The Ancient Chen Family Residence in Layuan

The Ancient Chen Family Residence in Layuan

Layuan Village, Bai Shaxu Township

Layuan Village is located in the southeastern part of Bai Shaxu Township, Yizhang County, about 2 kilometers from Bai Shaxu Township and approximately 34 kilometers from Yizhang County. It borders the Mangshan Scenic Area.

According to the genealogy of the Chen family: In the ninth year of the Yongle era (1411), Chen Wenzhong, a commander who had been stationed for ten years at Bafeng Fort in Yizhang after being transferred from Lizi Tree below Chaling Wei, was granted the title of fourth-rank Commandant (Duyi) by the imperial court for his achievements in building fortifications, cultivating farmland, suppressing bandits, and ensuring the safety of the people. Having accomplished his goals, he began considering where to settle down and establish his lineage. Believing that beautiful landscapes bring good fortune, he set out southward from Bafeng Fort. After walking roughly four or five li, he came upon a place with verdant mountains like dark ink washes, peaks resembling black gauze caps, a murmuring stream, and a lush garden of wax trees — all auspicious signs of a prosperous future for his descendants.

Chen Wenzhong made up his mind to relocate and settle here. And thus, a village called Chenjia at Layuanbei was born. Later, for the sake of convenience, people changed “Layuan” (蜡园) to “Layuan” (腊元), and the village became commonly known as the Ancient Chen Family Residence in Layuan.

The most distinctive feature of the Ancient Chen Family Residence in Layuan is its “gate culture.” The most elaborate homes have thresholds carved from bluestone with dragons and phoenixes, latticed wooden door lintels, and richly inscribed door plaques above the lintels. These plaques are typically built with brick or stone foundations, tilted upward at a fifteen-degree angle, then coated with lime mortar mixed with glutinous rice. On them are engraved concise maxims of personal preference, along with bas-reliefs of favorite rocks, plants, and flowers.

Pairs of houses, and rows upon rows of homes, form a settlement of several hundred households. Narrow, winding stone lanes running horizontally and vertically connect these standalone residences, creating the unique folkloric landscape of the Ancient Chen Family Residence in Layuan.

Bai Shaxu Township: Bai Shaxu Township and Bafeng Township have been officially merged to form Bafeng Town.

Bai Shaxu Township is located in the southern part of Yizhang County. It borders Guangdong Province to the southeast, is 34 kilometers from the county seat, covers an area of 84 square kilometers, and has an elevation of 204 meters. The population is 20,000. The township government is located in Bai Shaxu. The area is accessible by road. In 1949, it belonged to Bafeng Township; in 1950, to Bafeng District; in 1956, Bai Shaxu Township was established; in 1958, it was renamed Bafeng Commune; in 1961, it became Bai Shaxu Commune; in 1984, it reverted to township status. It administers Layuan, Duijiangshui, Luojiaotang, Tongmuwan, Caikou, Zisheng, Huangzhuchong, Zaojiao, Tan... More detailed information on Bai Shaxu Township ++