Baima Village Ancient Town

Baima Village Ancient Town

Located beside the Fengfu Highway in Zhangxiang Town, 15 kilometers south of Fengcheng City, Jiangxi Province. According to the *Genealogy of the Yang Clan of Shangdian*, during the Western Jin Dynasty, a purple aura was often seen between the constellations of Dou and Niu in the southeastern direction of Fengcheng. On one occasion, three celestial beings rode white horses to visit the area. The locals exclaimed, “How strange! Our land is destined for prosperity, hence the celestial beings have come to foretell it. The white horses are an auspicious omen of a thousand-li steed, and thus a temple was built on Taling Mountain to enshrine them, named *Baima Temple* (the ancient temple ruins still remain on Taling Mountain). This mountain is also called Baima Mountain. Another local legend says: In the past, the three-eyed deity—Yang Jian, the God of Thunder from *The Investiture of the Gods*—once came here, riding a white horse and galloping across the drill ground of the chicken-shaped (brain) mountain, also known as Phoenix Mountain, at the eastern end of the village where an ancient military camp had been set up, brandishing his halberd. A myriad of silver lights shone, and an auspicious aura wafted, enveloping the entire mountaintop. Suddenly, a five-colored auspicious cloud floated above the village, lingering for a long time without dispersing. Hence, later generations named this village Baima Village. Due to its location at the center of the four prefectures—Nanchang, Fuzhou, Linjiang, and Ruizhou—it held significant geographical and military importance, often hosting stationed troops, which further justified the name of the stronghold. Since ancient times, Baima Village has nurtured numerous scholars and renowned merchants, including Yang Yingxiang, the Minister of the Imperial Seal Office in the Ming Dynasty; Yang Zulan, a successful imperial examination candidate in the Qing Dynasty; Yang Tingyan, a provincial examination graduate; Yang Jinggao, a military examination graduate, along with his father and son; and the Baima Merchant Group, who traded in the Changde area of Hunan. Baima Village currently preserves 89 ancient buildings and over a hundred stone and wooden plaques, featuring six styles of calligraphy: running script, clerical script, regular script, Wei-style script, seal script, and bell-and-drum script. The main gates of the village residences in Baima Village are diverse in architectural style, including straight gates, eight-character gates, arched gates, wall-attached floral-hanging gates, archway-style gates, and composite gates, most of which are distinguished by exquisite carvings, harmonious arrangements, and lifelike details. Baima Village also has an ancient well called Xiangquan, which was believed to predict the rise and decline of literary talent in the village. It also preserves discussions by Emperor Chongzhen in the 11th year of the Chongzhen era regarding feng shui, as well as a memorial submitted two years later by Yang Yingxiang requesting remedies for the damage to the ancestral mausoleum’s feng shui caused by figures like Li Zicheng. Yang Yingxiang also oversaw the overall planning of Baima Village’s layout, which was submitted to Emperor Chongzhen for approval. As a result, Baima Village was granted an imperial name: “Shangdian”—chosen by the emperor himself. Current tourism offerings include: ancient residential tours, horseback riding, archery, flower viewing, and the Dog Culture Tourism Festival.

Notes: Please cherish every plant and keep the scenic area clean.

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Inquiry Hotline: 0795-6298218