 kilometers from downtown Ji’an. It is the settlement of descendants of Ouyang Xiu, a literary master and political figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, established by Ouyang Hong—Ouyang Xiu’s great-uncle and a Tang dynasty scholar. In the Southern Song dynasty, Ouyang Teng, the seventh-generation descendant of Ouyang Xiu, inherited Diaoyuan. After generations of growth, the Ouyang clan gradually became a prominent local family... More detailed information on Diaoyuan Village++