Ancient Architectural Complex of Dapikou Village

Ancient Architectural Complex of Dapikou Village

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Dapikou Village is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

In Shuikou Mountain Town, Lingling District, about 100 li from downtown Lingling, lies a magical and beautiful village. This village is called Dapikou Village. Located at the southern end of Mount Heng, west of the Xiao River, backed by Chaijun Mountain and facing Meixi River to the west, the village is embraced by mountains, with murmuring streams and birds chirping among the greenery. Its picturesque scenery and pleasant landscape make it seem like a radiant pearl left behind by heaven in the human world.

Not only is Dapikou Village blessed with stunning natural beauty and shrouded in fascinating legends, but it also boasts a long history and preserves large-scale ancient architectural complexes from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today, the village has over 150 ancient buildings with soaring ridge decorations, upturned eaves, majestic presence, and distinctive features. Among these 150 structures, over 50 were built during the Ming Dynasty and more than 90 during the Qing Dynasty. Additionally, there are over 40 quadrangle courtyard houses with grey-brick walls and blue-tiled roofs, adorned with clay paintings and colorful sculptures depicting landscapes and figures that are vivid and lifelike. Inside the courtyards, doors, windows, and corridors are clearly embellished with carved beams and painted rafters, dragons and phoenixes, along with other auspicious designs. The outer walls and gateways are decorated with exquisitely crafted wood and stone carvings of flowers, birds, insects, fish, as well as symbols such as “Fu (Fortune), Lu (Prosperity), Shou (Longevity), Xi (Happiness), Kang (Health), and Ning (Tranquility).”

The large courtyard complex consists of five vertical and six horizontal sections with twelve lanes, all interconnected like a maze. The entire courtyard is surrounded by walls, resembling a massive fortress. Originally, there were two ancestral halls within the compound—one large and one small—displaying portraits of cultural figures, filial exemplars, and high-ranking officials from generations of the Yang family, including the legendary Yang Ye and Yang Liulang. The smaller ancestral hall houses various statues of deities and plaques. At the entrance of the village stands an ancient pagoda that is several hundred years old. The ancient village complex of Dapikou is like a grand artistic hall and a treasure of folk ancient architecture.

In 2019, the Ancient Architectural Complex of Dapikou Village was included in the tenth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Hunan Province.

Further Reading:

· Tenth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Hunan Province