Ancient Houses in Yuduan

Ancient Houses in Yuduan

Yuduan Township is home to numerous old houses, including as many as 16 built during the Qing Dynasty, all in the Hui-style architectural tradition. These houses are large in scale, exquisitely crafted, and well-preserved, faithfully documenting the arduous pioneering history of the Wu family in Yuduan. Among the many old houses, the most eye-catching is the one located at Xiajietou.

The Xiajietou Old House is situated in Xiayuan Village, Xiajietou, and has a history of over 200 years. According to the Wu Family Genealogy, the house was originally built in the fifth year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, which corresponds to the year 1800 AD. It took three years to complete and was constructed by Wu Xuecheng, the 18th-generation descendant of Wu Ruyun, the founding ancestor of the Wu family in Yuduan. Wu Xuecheng, also known as Zhangnan, was born in 1754. From a young age, he was diligent and studious, earning the reputation of being a “Tai Student” (an advanced scholar), and was regarded as a local dignitary in Yuduan. He amassed considerable wealth through his extensive travels.

The old house is large in scale and complex in structure, covering an area of more than 4,000 square meters. It remains relatively well-preserved, with 14 households and 65 residents still living there. The surrounding walls of the house stretch nearly 500 meters in total length, standing 2.5 meters high. The lower 1.5 meters are built with stones and are 1.2 meters thick, remaining very solid to this day; the upper part is made of clay and covered with pine bark for waterproofing. Due to years of neglect, the upper section has long since collapsed. The interior structure of the old house is intricate, vividly summarized by locals as “three levels above and below, four horizontal halls, four sections, eight alleys, and four mazes.” The stone gate in front of the main entrance has been demolished and rebuilt. Passing through the gate, one enters the house through a several-hundred-square-meter open courtyard. The central part of the house is the main hall, flanked by wing rooms. All are constructed with high-quality materials and fine craftsmanship, featuring carved beams and painted rafters that are exquisitely done. The main hall consists of three large halls and two spacious courtyards. Each hall is 15 meters long and 10 meters wide, while each courtyard measures 10 meters on each side. The combination of halls and courtyards complements each other, giving the house a rational layout and a grand ambiance. Several auxiliary rooms are built adjacent to the halls and courtyards, some even featuring wooden attics and balconies. There are numerous passageways between the main hall, wing rooms, and auxiliary spaces, interconnected in all directions. Walking through these alleys and passing beneath arched gateways made of granite and smoke bricks leads you into the wing rooms on either side. The structure of the wing rooms is similar to that of the main hall: stone gates, courtyards, pillars, auxiliary rooms, and more are all present, though they are considerably smaller. With so many corridors running through the ancient house, navigating through them truly feels like entering a maze.

Yuduan Township: Located on the southwestern border of Xiushui County, Yuduan lies between the Tulong Mountain Range and the Dongyang Mountain Range, adjacent to Pingjiang County in Hunan Province. It covers an area of 37.2 square kilometers, with 3,070 mu of arable land, 53,000 mu of mountainous terrain, 6 administrative villages, 958 households, and a population of 4,456, making it the smallest township in the county. During the period of the great revolution, 175 martyrs from this small township sacrificed their lives for the revolutionary cause. Today, the people of Yuduan Township are following in the footsteps of these martyrs, striving diligently to build a moderately prosperous life. At the same time, they warmly welcome investors and developers from both home and abroad to join them in creating a bright future for Yuduan. … Yuduan Township Detailed Information ++