Zhushan Ancient Architectural Complex

Zhushan Ancient Architectural Complex

Zhushan Ancient Architectural Complex is a cultural tourism attraction.

Zhushan Ancient Architectural Complex

Zhushan Ancient Architectural Complex is located in Nameng Town in the northern part of Qinzhou City. It is a group of enclosed courtyard buildings with brick-and-wood structures and double-sloped roofs.

The original complex consisted of 15 buildings, 10 of which still stand today. Most of them occupy spacious grounds and feature grand scales. For example, Maolin Hall includes main buildings such as Sima Mansion, Zhongjun Mansion, Dafu Mansion, and a martial arts training hall, as well as auxiliary structures like gardens, waterside pavilions, watchtowers, and basements, covering an area of 4,050 square meters. The layout reflects unified arrangements for living, sanitation, rituals, music, and defense. Elders of higher seniority resided in the central, deeper parts of the compounds; the main guest hall was reserved for male visitors, while a separate “flower hall” was designated for female guests. The dining hall in the corridor wing was used by servants. This clearly demonstrates feudal hierarchical and ritual concepts. The exteriors of the ancient buildings are simple, but the interiors are highly ornate. Various architectural elements—from inner walls, eaves closures, bracket arms, door panels, window lattices, gable walls, screen tops, base beams, roof trusses, to cantilevered beams and beam casings—reveal diverse architectural styles and artistic features from different periods. For instance, Zanfu Mansion, built during the Qing Qianlong era (1736–1795), features only simple elephant trunk-shaped cantilevered beams and shallow flat carvings in single colors, with geometrically arranged screen tops and repetitive lines on the window lattices. By contrast, Maolin Hall, built during the Qing Jiaqing era (1796–1820), began to incorporate decorative elements such as coiled floral patterns on eave closures and monochromatic light blue wood carvings. Later buildings such as Sande Hall (built during the Qing Tongzhi era, 1862–1874) and Jiuru Hall (built during the Qing Guangxu era, 1875–1908) showcase more refined artistic forms and color usage. Jiuru Hall alone features over 40 meters of single-color floral murals on its inner walls and more than 70 relief murals with varied themes. These artworks depict folk legends and historical stories, such as “Yanshan Teaching His Son,” “King Wen Visiting a Sage,” “Guo Mansion’s Birthday Celebration,” and “Dragon and Phoenix Competing for the Pearl.” Artistically, they are characterized by rich compositions, smooth carving, vivid imagery, and vibrant colors. In terms of defensive structures, each mansion or hall is enclosed by solid rammed earth walls with numerous gun ports. Watchtowers rise at the four corners, and some even include basements equipped with firing holes. Each building functions like an independent fortress, yet they are also designed to support one another, forming a cohesive and fortified complex.

The Zhushan Ancient Architectural Complex is currently the most numerous, highest quality, and best-preserved example of ancient architecture found within a single natural village in Guangxi. It has drawn attention from cultural heritage, ancient architecture, and tourism authorities. Xinhua News Agency reported on it in November 1989.