Xintian Ancient Village

Xintian Ancient Village

Xintian Ancient Village is the oldest village in Shaoguan, located in the hinterland of Wujing Town, about 38 km northeast of Nanxiong City, Guangdong Province. The village has a history of over 1,691 years, dating back to the third year of the Jianxin era during the Western Jin Dynasty. Within the ancient village, there are numerous residential buildings from the Ming, Qing, and early Republican periods, among which well-preserved Ming and Qing structures cover an area of over 10,000 square meters. Although most of the architecture is of the Hakka style, it retains many Central Plains elements, featuring gray walls, dark tiles, and phoenix-headed eaves, all arranged in a well-balanced layout.

A local saying in Nanxiong goes: “Before there was Wujing Town, there was the Li family of Xintian; before there was Zhenchang County, there was the Li family of Xintian.” Those who have visited the hinterland of Wujing Town, about 38 km northeast of Nanxiong City, nestled to the north of Wujing Street, and known as the “First Village of Nanxiong, the First Family to Settle in Nanxiong, and an Ancient Village of Guangdong,” would agree that this praise is well-deserved. The name “Xintian” is believed to mean “a field of newly cultivated hope.” The village was established by Li Geng in the third year of Emperor Min of the Western Jin Dynasty (315 AD), further developed by Li Jinma, and meticulously managed by ancestors across five dynasties—Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing—eventually becoming a cultural hub for migrants settling in Nanxiong.

According to historical records such as the Qing-era "Zhili Nanxiong Zhou Zhi" (Annals of Directly Administered Nanxiong Prefecture), the village was originally named “Xinxī” (“New Stream”): “Xin” meaning newly cultivated, and “xi” referring to being situated by mountains and water. The Zhen River meanders around Xintian Market, the ancient Wujing Road runs through the center, and the Xintian Bridge spans gracefully in an arc. To the south, Tian Guang Mountain serves as the ancestral mountain, while the east and west are embraced by the curved White Stone Ridge and Huashan. To the north lies the bow-shaped Zhen River, creating a feng shui treasure. The "Ten Scenes of Xinxī" (West Window Night Reading, South Cave Spring Plowing, Evening Drums of Lianshan, Morning Bells by the Water, Fish Leaping in Chitang, Pines on Menling Hill, Tower Reflections in the Long River, Horse Neighs on the Official Road, Sunset at Long Bridge, Morning Mist at Kuige) encapsulate the village’s superior ecological layout.

From south to north, the vertical axis is formed by Xulun Hall, Aijing Hall, Yushan Ancestral Hall, Yujian Ancestral Hall (Youzheng Hall), and Jishu Hall, while Wenming Road serves as the horizontal axis. To the east, Xaosi Hall (Xichuan Ancestral Hall), Yongchui Hall, Yongsi Hall, Wenming Academy, and Kuige are interconnected, totaling 40 ancient ancestral halls. To the west, structures such as the Linshui Temple are linked together, forming a clearly structured, vibrant, and graceful “Ψ”-shaped ecosystem.

Entering the village from the southwest corner, the lanes are flanked by residences built with red sandstone slab foundations one meter high, blue bricks, and dark-tiled double-slope gable roofs. Passing through red sandstone-framed square gates adorned with inscribed “Wenming” (Civilization) plaques feels like stepping into a forest of ancient relics. An ancient blue-brick lane stretches directly eastward, bordered by red sandstone foundations, blue brick walls, and dark-tiled houses with towering gables, exuding a majestic presence. The windows, inlaid with red sandstone, feature patterns such as round coins, scrolling vines, interlocking rings, swastikas, “ya” characters, and floral buds, while red sandstone is also used for wall corners, adding striking visual appeal. The precisely cut brick lines showcase exceptional artistry, truly admirable. To the north, the Xichuan Ancestral Hall features a red sandstone square door frame, with a honeycomb-patterned central lintel and a door stud carved with the character “Feng” (abundance). An inscribed “Xichuan Ancestral Hall” plaque, styled like a memorial archway, crowns the entrance. At the eastern end of the lane stands a red sandstone-framed square gatehouse with a double-slope, dark-tiled gable roof, bearing a plaque inscribed “Kuimen (Wenming Gate),” flanked by pairs of red sandstone drum-shaped ornaments and celestial dancer sculptures, full of spirit. To the south lies the Cultural Heritage Hub—the oldest Wenming Academy, oriented southwest to northeast, with red sandstone steps, foundations, and wall corners. Its two-slope, dark-tiled horsehead-wall gatehouse is flanked by similar-style buildings with dark-tiled roofs. The academy once produced 26 students who attended the Imperial College and the National University. It houses numerous historic relics, including a “Heaven Gate Elder” decorative memorial archway-style wall inscribed with “Radiant Clouds and Glorious Mist,” eaves painted with floral designs, a red sandstone base edge, and a “Water Piercing the Heaven Gate” courtyard. The “Three Abundances Bring Joy” brick carving of the “Heaven Gate Elder” features the central inscription “Three Abundances Bring Joy,” flanked by two “Immortals Gathering” scenes, with bases adorned with magpies, mythical creatures, plum blossoms, and clay-sculpted qilins barking at the sun—an exceptionally rare composition, truly a cultural treasure. The “Bamboo Joint and Swallow Chapter” plaque is extremely precious. At the northern end of the lane stands a dark-tiled, blue-brick building with a double-slope, hard-ridge roof, where a pair of red sandstone merit stones still stand at the entrance, some parts now fragmented. To the northeast of the merit stones are rows of dark-tiled, blue-brick houses with double-slope, hard-ridge roofs, all featuring red sandstone door frames adorned with Taiji yin-yang fish door studs, red sandstone thresholds, and door pillow stones. The exteriors are framed with red sandstone borders (close to the eaves), red sandstone yoke-shaped crossbeams, coiling dragon tail diagonal supports, qilin pillars, and scrolling vine diagonal supports—all exquisitely carved, making them truly unique examples. The walls are inlaid with red sandstone windows carved with floral, grass, dragon, and phoenix patterns, adding splendid touches.

Xintian Village, purely inhabited by the Li clan, has over 600 households and more than 3,000 residents. Outstanding members of the Li family have built an exceptional living environment thanks to the village’s prime location: ancient bridges lying across the landscape, lush ancient banyans, and sturdy ancient roads. With “Shanxue Field” and “Heshang Field” as their foundation for survival, red sandstone as the backbone, blue bricks as the skin, elaborately carved windows and doors as bright eyes, proudly standing upturned eaves, solid walls, the magical “Mount Tai Stone Can Defy Evil,” interconnected eaves and steps, secluded winding paths, and pure ancient wells as the soul, along with the village’s benevolent culture, communal halls (“Gongtang”), deity associations (“Shenhui”), the Li Clan Ancestral Festival, and the Bench Dragon Dance as spiritual pillars, they carefully preserve this quaint ancient village.

Xintian Village: The village administers 10 villager groups, with a total of 551 households and 2,160 people. The annual collective income is 3,000 yuan, and the per capita annual income is 3,500 yuan, including 57 poor households (181 people) with an annual per capita income below 2,500 yuan, accounting for 8.38% of the village population. The village has 2,970 mu of arable land, and farmers mainly rely on planting cash crops such as yellow tobacco, rice, peanuts, and chili peppers, as well as labor exports, for their livelihoods. … Xintian Village Detailed Information++