Ancient Village of Caojiaowan

Ancient Village of Caojiaowan

The village of Caojiaowan is located in Shangdong Village Committee, Xiaokeng Town, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province. This ancient village consists of the Deng Clan Ancestral Hall, Upper and Lower Study Halls, Stone Enclosure Building, and New Enclosure Building, covering an area of 10,000 square meters with a population of about 400. Nestled on a relatively flat terrace at the foot of a mountain and facing south, the layout of the village's buildings curves southwestward, with pathways paved in river pebbles connecting the various structures. Cultivated paddy fields lie in front of the village. According to the Deng Family Genealogy, “Our ancestors originally lived in the Heluo region, moved to Jiangxi during the Song Dynasty, relocated to Shanggu Township, Tingzhou Prefecture, Changting County, Fujian in the late Yuan Dynasty, and entered Guangdong during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, settling in Nanxiong and Shixing. By the end of the Ming and early Qing Dynasties, they moved from Nanxiong to Hexi in Shaoguan Prefecture, then to Sucun, Niujiaowan, Kongdongzi, and Caojiaowan in Datang, Qujiang. After seven generations, they established their roots in Caojiaowan during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty.”

The oldest structure in this ancient architectural complex is the Deng Clan Ancestral Hall, built in the 47th year of the Qianlong reign (1782 AD); followed by the Stone Enclosure Building in the 1st year of the Jiaqing reign (1796 AD); the Lower Study Hall in the 3rd year of the Daoguang reign (1823 AD); the Upper Study Hall in the 6th year of the Tongzhi reign (1867 AD); and the New Enclosure Building in the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign (1870 AD). The village is laid out symmetrically on both sides of the ancestral hall’s central axis, following the terrain. The ancestral hall itself has a “Chinese character 国 (Guo)”-shaped layout, consisting of three courtyards separated by atriums with a “four-hall water collection” structure. The enclosed building complex comprises an outer wall, ancestral hall, and left and right living quarters. The main gate of the outer wall is set 10 degrees southeast of the central line, with a plaque inscribed “He Tian Chi Zeng” (Bestowed by Heaven) hanging from its lintel, dated to the 12th year of the Guangxu reign. The moon beam is carved with a dragon-and-phoenix auspicious design; the door pillow stone is shaped like a tripod, with cloud-thunder patterns carved between the tripod legs. Upon entering the ancestral hall’s main gate, there is a latticed screen with openwork carvings of scrolling vines and floral patterns; beyond that is the Futing Hall, then the Tianjie (sky street), leading into the central hall. The central hall features a six-pillar beam structure, followed by the upper hall where the ancestral altar is placed.

The Stone Enclosure Building is located in the western part of the village. Construction began in the 1st year of the Jiaqing reign (1796 AD) and was completed in the 7th year (1803 AD), with an additional layer and a half added in the 3rd year of the Daoguang reign (1823 AD). The stone building is four and a half stories high, with an exterior built of stone. Originally, the interior had a horse-stable-style brick-and-wood structure with 52 rooms, serving as a place for villagers to store grain and take refuge in emergencies. Later, due to a fire inside the building and years of warfare, it gradually fell into disrepair. In 1980, the wooden structures were demolished, leaving only the stone outer walls of the enclosure building.

Adjacent to the stone building are the New Enclosure Building and the Lower Study Hall. The New Enclosure Building was constructed in the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign (1870 AD), standing three stories tall, and is of so-called “gold-wrapped-silver” brick-and-wood construction (outer walls of blue bricks, inner walls of mud bricks). The floor is paved with pebbles, and the enclosure has a front and rear gate. The front gate is designed as a gate tower with a gate fence in front. Though compact in size, the building is sturdy and practical. The Lower Study Hall was built in the 3rd year of the Daoguang reign (1823 AD), covering an area of about 300 square meters. It has a small front courtyard and a screen wall, with a classical ridge on the screen wall. The moon beam and gate pier in front are carved with exquisite patterns—the middle section of the moon beam is carved in the shape of ancient bamboo scrolls, inscribed with the words “Scholars converse with laughter, none but the learned pass through,” while one side below the beam features bas-reliefs of strings of coins. The eaves on both sides of the porch are adorned with four tiers of intricately carved six-puzuo bracket sets, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship.

The Upper Study Hall is situated between the stone building and the ancestral hall. Built in the 6th year of the Tongzhi reign (1867 AD), it follows a two-courtyard, quadrangle-style layout, covering an area of 600 square meters. It continued to operate as a private school during the Republican era, educating the village’s children. The overall structure of the study hall remains well preserved.

This ancient village still houses 15 intact Qing Dynasty plaques. These preserved plaques indicate that Caojiaowan Village had a tradition of valuing both farming and scholarship, emphasizing the education of its youth in hopes they would “study well, achieve merit, and attain official rank,” rising in social status. That a remote mountain village built two study halls clearly reflects the community’s emphasis on education and talent cultivation. According to village elders, since the 13th-generation ancestors—brothers Deng Wansheng, Deng Wanxing, and Deng Wanlong—the Deng family has had approximately 40 members who achieved scholarly honors or purchased titles, and about 20 who held official positions of varying ranks. Among them, several families had multiple or multi-generational scholars or officials, truly making it a “family of literary distinction.” To this day, a popular tale known as the “Seven Sons, Six Scholars” is still passed down orally among the clan members. The scholarly achievements of the clan members are recorded in the Guangxu-era version of the Qujiang County Annals.

Caojiaowan Village is a relatively well-documented and well-preserved Hakka ancient village in the Shaoguan area. Its environment features overlapping peaks, dense forests, and picturesque scenery; its architecture encompasses a full range of types, with exquisite decorations, good preservation, and distinctive local characteristics; and its deep cultural heritage is well-supported by evidence and traditions, making it truly valuable for research.