Shixia Ancient Village

Shixia Ancient Village

Located in Shixia Village, Shen suo Town, about 5 kilometers southwest of Shixing County. According to the family genealogy, the founding ancestor of the Li clan in Shixia, Huode Gong, originally resided in Lijiafang, Ninghua, Fujian. During the wars between the Song and Yuan dynasties, he fled southward with his wife to Shanghang, and after several relocations, eventually settled in Pengtangshui, Shixing, before moving here. Established over 450 years ago and having grown into more than 20 generations, the clan now has a population of over 3,000. The village was initially built in the 29th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1764), then relocated to Shixia. Later, Li Bisheng (descendant of Huode Gong) constructed it during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522–1566).

The village faces south and is situated in the southern part of the Zhenjiang-Moji Basin. To the south, it looks toward Weixi Ridge, while to the north it lies against the southern foothills of Tagang Mountain. The Mojiang River and the Shen suo River flow to the northeast and northwest respectively. It borders Shen nan Village to the north, Chengnan Town to the east, Shinei Village and Weixi Village to the south, and Qunxing Village to the west. The entire settlement consists of 18 grand entrances (each representing a separate ancestral hall), including the Li Clan Ancestral Hall, Zhen Sheng Gong Family Ancestral Hall, Zhen Sheng Gong Walled House, Zhao Ji Gong, Gui Gong, Qiao Dong Gong, Rong Gong, Shi Feng Gong, Ben Li Gong, Shi Yuan Gong, San De Gong, Xin Fu Gong, Yu Liang Gong, Huai Liang Gong, and Yu Liang Gong—each entrance functioning as an individual ancestral hall. Descendants of the “Rong, Hua, Fu, Gui” (Prosperity, Wealth, Fortune, and Nobility) lineages live in designated sections. The village is arranged in 17 north–south streets and features 6 main buildings. Each entrance consists of a front and rear central hall, a middle hall, and a backyard, commonly referred to as the “Eighteen Grand Entrances,” covering an area of approximately 36,000 square meters. Locals say: “The fish ponds of Xincun, the threshing grounds of Yangguling, and the house complex of Shixia.” The alleys and doorways connect intricately with small gates for defense against bandits, forming a network of mutual protection. The clan has grown into over 20 generations with a population exceeding 4,000. Recognized as a “National Famous Town for Characteristic Landscape Tourism” and a “Guangdong Ancient Village.”

Among them, the “Simatai” village house is the most prominent. It enshrines the ancestral tablet of the founding patriarch Huode Gong as well as those of successive generations. The entire village is constructed from grey bricks, tiles, and wood, designed with anti-bandit defenses; closing the small gates allows each unit to function independently. It is a fine example of Hakka walled houses.

The Li Clan Ancestral Hall was initially built in the 43rd year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1780) and is located at the southeastern corner of the southernmost row of houses in the village. Facing south, it fronts mountain peaks and features a spacious pond, two wells, and is shaded by lush bamboo. A pair of achievement stone tablets still stand to the southwest. The structure resembles a traditional quadrangle courtyard, with pebble foundations, double-sloped hipped roofs made of grey bricks, and a west-side wing resembling an inverted seat (including the “Dongbian Village” section). The main gate has a red sandstone square frame, threshold, and drum-shaped stones (with carvings of mythical flowers and plants at the base, four flying bats on the body, a celestial scene at the center, and crouching lions at the top). The diamond-shaped pillars, wooden overhanging eaves, and domed ceiling are all exquisitely carved. On the reverse side of the eave board behind the gate are inscribed the phrases “Uphold Family Roots and Unite Kin” (center), “Practice Filial Piety Indoors” (west), and “Show Brotherly Respect Outdoors” (east), serving as the highest guiding principles of the village. Inside, there are two spacious courtyards (paved with grey bricks) separating two rows of double-sloped hipped roof buildings with grey tile roofs, flanked by east and west wing rooms. The central hall’s carved flower gate (Zhongtang) is a double-sloped hip-and-gable roof building supported by eight red sandstone pillars, featuring an octagonal wooden caisson ceiling, three tiers of carved dragon-head bracket sets, and side panels depicting qilin and phoenixes (replacing the usual “dragon-phoenix” motifs with “left qilin, right phoenix”), which is quite rare. The main hall features two red sandstone pillars, a central shrine enshrining the ancestral tablets of the Li clan, and a couplet that reads: “Enter the hall and reflect on the virtues of the ancestors; ascend the platform and remember the merits of the lineage.” The eave board is inscribed with “Right Reverence, Left Reverence.” In the bottom right corner is the “Wangxiang Hall,” inscribed with “Shrine of the Local Earth God,” accompanied by a couplet: “White stones know you are old; golden blessings are bestowed upon the people.” The west wing room is used as the “Elderly Association” (with the lintel inscribed “Discipline Enforcement”), while the east wing room (lintel inscribed “Uphold Ethics”) is partly used as a Li Clan exhibition space. The over 2,000-square-meter ancestral hall is entirely constructed with grey bricks, featuring carved beams and painted rafters. The San De Gong Hall in the northwest corner of the ancestral hall is a five-sided walled house facing southeast, belonging to Xincun Village. It has two courtyards and three sections, six red sandstone round pillars, and a diamond-patterned caisson ceiling. At the entrance, the central eave board is inscribed with “A Myriad of Scenic Vistas,” while the back is inscribed with “Then Yan Ming Chen.” Other unique inscriptions include “Dew Fills Pure Laurels,” “Yi Zhao Tang,” and “Longevity Brings Good Fortune.” Nearby stands a five-story Hakka walled house entirely built from river stones, incredibly sturdy, and a unique chessboard-style fortress.

The Zhen Sheng Gong Walled House (with a memorial archway gate) faces south, covers an area of 4,366 square meters, and has 17 streets running horizontally and vertically. Each housing unit is structured in the shape of the characters “日” (sun) and “田” (field). A stone tablet in Pingdong is inscribed with “Jie Xiao Fang” (Chastity and Filial Piety Archway). The Jinde Gong Walled House displays a plaque reading “Sheng Shi Ying Xiu” (Prosperous Era, Outstanding Talent). The bricks used in constructing the “Xin Wu Li” houses are uniformly sized at 8×6×2 inches, with all six sides polished, and no more than three bricks were laid per day. Both interior and exterior walls are smooth as a whetstone, with perfectly aligned horizontal and vertical brick joints.

In the northwest corner of the ancestral hall lies the “Dong Hu Qing Lan” Walled House, which serves as the village watchtower. It faces south and is rectangular, five stories high, standing 15 meters tall, 41.6 meters long, and 31.3 meters wide, covering an area of 1,302.1 square meters. The roof is a hip-and-gable style covered with dark grey tiles and grey tile ridges. The central part of the south wall features a 1-meter-thick arched gate made of red sandstone, with an iron door panel and a memorial archway-style lintel inscribed with the plaque “Dong Hu Qing Lan” (featuring a celestial background). The walls are constructed from river pebble mortar up to the top; the corners, watchtowers (gun angles), straight, cross-shaped, arched, and square windows are made of grey bricks. The overlapping brickwork forms a circular pattern with double eaves, and the ridges are decorated with scrolling vines. The outer walls are 1 meter thick. Inside, the courtyard is paved with pebbles, and the well is lined with 1-meter-high red sandstone. Round and square grey brick pillars are used. The building features a “回” (return) shaped tower courtyard, wooden corridors, and wooden stairs leading to the top. It is divided into multiple rooms connected by arched doorways. The north and west sides have pebble-lined edges and nearly 4-meter-wide protective moats. The south and east sides are guarded by wing rooms, with an arched gateway at the southeast corner of the wall connecting to the ancestral hall. This is an auxiliary structure of the ancestral hall and is a protected cultural heritage site at the county level. Surrounded by lush bamboo and shady trees, the structure remains largely intact.

Shixia Village: Shixia Village in Shen suo Town is located about 5 kilometers southwest of Shixing County. Why is it called “Shixia”? To the south of Shen suo Town in Shixing County lies a rocky mountain known as “E Gong Zuǐ” (Goose Beak Rock). Looking out, the village happens to sit right at the foot of this rock, hence the name “Shixia Village.” From within the village, the architectural layout consists of each household having either two halls and six rooms or four halls and two rooms. The eaves streets between each building are wide and straight, with drainage ditches made of long strips of red sandstone running down the middle, flanked by flat, straight, and broad pedestrian walkways. The eaves streets crisscross the village, connecting everything seamlessly and ingeniously integrating the buildings of the village and individual homes... More details about Shixia Village ++