Jiangshan Qingyang Village

　　 Qingyang Village is situated in Shimen Town, Jiangshan City, at the northern foot of Mount Jianglang, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, with the ancient Xianxia Trail — an overland extension of the Maritime Silk Road — running near the village. The village currently has 8 villager groups, 345 households, and 1,168 residents. In 2009, the village collective economy income was 820,000 yuan, and the per capita net income of farmers was 6,898 yuan. Jiangshan has long been the central settlement area of the Mao clan in southern China. When Mao Yuanqiong (courtesy name Qingyang), the eighth-generation descendant of Mao Bao, settled at the northern foot of Mount Jianglang, his descendants later named the village after his courtesy name, thus giving rise to the name Qingyang Village.

　　 The Qingyang branch of the Mao clan developed steadily and has a long and distinguished history. Since Mao Yuanqiong settled in Qingyang, the Mao clan has flourished for generations, producing numerous talented individuals and gradually growing into the main lineage of the southern Mao clan. While rooted in Jiangshan, members of the Qingyang Mao clan gradually migrated to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Hubei and Hunan, Yunnan and Guizhou, Fujian and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, and even overseas. Eight or nine out of ten Mao families in the south trace their roots back to Qingyang in Jiangshan. The "Genealogy of the Qingyang Mao Clan," listed among the first 48 national treasure archives, clearly documents the proliferation and migration of the southern Mao clan. Existing genealogies of prestigious Mao families across the southern regions all explicitly record direct or indirect descent from Qingyang in Jiangshan. Prominent examples include the Mao clan of Jishui in Jiangxi, the Mao clan of Shaoshan in Hunan, the Mao clan of Fenghua in Zhejiang, and the Mao clan of Hezhou in Guangxi — all elite branches that originated from Qingyang. Thus, Qingyang rightfully earns the title "Birthplace of the Southern Mao Clan." In October 2009, Mao Xinyu, Mao Zedong’s grandson, along with Mao clan descendants from various regions, attended the genealogy presentation and ancestral recognition ceremony held in Qingyang.

　　 The Qingyang Mao clan boasts profound cultural heritage and a legacy of notable figures. The village has produced a great many historical personages, including the famous Song Dynasty poet Mao Pang, and the Ming Dynasty official Mao Kai, who served as Minister of Rites, Minister of Personnel, and Minister of Justice. Qingyang Village is also the ancestral home of both the great leader Mao Zedong and Mao Fumei, the first wife of Chiang Kai-shek. Genealogical research confirms that both Mao Zedong and Mao Fumei were 56th-generation direct descendants of the Qingyang Mao clan. Even today, Qingyang remains a cradle of talent. The renowned Taiwanese sinologist Mao Zishui was born in Qingyang, and the village has also produced a host of distinguished figures in science, education, and government.

　　 The Qingyang Mao clan values scholarly pursuit over wealth. The Mao clan inherited the industrious, simple, and upright characteristics of their ancestors and, through life in Jiangshan, further developed the distinctive spiritual ethos of “loyalty to the sovereign and love for the country, diligence in governance and care for the people, integrity and uprightness, and commitment to justice.” For generations, the Qingyang Mao clan adhered to the tradition of “achieving fame through scholarship and maintaining purity in family heritage.” Historically, the village produced 8 Ministers and 83 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). Although many high-ranking officials hailed from Qingyang, the existing traditional architecture in the village remains unadorned, reflecting the clan’s enduring adherence to the ancestral principle of “maintaining purity in family heritage.” Qingyang Village is a base for patriotic education and, in January 2010, was designated as a Zhejiang Provincial Integrity Culture Education Base.

　　 Self-driving route: Take the Huang-Qu-Nan Expressway from Quzhou, exit at Jianglang Mountain, and follow the road signs for about 10 minutes to arrive.

　　 Bus route: From Quzhou South Station, go to Jiangshan New Bus Station, then take bus 202 directly to Qingyang.

　　 Contact number: 4939162; Admission: 50 yuan