The Righteous Clan Chen of China

The Righteous Clan Chen of China

The Righteous Clan Chen of China created a human miracle: fifteen generations living together under one roof for 332 years, sharing meals, cooking together, dining to the beat of drums, feeding a hundred dogs from the same trough, passing down filial piety and righteousness, cultivating both farming and scholarship, keeping no private wealth, sharing all clan property, treating all members equally regardless of status, laboring together, distributing resources fairly, and living in harmony. It became the most populous, culturally richest, and most tightly-knit harmonious family in Chinese history. “Yi Men Chen” (Righteous Clan Chen) enacted a real-life paradise on earth, constructing an idealistic society reminiscent of an ancient Chinese “utopia,” and became a historical model of human civilization and progress.

Jiangzhou Yi Men Chen is located at the foot of the picturesque Mount Lu and beside the pristine, wave-filled Poyang Lake. Historically part of the Jiangzhou region, it now lies within Cheqiao Town, Dean County. It borders Ruichang City to the north, Wuning County to the west, and Yongxiu County to the south, and is known as the “Western Gateway of Dean County.” The geographical layout is described as “seven parts mountains, half parts water, half parts fields, and one part roads and estates.”

Since its founding by the patriarch Chen Wang, the Jiangzhou Yi Men Chen family has upheld loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness, practicing diligence, frugality, farming, and scholarship. They built study halls (precursor to the Dongjia Academy), established family rules, respected neighbors, maintained family harmony, and fostered an increasingly prosperous and flourishing atmosphere of righteousness.

Yi Men Chen emphasized education, revered benevolence and righteousness, pursued great unity, and valued unity and harmony. The “Jiangzhou Yi Men Chen” family created a human miracle: fifteen generations, over 3,900 members, living together for 332 years, sharing meals, cooking together, dining to the beat of drums, feeding a hundred dogs from the same trough, passing down filial piety and righteousness, cultivating both farming and scholarship, keeping no private wealth, sharing all clan property, treating all members equally regardless of status, laboring together, distributing resources fairly, and living in harmony. It became the most populous, culturally richest, and most tightly-knit harmonious family in China’s feudal society. The people of Yi Men Chen used their diligence and wisdom to create a real-life paradise on earth, realizing the Confucian ideal of a great unified world and building an ancient harmonious society based on the principle that “when the Dao prevails, the world is for all,” becoming a historical model of human civilization and progress.

Yi Men Clan Historical and Cultural Museum: The Jiangzhou Yi Men Clan Historical and Cultural Museum displays hundreds of unearthed production and daily-use items, Song Dynasty bricks, tiles, and Chen family genealogies from the old Yi Men Chen site.

Yi Men Chen Forest Park: Yi Men Chen Forest Park is located in Zhouqiao Township and Cheqiao Town, Dean County, covering a total area of 1,050 hectares, including 740 hectares of forested land and a forest coverage rate of 71%. It has a standing timber volume of 180,000 cubic meters and 150,000 bamboo plants. The area’s JIANLOU Peak is the highest peak in the county, standing 630 meters above sea level and towering over the surrounding mountains. The forest park integrates natural beauty, and is known for its stunning peaks, temples, streams, valleys, lakes, and pristine natural forests. Lush trees, green bamboo, ancient temples, unusual rocks, and karst caves all showcase an atmosphere of serenity, elegance, and beauty. The park features lush and diverse forest vegetation, abundant natural landscapes, and superior environmental quality.

Yimen Dongtanghe She Ethnic Nature Village: This village is a leisure-oriented scenic area that combines life and tourism. The scenic area consists of three parts: first, the residential area where She ethnic-style small houses and Western-style villas complement each other; second, the leisure and entertainment area featuring a She ethnic folk customs exhibition hall, a She ethnic-style gate tower, folk pavilions, a She ethnic culture zone, and a couples’ fence; third, the agricultural sightseeing area with over 100 acres of nurseries and flower gardens, edible fungus production bases, and year-round fragrant fruits and flowers. Visitors can participate in farm work, pick fruits and vegetables, cook and eat on their own, and enjoy the rural scenery and farmhouse fun.

Dongjia Academy: Dongjia Academy is one of the earliest academies in China, predating the White Deer Grotto Academy by at least half a century. According to research on the history of ancient Chinese academies, the Jiangxi Dongjia Book Hall was established before the Tang Dynasty’s Longji era (circa 889 AD), and by the Song Dynasty, it had become a renowned academy in southern China, with its collection of books and calligraphy hailed as “the best in the world” (as noted by Wen Deyi in “Qiushi Hall Collection”).

Hutang Reservoir: Covering an area of 4,000 mu, Hutang Reservoir boasts beautiful scenery and is referred to as the “Thousand Island Lake of Dean County.”

Hutang Reservoir features lake islands facing each other, harmonious water and mountain views, and a network of caves in the surrounding hills—some with caves within caves—creating a unique and marvelous landscape.

Source: Official website of the Dean County Committee and County Government