Lijia Tun

Lijia Tun

Lijia Tun is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site protected by Shandong Province.

Lijia Tun Village is located approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Wangcun Town, Zhoucun District, Zibo City, bordering Zhangqiu City of Jinan. The village sits on flat terrain, with National Highway 309 passing north of the village. In the early 19th century, many villagers from Lijia Tun engaged in the silk and cloth trade in the south. Their businesses flourished, bringing substantial wealth, most of which was used to purchase land and build houses. The most luxurious constructions at the time were nine courtyards of varying styles, built along the central axis of the village, running from north to south. These courtyards aligned in a straight line with nine gates facing each other, featuring spacious and tall houses with elegant designs.

The timber used in the construction was of high quality, and the rooftops were adorned with delicate tiles and animal-shaped ornaments. Among them, five two-story buildings were constructed (three of which still stand), standing tall and majestic. Additionally, there were around 200 civilian houses with earthen walls and blue roof tiles. Gardens were built to the south and north of the village — the southern garden named “Nansi” (South Temple) and the northern one called “Huaiyin Garden.” The gardens were thoughtfully designed and uniquely charming, featuring rockeries, ponds, exotic flowers, and rare stones, most of which were transported from the south of the Yangtze River. In its early days of prosperity, the village enjoyed abundant wealth, a long-lived population, vast lands, and widespread fame.

In the late Qing Dynasty, to defend against bandit attacks, the major families, mainly surnamed Wang, mobilized villagers to raise funds for building a surrounding wall. With mutual help and collective effort, the wall was successfully completed in 1859. The wall was an impressive structure, 6 meters high and 4 meters wide, stretching 2,452.7 meters in total. It was built with compacted lime soil, using over 50,000 cubic meters of earth. The top of the wall was flat enough for vehicles and pedestrians, smooth as a whetstone. The wall had four gates: Baiyun Gate in the north, Qingyang Gate in the south, Yingfeng Gate in the west, and Baowen Gate in the east. Over time, with historical changes, sections of the wall collapsed, though remnants can still be seen in some areas. The village also has two memorial archways for chastity and filial piety, one in the south and one in the north, built in 1819 during the 24th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty.

Both archways were constructed entirely from black limestone, with each slab weighing several tons and measuring about seven or eight meters in length. They stood tall and beautifully designed. Among them, the southern Chastity Archway was the most magnificent, about 5–6 meters wide and 7–8 meters high. Below the central ridge of the blue stone roof, the words “Imperial Edict” were inscribed, followed by two lines that read “Chastity Archway of Wang Sulong’s Wife Yu, Upholding Virtue.” On both the front and back sides of the gate, a pair of carved stone lions lying down were installed, exquisitely crafted and lifelike. Lijia Tun has been home to many notable figures throughout history. During the Ming Dynasty, the son of Wang Tuihua served as an imperial censor of Zhejiang Circuit, and Cao Jiahe once held the position of chief magistrate of Yonggan Prefecture.

In the Qing Dynasty, Wang Woyong, son of Wang Xuanhua, served as the magistrate of Yangyi County in Changsha Prefecture; Wang Jinchen, originally from Lijia Tun but later moved to Henan with his father, served as the magistrate of Zichuan County. Wang Yue’ning was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and earned the title of Deputy Martial Champion; Wang Yueheng was highly respected and served as a leader of the Boxer Rebellion in the Zichuan area. In modern times, Wang Huankui was one of the founders of Zibo Wuyin Opera, renowned alongside Deng Hongshan. The ancient architectural complex of Lijia Tun currently retains about 200 houses covering an area of over 60 acres. Some have been renovated on the original foundations, while others remain in their original state.

Wangcun Town: The newly established Wangcun Town covers a total area of 57.97 square kilometers, governs 41 villages and 1 neighborhood committee, with a total population of 54,530. This includes 19,588 non-agricultural residents and 34,942 agricultural residents. The industrial sector has initially formed ten pillar industries: refractory materials, machinery, electronics, food brewing, building materials and construction installation, environmental protection, daily-use ceramics, chemicals, pesticides, and underground resource extraction and processing. Infrastructure construction for the small town has taken shape overall, beginning to resemble a small town. The rural economy is becoming increasingly dynamic, with rapid development in the tertiary sector, making it an economic hub spanning dozens of miles... More details about Wangcun Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units