Yangcheng Huangcheng Village

Yangcheng Huangcheng Village

Huangcheng Village, located on the banks of the Qin River between the Taihang and Wangwu mountains, is part of Beiliu Town, Yangcheng County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. Nestled against the mountains and overlooking the water, the village is built along the slopes with majestic walls, dense battlements, and rows of official residences and civilian homes, forming a distinctive ancient architectural complex. The Huangcheng Prime Minister’s Manor Scenic Area is built around this ancient architectural ensemble.

Huangcheng Village is the hometown of Chen Tingjing from the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era. Chen Tingjing, courtesy name Ziduan, art name Shuoyan, and later known as Wuting, served as a Grand Secretary of the First Rank, Lecturer at the Imperial Study, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and Minister of Personnel with an additional third-rank honor. He was the chief editor of major compilations such as the Kangxi Dictionary and the Peiwen Yunfu, and served as a key advisor to the Qing court for half a century. A distinguished statesman, linguist, poet, scholar, Neo-Confucianist, calligrapher, and musician.

One cannot talk about Huangcheng Village without mentioning the Huangcheng Prime Minister’s Manor (also called Wuting Mountain Village). Covering a total area of 36,000 square meters, it was the residence of Chen Tingjing, who held the titles of Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and Minister of Personnel with an additional third-rank honor, chief editor of the Kangxi Dictionary, and lecturer at the Imperial Study for 35 years during the Kangxi reign. The architecture follows the contours of the mountain terrain, adapting fluidly in form, with rows of official and civilian houses creating a unique Ming and Qing castle-style residential complex. “Green trees encircle the village, and blue hills slant beyond the wall” — the Huangcheng Prime Minister’s Manor is not only a vivid ancient “landscape painting” but also an Eastern fortress rich in humanistic spirit.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Chen family of Huangcheng flourished in scholarly and official ranks, becoming a renowned cultural dynasty in northern China. Over a span of 260 years, from the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming to the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing, the family produced not only the famous Qing statesman, litterateur, Neo-Confucianist, and poet Chen Tingjing, but also 41 tribute students, 19 juren (provincial degree holders), 9 jinshi (metropolitan degree holders), and 6 Hanlin scholars, achieving a seven-generation legacy of civil service. They were praised as “Nine jinshi from one household, Six Hanlin scholars across three generations.” At the time, members of the Chen family held official positions throughout China except for the far northwest. Thirty-three family members left behind literary works, and while serving in various regions, they actively promoted education, agriculture, and sericulture, making significant contributions to cultural and social development.

The Chen family of Huangcheng was also a powerful merchant consortium during the Ming and Qing periods, expanding their business from coal and iron smelting to include medicine, silk, textiles, tea, shipping, brewing, jade, and porcelain. Their trade reached 80% of provinces and major cities across China, as well as three countries in Southeast Asia. At the height of their prosperity, the Chen family left behind the “Twin Cities Ancient Fortress” architectural complex spanning 60,000 square meters, the 16,000-square-meter “Ziyun Qian” ancient tombstone cluster, and the 11,000-square-meter grand garden “Zhizhiyuan.”

The construction of Huangcheng took over two hundred years, from the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty to the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. During this period, the Chen family gradually evolved from a family of merchants and artisans into a prominent clan of officials. As a result, the architecture within Huangcheng includes both traditional civilian dwellings and official residences. The city walls, as well as defensive structures such as the Heshan Tower and underground munitions bunkers, are historical products of the turbulent late Ming period. This combination of civilian homes, official residences, ancestral shrines, and fortifications is relatively rare in China. Meanwhile, the architectural techniques of Huangcheng blend imperial standards with local traditions, showcasing a unique style along with distinct regional craftsmanship.

The entire Huangcheng, including the inner city “Douzhuju” and outer city “Zhongdaozhuang,” resembles a sacred turtle when viewed from above — with its head pointing north and tail to the south. Though not an exact likeness, the outline is quite distinct, hence the nickname “Turtle City,” symbolizing enduring protection like a turtle’s shell…