Ancient Residential Complex of Daliujia Village

Ancient Residential Complex of Daliujia Village

The ancient residential complex of Daliujia Village in Chetian is located in the southern part of Balipu Township, Yizhang County. It was first built during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, flourished in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and currently has over 300 well-preserved ancient houses. The entire village is laid out in an orderly manner, with three horizontal lanes and five vertical lanes all paved with bluestone. There are twelve ancestral halls in the village, each belonging to a different branch of the Liu family, and in front of the village stands the Guanlan Zhai Academy, where children of the clan were taught to read, as well as the Huilan Zhai. Liu Shuyin, the daughter of Liu Fangfu, the third-generation descendant of the Daliujia family, chose not to marry and devoted herself to supporting her nephew’s career. She lived a long and healthy life and passed away peacefully. The “Dagu Ancestral Hall” was built in her honor to commemorate her virtue.

The ancient houses in the complex are arranged in an orderly fashion and remain well-preserved to this day, showcasing the distinctive architectural style of southern Hunan. They feature walls made of blue bricks, wooden-framed partition walls, and are roofed with grey tiles—typical brick-and-wood structures. Most houses have two courtyards, with the central main hall serving as the ancestral shrine, side rooms as secondary chambers, and the wings as the main living quarters (bedrooms and kitchens for the owners). The floors are paved with square bricks from the Qing Dynasty. The entrances are spacious, with some featuring screen walls, and there are also small gateways (known as trough gates). The houses are similar in size, and both wood carvings and stone carvings depict a variety of flowers and opera stories. The majestic horse-head walls, along with the well-arranged streets and alleys, create an extraordinary atmosphere. The village is spacious, clean, and aesthetically pleasing.