Ancient Zhuji Lane

Ancient Zhuji Lane

Ancient Zhuji Lane is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of Nanxiong City.

Zhuji Lane is located in Shashui Village, 9 kilometers north of Nanxiong City, originally named Jingzong Lane. Legend has it that during the Baoli era of Emperor Jingzong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Chang, a resident of Jingzong Lane known for his filial piety and righteousness, had seven generations living under one roof. The imperial court, upon hearing of his virtue, bestowed upon him a Zhuji (pearl-threaded) belt. To avoid the naming taboo of Emperor Jingzong’s temple name, Jingzong Lane was renamed "Zhuji Lane."

Zhuji Lane

Zhuji Lane is 1,500 meters long, stretching from Sima Bridge in the south to Fenghuang Bridge in the north. The road surface is paved with cobblestones and is about 3–4 meters wide. An ancient post road runs through the lane, and three gate towers — southern, central, and northern — within the lane were built in the early Qing Dynasty.

Approximately twenty meters inside the southern gate stands an ancient tower from the Yuan Dynasty, known as "Hu Fei Tower" (built in 1350 AD). Beside the tower is an ancient well, which legend says is where Hu Fei committed suicide. Regarding Hu Fei, the History of the Song Dynasty records that she was originally a concubine of Emperor Duzong of the Southern Song Dynasty. She was framed by the then-prime minister Jia Sidao and forced to become a nun. Later, Hu Fei escaped from the nunnery and wandered until she was rescued by Huang Zhuwang, a wealthy merchant from Zhuji Lane in Nanxiong who was transporting grain to Hangzhou, and taken back as his concubine. Unfortunately, the affair was reported by a servant, prompting the imperial court to send troops to suppress the area. As a result, the residents of Zhuji Lane and the surrounding tens of miles fled their homes in a mass southern migration. Feeling guilty for having endangered everyone, Hu Fei committed suicide by jumping into the well. Years later, when the villagers returned, they built a stone pagoda beside the well in her memory. The pagoda is 3.5 meters tall, solid, seven-tiered and octagonal, constructed from 17 exquisitely carved red sandstone blocks.

Due to its historical location on the vital transportation route from the Central Plains to Lingnan, Zhuji Lane experienced rapid economic development and became a relatively prosperous settlement early on. After the Tang Dynasty Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling opened the Meiguan Post Road (the new route over Dayuling), Zhuji Lane grew into a key town along the ancient post road. The area was filled with inns and restaurants, bustling with merchants, and the imperial court even established the Jinsha Patrol Office here.

According to research by contemporary scholars, descendants of the Zhuji migrants who moved south historically now have 141 surnames spread across 29 cities and counties in the Pearl River Delta region, with tens of millions more having emigrated abroad. They have made indelible contributions to the development and construction of the Pearl River Delta and their adopted countries. In recent years, with large numbers of Zhuji descendants returning to trace their roots, Zhuji Lane has become a new highlight for tourism in our city.

The Zhuji Stone Pagoda is located in Ancient Zhuji Lane, Zhuji Town, Nanxiong City, built in the 10th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1350 AD). It is an octagonal, seven-tiered, solid, pagoda-style stone structure. The entire pagoda is assembled by stacking 17 carved red sandstone blocks, standing 3.36 meters tall. The base is octagonal and positioned over an ancient well. The first tier features a lotus pedestal, with an octagonal column adorned with relief carvings of the Four Heavenly Kings and inscriptions such as “Re-erected by Sun Chaolie, Prefect of Nanxiong Road, Yuanyou Gengyin, early winter.” The second to fourth tiers all have lotus pedestals with octagonal columns covered in carved Buddha images. The fifth tier has a lotus pedestal with a drum-shaped body featuring carved human faces and lotus patterns. The sixth tier has an inverted lotus pedestal with an octagonal column engraved with Buddha figures. The seventh tier is a lotus pedestal with a drum-shaped body. The finial is gourd-shaped. This pagoda is one of the few in Guangdong with a verifiable absolute date and had a pavilion added in 1984.

Transportation

Take a bus from Shaoguan East Bus Station next to the train station, which runs about every half hour, or take a Nanxiong-bound taxi and reserve a seat. The terminal is Nanxiong Bus Station, after which you can take a local taxi to Zhuji Lane.

For the return trip, you can flag down a passing bus headed for Shaoguan on the main road; the fare is usually around 40 RMB. Alternatively, go to Zhuji Bus Terminal to catch a bus, with the last bus back to Shaoguan departing at 4 PM. The regular ticket price for Meiling is 30 RMB, with half-price for students. For those driving, parking fees are extra.

Address: Zhuji Village, Zhuji Town, Nanxiong City, Shaoguan City

Type: Historical Site / Ancient Town / Ancient Village

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: About 2 hours

Opening Hours: 8:00 – 17:30

Ticket: Adult ticket for Ancient Zhuji Lane, Nanxiong, Shaoguan: 40 RMB