Jian Tou Long Family Courtyard

Jian Tou Long Family Courtyard

The Jian Tou Long Family Courtyard is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Long Family Courtyard is located on Daguan Ridge, about four to five kilometers from Xintian County in Hunan. The ancient village residences and cultural heritage sites are well-preserved to this day. These homes and historic sites are situated in a feng shui treasure land, featuring ingenious designs, exquisite craftsmanship, impressive grandeur, and enduring charm. The Long Family Courtyard is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a pond at the front. There are over 60 existing ancient residences, most of which were built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The houses are simple yet elegant, spacious and practical, avoiding extravagance and minimal in decoration. The streets and alleys are neatly arranged, with no sewage or garbage in the lanes. The most distinctive feature is the couplets on the door walls of the buildings, with graceful and flowing calligraphy that conveys a pursuit of simplicity, nature, and returning to authenticity. One couplet in particular reflects the refined tastes of the owners: “Living in the residence of Master Jingjie, our family carries on the spirit of the Lingling Prefect.” Master Jingjie refers to Tao Yuanming, whose home was described as “a plot of over ten acres, with eight or nine thatched cottages,” where one could “pick chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge and gaze leisurely at the southern mountain.” Lingling Prefect Long Bogao’s “eight virtues,” including “honesty and prudence,” have been passed down through the Long family. Long Yin (also known as Long Qibao), one of the typical owners of these houses, embodied these values.

Long Yin, also known as Long Qibao, was Xintian County’s foremost philanthropist. He never held an official position nor joined any political party. Long Yin studied at both the Wuhan Art School and the Shanghai Art School, excelling in painting plum blossoms and bamboo, and was a student of the renowned traditional Chinese painting master Liu Haisu. Starting in 1929, he served continuously as the head of the county relief institute and donated 500 dan of rental grain fields to cover the institute’s expenses. He also donated funds and advocated for the construction of the Longshan School, which remains well-preserved to this day. He was a well-known enlightened gentry figure in the county. After the liberation, he was initially appointed by the county government as a member of the Land Reform Committee and a political advisor as an “enlightened gentry.” However, due to owning nearly 8,000 mu of good farmland, he was classified as a landlord during the land reform and sent back home. It is said that unable to bear the pressure, he took his own life.

This building is Long Yin’s residence, constructed in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period. On the left is the main hall, and on the right is Long Yin’s living quarters, with his painting studio located on the upper floor. The windows of this building, made of cast iron and glass, were quite modern for their time. The cast iron windows still show no signs of rust today, demonstrating the exceptional craftsmanship of the era. The upper floor served as Long Yin’s painting studio, with direct access to the garden behind. His skill in painting plum blossoms and bamboo is likely related to this connection. (Coming down from the upstairs) Passing through this covered walkway that provides shade and shelter from rain, we arrive at the first main hall of the Long Family Courtyard, named Dunhou Hall, or the Grand Hall of the Long Family. The Grand Hall features a floor paved with blue bricks. At the back wall is a shrine for ancestral worship called the Jiaxian, where ancestral tablets are placed. On important days or for significant events such as weddings, house constructions, or births, the family would offer incense here and pray to their ancestors for blessings. The Grand Hall has a large central courtyard, typically around 20 square meters, flanked by side rooms. The courtyard serves to ventilate and illuminate the space, collect rainwater from all directions—water symbolizing wealth—and prevent wealth from flowing outward, much like the water in the Moon Pond. The drainage outlet of the courtyard is rather concealed. In ancient times, people would keep a turtle in the drain outlet; the turtle’s movement helped clear the drain. The largest existing bluestone water tank in the Long Family Courtyard is found here. The tank is 1.2 meters high, 1.8 meters long, and 80 centimeters wide. It can store water, raise fish, and grow lotus flowers, while also serving a fire-fighting function, hence it is also called a “Peace Tank.” The opposite wall is a screen wall painted with a three-clawed golden dragon, believed to ward off evil and protect the residence. The use of a three-clawed dragon instead of a five-clawed one serves two purposes: first, to honor their ancestral dragon surname, and second, because the five-clawed dragon was reserved for the emperor alone—using it might have invited fatal punishment. Still, the courage to paint a dragon on the wall was quite bold.

Jian Tou Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Xintian County. It belonged to the Third District in 1949. In 1956, Fubai Township was established. In 1958, it merged with Shizi and Shiguwan (now Maoli) townships to form Jianshe Commune, later renamed Jian Tou Commune. In 1984, it became a township, and in 1995, it was upgraded to Jian Tou Town. Located in the southwestern part of the county, it covers an area of 54 square kilometers with a population of 21,000. The town government is based in Jian Tou. Provincial Highway 1818 runs through the town. The town administers Shuiziling, Laowu, Sanyuanfang, Pengzicheng, Dongfanghong, Xintangpu, Tangjia, Longtang, Heisanling, Longxiu, Jian Touxi, Yinjiayishui, Xiafubai, Se Wan, Dongxin, Xinwu, Longyuan... More details about Jian Tou Town++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level