Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongwu Village

Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongwu Village

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongwu Village is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongwu Village, located in Gongwu Village, Longhua Town, Longmen County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, consists of Qing Dynasty structures. The complex includes Wuzhai, an ancient wharf, Zheng Street, the Liao Ancestral Hall, and more.

There are over a thousand well-preserved ancient residential houses and more than ten courtyards. The beams, wood carvings, lime-plastered blue brick walls of Wuzhai and the Liao Ancestral Hall, along with the curved counters of shops on Zheng Street, all hold significant artistic and research value. On July 17, 2002, it was designated as part of the fourth batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province.

Wuzhai faces south and covers a construction area of approximately 9,200 square meters. It follows a traditional Cantonese architectural layout centered around the Scholar’s Residence (Jinshi Mansion) and a watchtower, with residential buildings extending to both the east and west sides.

The five-bay, five-section Scholar’s Residence (commonly known as the Official Hall), aligned along the central axis, spans a total width of 23.6 meters and a depth of 56.3 meters. The first section features five bays, with a foundation of red sandstone, lime-plastered blue brick walls, a gable and hip roof with swallowtail edges, and decorative lion and antique motifs on the roof. The walls beneath the eaves are adorned with brick carvings and lime sculptures.

On either side are corridors leading to the second section, with a courtyard in between. The second section is called the Zishe Hall. In front of the hall are four eave pillars with lotus-shaped octagonal bases. It has five bays in width and three in depth, using thirteen beams supported by three pillars, with the rear wall bearing the load. A wooden screen stands between the rear inner pillars, and a wooden plaque inscribed with “Zishe Hall” (meaning “Cultivated Fields”) hangs in the center of the hall.

The third section serves as the ancestral hall, with a worship hall in the middle featuring a wooden shrine carved with lattice-patterned hanging decorations. Rooms are situated on the left and right. The fourth and fifth sections are residential quarters. The fourth section includes the Yixiu Study Room.

In 1938, during the 27th year of the Republic of China, three houses at the entrance of the Qingyun Alleyway beside the Official Hall were successively bombed by Japanese aircraft and later repaired by villagers. Today, the right side of the front eave wall of the first section of the Official Hall still bears cracks from that bombing.

Behind the Official Hall stands a watchtower measuring 24 meters in width, 11.7 meters in depth, and approximately 20 meters in height across four floors. The east side of the tower features pot-shaped gable and hip walls. Locals also call the watchtower the “Women’s Tower” or the “Red Tower.” In the past, girls about to be married would live in the tower for a month before their wedding.

Wuzhai is surrounded by corner towers and walls. The walls are lower in the front and higher in the back, with buttresses along the structure. The reflection of the residences and the watchtower in the crescent-shaped pond in front creates a picturesque scene, full of charm.

The street of Zheng Street is paved with blue bricks, lined with shops on both sides. Due to the presence of a wharf outside the village (for both cargo and passengers), Zheng Street once thrived as a bustling commercial hub. Among the existing shops is one named “Changji,” which still retains its old wooden plank doors, curved counters, and a “shop step” built near the entrance. In the “Changji” general store, there are two yellow wax stone stools that are smooth, almost waxed in appearance. Touching the yellow wax stone feels cool to the hand. According to village elders, yellow wax stone can cure ailments; for those suffering from hemorrhoids, sitting on the yellow wax stone stool for a period (and placing a straw mat on the cold stone during winter) can make the pain “disappear without a trace.”

On Zheng Street, the Xingchun Study Room and the Puxuan Study Room still stand. The window lattices of the Xingchun Study Room are quaint and much beloved. The Puxuan Study Room features a dragon boat-style ridge on the roof and copper door knockers on its wooden doors.

The ancient wharf connects to Zheng Street and stretches approximately 500 meters in length. It was once a vital route for merchants traveling by water between Guangzhou and Longmen. Today, remnants of the stone steps remain, and bamboo planted along the riverbank creates a pleasant scenery.

Along the stone stairway of the wharf, paved with granite, lies a spot called “Dragon Pass.” In the past, young couples in Gongwu Village would have to “pass through the Dragon Pass” as part of their wedding ceremony. This traditional ritual has been preserved to this day, adding a unique touch to local weddings.

During road repairs, a red sandstone plaque engraved with “Wanli Longguan” (Ten-Thousand-Mile Dragon Pass) was discovered in the bamboo grove by the roadside. It had been created to commemorate the 1756 renovation of the Dragon Pass memorial archway (which was demolished in 1957).

The Liao Ancestral Hall faces southwest and northeast, featuring an exterior of four sections and five bays, with a total width of 19.6 meters and a depth of 52.3 meters. In front of the hall stands a screen wall made of blue bricks, measuring 18.2 meters in length, 5.2 meters in height, and 0.6 meters in thickness. The first section has five bays, with eave boards carved with figures and floral motifs, a dragon boat ridge adorned with lime-plastered carvings of figures, flowers, and mythical ao fish, and green ceramic lions and other animal ornaments on the gable ridges.

The plaque above the main gate of the first section is inscribed with “Liao Ancestral Hall.” Inside the gate is a central hall with a wooden screen, and rooms on both sides. The beam brackets on the first section’s roof are shaped like bats and carved with ancient coin patterns. The second section has pavilion corridors on both sides, with a four-pillar, hip-and-gable roofed decree-receiving pavilion in the center.

The floor of the pavilion is coated with a red lime mixture and outlined to resemble red square bricks, creating a smooth surface. The roof ridge is decorated with floral and bird-themed lime carvings. The third section is the main hall, with five bays in width and three in depth, using thirteen beams supported by three pillars, and a wooden screen between the rear inner pillars. Side passageways lead to the fourth section, which also has five bays, housing the ancestral hall in the center with rosewood armchairs, as well as side and wing rooms. Both the third and fourth sections feature gable and hip roofs with swallowtail gables, and floors paved with either red or blue square bricks.

Starting in 1926, the ancestral hall was converted into a public primary school, later renamed Gongwu Primary School, and remained in use until the late 1990s. After a new school building was constructed to the left of the ancestral hall, the Liao Ancestral Hall was preserved as a historical building.

The ancient residences of Sanguang Tower are located in Gongwu Village, Longhua Town, Longmen County. Built during the Qing Dynasty, they include ancient homes, an ancestral hall, and the Yushu Garden, among other structures. The gate tower of the enclosed compound has three bays, with the name “Sanguang Tower” inscribed in regular script on the second floor of the central bay. The ancestral hall lies along the central axis of the residences, flanked by living quarters. Directly opposite the gate tower, the ancestral hall is a three-section, five-bay structure. On both sides are lanes and residential houses.

The Yushu Garden Study House is a two-section, quadrangle-style building. The plaque above the gate is inscribed with “Yushu Garden” in regular script. It has one section in depth, with a central hall and study rooms on either side.

The ancient residences of Sanguang Tower provide valuable physical material for studying the history of traditional Qing Dynasty architecture and local living customs.

Gongwu Village: The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongwu Village is located in Gongwu Village, Longhua Town, Longmen County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. It includes Qing Dynasty structures such as Wuzhai, an ancient wharf, Zheng Street, and the Liao Ancestral Hall. There are over a thousand well-preserved ancient residences and more than ten courtyards. The beams, wood carvings, lime-plastered blue brick walls of Wuzhai and the Liao Ancestral Hall, as well as the curved counters of Zheng Street shops, are of high artistic value. In 2002, it was designated as part of the fourth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Wuzhai faces south and covers a construction area of approximately 9,200 square meters, with the Scholar’s Residence and watchtower… More details on Gongwu Village ++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units