Tujiazhai

Tujiazhai

It is understood that Tujiazhai has a village history of 1,600 years. Most villagers share the surname Tu. The area is known for its “Four Oddities”: “the ancestral hall remains spotless, loaches are found all over the farmland, the mountain temperature is unusually cool, and the population never exceeds one hundred.” Coupled with the beautiful mountaintop scenery, the site still retains historical remains including the ancestral shrine of the Tu clan, the ruins of ancient wells in the pavilion courtyards, the Shilu Pass ruins, the Stone Wall Academy ruins, stone-paved paths, terraced fields, and unique rock formations and pine trees, making it a popular destination for travel enthusiasts.

Regarding the origins of Tujiazhai, according to the genealogy of the Tu clan, during the Huang Chao Rebellion in the Guangming era of the Qianfu reign during the Tang Dynasty (876–880 AD), the 20th-generation descendant of a branch of the Tu family surnamed Qin—the son of the father Dui (also referred to as Hong)—Yun, who was the prefectural judge of Jiangzhou, migrated from Nanfeng County to Yihuang along with his father. He became the founding ancestor of the Yihuang Tu clan, making Yihuang the ancestral land of the Tu clan in Dabu. The second-generation descendant Han (who later served as an advisory official in the Later Tang Dynasty) moved again to avoid the chaos of the Five Dynasties period and established a home at Shilufeng on the curtain-fronted hills of Erdu Village (now the Zhaishang Village group), where he built a residence, started a family, and thrived. He also renamed the original village name Shilufeng to “Zhaishang,” from which Tujiazhai gets its name.

During the Song Dynasty, more people with the surname Tu gradually migrated to Tujiazhai from other areas, and the population slowly increased. A folk rhyme from that time said, “The Tu clan gardens span the world; Zhaishang has nine hundred households.” Later, some residents of Zhaishang also relocated elsewhere due to business ventures, moving to Dafu in Guangdong, Changting in Fujian, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang. A couplet at the ancestral hall of the Tu clan in Changting, Fujian, reads: “The reputation of Shilu echoes far; the virtue of Tu Mountain lasts long,” pointing out that their ancestors came from Tujiazhai in Erdu, Yihuang.

Although Tujiazhai is just a small village perched atop a mountain, it has been widely renowned for generations because it produced Tu You. According to the Yihuang County Annals, Tu You (?–1352) was a leader of the peasant uprising army at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In the late Yuan Dynasty, due to the oppressive exploitation by the feudal rulers, class conflicts and unrest intensified, compounded by frequent plagues, prompting peasants across the regions to rise in rebellion. Tu You led the Yihuang peasant uprising army to join the Red Turban Army under Xu Shouhui’s command. In April of the 12th year of the Zhi Zheng era (1352), Tu You led the rebel army from Yihuang, campaigning through Guangchang, Lichuan, and other areas. After capturing Jianning County in Fujian Province, they joined forces with the rebel army of Ying Bida from that county, took over Shaowu Road, and dealt a heavy blow to the ruling class of the Yuan Dynasty. Later, due to the enemy’s trickery, Tu You was unfortunately captured and brutally executed. However, his deeds are still widely recounted in his hometown to this day.

Surrounded by mountains and shaded by ancient towering trees, Tujiazhai features houses mostly built of wood, exuding a strong rural charm. Today, it preserves historical and cultural landmarks such as the ancestral shrine of the Tu clan, the ruins of ancient wells in the pavilion courtyards, the Shilu Pass ruins, and the Stone Wall Academy ruins.

The ancestral shrine of the Tu clan was initially built during the Song Dynasty and rebuilt in the 1898 year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (the year of Wuxu). It covers an area of about two acres. The front facade of the shrine is tall and broad, majestic in scale, resembling the horse-head wall architecture of the Huizhou style. The plaque above the gate bears the four large characters “Tu Clan Ancestral Shrine,” with “Shirong” inscribed above them. On the side gates, the eastern gate is labeled “Famous Officials,” and the western gate “Local Sages.” All the characters are carved in intaglio, with smooth, full, and clear strokes. This two-courtyard brick-and-wood structure shrine, with a central skywell, features exquisite carvings of dragons and phoenixes. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that its wooden pillars, beams, ceilings, and walls remain spotlessly clean all year round, as if freshly washed with water. During the 1960s and 1970s, the shrine was used as a collective grain warehouse. When villagers winnowed rice in the skywell using a windmill, the chaff did not scatter but instead swirled upward in columns of wind, leading locals to cite it as one of the “Four Oddities.”

The ruins of the Lou Tang Garden behind Tujiazhai Village are said to be the former site of the stockade palace. Legend has it that before leading the peasant uprising, Tu You, relying on his exceptional martial skills and with the help of his elder brother Tu Zuo, recruited soldiers all around Zhaishang, both uphill and down, under the slogan “Overthrow the officials, kill the rich to aid the poor, and uphold justice for heaven.” For a time, heroes gathered at the stronghold. After Tu You declared himself king of the mountain stronghold, he built the Stockade Palace and three fortress walls. Now, Lou Tang Garden no longer exists, leaving only an ancient well to tell of a thousand years of history. The well was hewn from red rock, with a diameter of about 2 meters. The well curb is not high and is integrated with the well platform. Its uniquely crafted shape makes it a sight worth seeing.

The ruins of the Shilu Pass are located on the grassy and vine-covered slopes of Guanshan Mountain north of the village. Although most of the stone walls on either side of the pass gate have collapsed, one can still imagine its former majestic and sprawling presence atop the mountain. The gate faces north toward the county town, guarding a winding, steep, and narrow mountain path. Placing a single boulder along the path could block traffic, truly embodying the saying “One man guards the pass, ten thousand cannot get through.”

The ruins of the Stone Wall Academy are located near Lou Tang Garden. According to the Tu Clan Genealogy, the Stone Wall Academy was founded by Tu Yi, the son of Tu Pi from the Northern Song Dynasty and an official inspector in Sichuan, as a place for educating the clan’s children. In the past, the Tu family adhered to the ancestral teaching: “If the rich do not study, they will lose their family; if the noble do not study, they will lose their status; if the poor do not study, they will fall from grace; if the lowly do not study, they will lose themselves.” They encouraged their descendants to study diligently in the academy, creating the miracles of “nine sons and ten provincial governors” as well as the “Five Laurels” and “Three Sages.” From the Northern Song Dynasty through the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Tu clan produced 47 successful imperial examination candidates and local tribute students, and over 250 appointed officials, excelling in both civil and military achievements and dominating the region. Today, the academy has long vanished, leaving only the “Record of the Rise and Fall of the Stone Wall Academy” in the Tu Clan Genealogy, chronicling its former glory.

Lianqian Village: Located along Provincial Highway S208, Lianqian Village in Erdu Town is 10 kilometers from the county town. The village’s four natural settlements are situated sequentially along the highway, with a current population of 231 households and 881 people. To the east lies Yihuang’s Huangshui River, to the west the Yuchuan Mountain, the second national designated XU Xiake Trail landmark site, to the south Jiangxi’s top mountain Taiji Rock and the first Taoist site of Master Mazu, Shigong Temple, and to the north the Tan Lun Cultural Park, a national key cultural relic protection unit and reputed as the finest ancient tomb in southern China. The village enjoys an exceptionally superior geographical environment and is rich in historical and cultural resources.

As a key area for the county’s highlight development, Lianqian Village is being designed and planned from a high starting point. Engaged... Detailed information on Lianqian Village++