The Shangyue Village Architectural Complex

The Shangyue Village Architectural Complex

The Shangyue Village Architectural Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the Guangdong Provincial level.

The Min’an Ancient Residential Buildings are located in Hengwei Pian Village, Shangyue Village Committee, Min’an, Fogang County, covering an area of approximately 45,000 square meters. The architectural complex is grand and imposing, and has been remarkably well preserved. Legend has it that at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Wenhuan, the founding ancestor of the Zhu clan in Shangyue Village, died a martyr while escorting the Southern Song emperor to flee to Jinyuzui on the Beijiang River. His son settled in Shangyue Village and the family has thrived there ever since, now spanning 32 generations. The ancient dwellings feature a clear, rigorous, and well-arranged layout. The entire village consists of eighteen “li” (traditional neighborhood units), with architecture belonging to the Ming and Qing Dynasties’ Lingnan style. Each household is adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, and the wall paintings are uniquely distinctive. The village paths are paved with granite slabs. The ancestral house of the Zhu clan, the Poshan Ancestral Hall, was first built in the 46th year of the Qianlong reign (1782), and has a history of over 200 years. The ancestral house is arranged in three blocks, separated by three gate towers that do not interconnect, with 14 households facing each other along each block’s alleyways. The Min’an Ancient Residential Buildings also demonstrate that cultural and economic exchanges between Fogang and the Pearl River Delta region began as early as the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In recent years, the Min’an Ancient Residential Buildings have attracted a large number of tourists from the Pearl River Delta every year.

Transportation: Located 16 kilometers from Fogang County town, with a provincial highway passing through, making it easily accessible. By car from Guangzhou, take the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway northbound to the Tangtang exit in Fogang County, then switch to National Highway 106, drive toward Guangzhou to Longshan Town, then turn onto County Road 376, and you will arrive at the Min’an Ancient Residential Buildings after 15 minutes. The total journey time from Guangzhou is about 1 hour.

Dining & Accommodation: You can stay and dine at three-star or two-star hotels in the county town (such as Xingguang Hotel ☆☆☆, Hongfa Hotel ☆☆, Edward Hotel ☆☆, Jintao Hotel ☆☆).

Shopping Guide:

The county town has large supermarkets offering a wide variety of goods and local specialties.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units