Ancient Architectural Complex of Zhuzhou Village

Ancient Architectural Complex of Zhuzhou Village

Ancient Architectural Complex of Zhuzhou Village (including the Character "Pin" Triangular Wells, Main Gate Tower, Upper Gate Tower, Middle Gate Tower, Lower Gate Tower, Canglan Mountain House, and Yu Family Mansion)

Zhuzhou Ancient Village is situated in Shuangtang Town, Jinxi County, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province. It is 30 kilometers north of the Longhu Mountain Scenic Area and 40 kilometers south of the Dajue Mountain Scenic Area, with the Jinan–Guangzhou Expressway, Fuzhou–Ji’an Expressway, and National Highways 206 and 316 running through the region. Spanning around 2.8 square kilometers, the village was initially established in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

Zhuzhou Ancient Village is a historic settlement primarily inhabited by the Jiangyou people, preserving over 150 well-preserved ancient structures featuring relatively intact layouts and architectural styles from the Ming and Qing dynasties, characteristic of the Gan-style architecture. Additionally, there are more than 100 ancient ancestral halls, eight memorial archways from the Ming dynasty, over 30 from the Qing dynasty, and more than 10,000 traditional residences.

The layout of Zhuzhou Ancient Village resembles a giant folding fan, with 109 buildings from the Ming and Qing periods still standing. Among them, there is one Ming-era ancestral hall, eight Ming-era residences, and the rest are Qing-era constructions—all uniformly built with gray bricks and tiles. The gable walls, shaped like the character “mountain,” serve the practical functions of fire prevention and wind resistance. Most residences consist of two stories, with only one Ming-era house divided into four levels. The central hall is flanked by bedrooms on both sides, with a courtyard in the middle that allows daylight to illuminate the interior. Below the courtyard is a stone drainage pool, where rainwater from the surrounding eaves flows like beads on a string into the pool before being channeled away without flooding. The main entrances of houses from the Ming dynasty and early Qing period were located on the east side, while other homes had central entrances. Door lintels, eaves, window frames, door pillars, lattice windows, column bases, plaques, ceiling panels, and other features are richly adorned with carvings and painted decorations.

Zhuzhou Ancient Village features an ancient post road, two woodblock printing sites, three ancient wells, three drying fields, four gate towers, five ancestral halls, six streets, and eight ponds. Well-preserved architectural complexes such as the Ten-Family Lane and Eight-Family Lane, six ancestral halls, as well as historical buildings like Yangzheng Mountain House, Gonghe Hall, Huairen Academy, and Cifu Temple collectively form a cultural and historical testament reflecting the integrated emphasis on agriculture and commerce during feudal society.

The architectural complex of Zhuzhou Village includes three main groups: “Wenlin Mansion,” “Ten-Family Lane,” and “Eight-Family Lane.” Each group features three gates—the main gate, lane gate, and house gate—each connecting three or four identically styled houses via side doors.

Zhuzhou Ancient Village has a grand main gate tower, with Chonglu Ridge in the distance and Huangpo Hill nearby. Originally built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, its orientation was determined by descendants of the famous feng shui master Liao Yu. In front of the main gate tower are three ancient wells arranged in a “品” (character “pin”) shape, encircled by polygonal stone railings. This design symbolizes money flowing like water—emphasizing that while wealth is important, integrity in personal conduct, scholarship, and business must never be compromised. The village houses nearly 200 households with a population of over a thousand. There are seven ponds throughout the village, all built with stone slabs, including a central “Moon Pond,” creating the image of the Seven Stars surrounding the Moon. Viewed from above, the entire village resembles a giant folding fan.

Character "Pin" Triangular Wells

The Character "Pin" Triangular Wells are located not far from the village entrance. The three wells were constructed during the Kangxi, Qianlong, and Daoguang reigns of the Qing dynasty, arranged in a “品” shape. The wells are surrounded by polygonal stone railings, circular outside and square inside, resembling ancient coins. This symbolizes that while money flows like water and one cannot live without it, fortunes may come and go—but integrity must never be lost.

The Main Gate Tower is located at the western entrance of Zhuzhou Ancient Village. Built in the early Ming dynasty, it is said to have been oriented by descendants of the renowned feng shui master Liao Yu. The gate tower was destroyed twice during the Xianfeng and Daoguang reigns but was meticulously restored to its original appearance in the second year of the Daoguang era (1822).

Main Gate Tower

The Main Gate Tower is situated at the western entrance of Zhuzhou Ancient Village. Originally built in the early Ming dynasty, it is said to have been aligned by descendants of the famous feng shui master Liao Yu. The current structure was rebuilt in the second year of the Daoguang era (1822), faithful to its original design.

Upper Gate Tower

The Upper Gate Tower is located in the center of Zhuzhou Ancient Village and is also known as the Jiancao Chuanfang Gate Tower. It was built to commemorate Yu Changyan, a virtuous official of the Southern Song dynasty, who was known for petitioning the emperor on behalf of the people, with many of his proposals being adopted. His descendants regarded this as an honor and inscribed the phrase on the gate tower.

Wenlong Ancestral Hall

The Wenlong Ancestral Hall is located on the west side of Zhuzhou Ancient Village and was built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty. Currently, its upper and lower halls have collapsed, leaving only the central hall intact. The Zhenchuan Ancestral Hall in the eastern part of the village differs from other ancestral halls, featuring side gates named “Peilan” (Cultivating Orchids) and “Zhigui” (Planting Osmanthus)—symbolizing the nurturing of talent. Inside is where the villagers of Zhuzhou hired tutors to educate their children. Flanking the main structure are wing rooms, forming a row of three interconnected buildings with a total floor area of over 600 square meters, including ten courtyards of varying sizes, showcasing the complexity of its architecture. In front of the ancestral hall lies an open space of about 300 square meters, with a gate directly opposite leading to a garden. The gate lintel is inscribed with the characters “Dui Yun” (Facing the Clouds), signed “Qianlong Dingchou Year” and “Calligraphy by Cao Xiuxian.”

Yangzheng Mountain House

Yangzheng Mountain House is located southeast of Zhuzhou Ancient Village, on the right side of the Zhonghe Ancestral Hall. It is the site of the village’s second woodblock printing workshop. Upon entering, there is a large courtyard, with the upper and rear halls serving as printing facilities. During the Qianjia period, the shelves were filled with woodblocks, which were not completely destroyed until the early years after liberation. As early as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, villagers from Zhuzhou were engaged in selling books across the country. Yu Dezha opened a bookstore in Beijing, collecting ancient texts and managing the Jiaxing Examination Hall in Jinxi. His family genealogy contains clear records of this. Later, Yu Yangfeng returned to his hometown and established his own printing workshop, “setting up a publishing bureau at the village gate, plowing the fields by day and working diligently in the printing office by night, making a living through book engraving and sales.”

Canglan Mountain House

Canglan Mountain House is located northeast of Zhuzhou Ancient Village and served as the village’s major academy. Built in 1758 (the 23rd year of the Qianlong reign), it functioned both as a school for educating local students and as a woodblock printing workshop.

Taro-Fat Man’s Earthen House

Taro-Fat Man’s Earthen House is located directly south of Zhuzhou Ancient Village, east of the Middle Gate Tower and west of Buyun Ancestral Hall. This building once belonged to a wealthy villager in the early Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty. “Taro-Fat Man” was the nickname of this wealthy man.

Buyun Ancestral Hall

Buyun Ancestral Hall is located south of Zhuzhou Ancient Village and is the best-preserved ancestral hall in the village. In the early years of the Republic of China, Zhou Jianping, a Red Army division commander, held an enlarged meeting here to recruit more soldiers for the Red Army.

Da Fu Mansion Architectural Complex

The Da Fu Mansion Architectural Complex is located on the north side of Zhuzhou Ancient Village. It consists of four connected ancient buildings, constructed by Yu Zhongxiang of Zhuzhou Village. The construction began in 1824 (the fourth year of the Daoguang reign) and was completed in 1828 (the eighth year of the Daoguang reign). The complex features an intact layout and includes a dedicated “Silver Sunning Tower” used for drying and storing silver currency.

Further Reading:

· The sixth batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units