Jiangbei Ancient Village

　　Ningdu County's Shishang Town has unique geographical advantages, with beautiful mountains and rivers and boundless scenery. The Hakka people have lived and thrived on this ancient land for generations, naturally leaving behind many historical imprints of ancient culture, and Jiangbei Village in Shishang is one of them.

　　Jiangbei Village is located to the northwest of Shishang Town, about 9.5 kilometers from the town. As early as 949 AD, seven or eight families surnamed Liu migrated here from Shanxi and Henan to escape war. After living here for sixty or seventy years, they found the area had high mountains and inconvenient transportation, which hindered production development, so they moved elsewhere. However, around 1107 AD, due to conflicts between the Liao and Jin dynasties, some people surnamed Zeng fled from Shandong to settle in Linchi, Ningdu. Because the Zeng families who first settled in Linchi multiplied rapidly, over 30 households later split off and moved to Xiaoyuan Village in Dongshanzhai. Among them, a man named Zeng Bazheng came to Jiangbei from Xiaoyuan. To him, Jiangbei had good mountains, good water, and fertile land, resembling a small basin with excellent feng shui, so he brought his family and brothers — around eighteen or nineteen households in total — to settle and develop here. To this day, it has a history of over a thousand years. Through generations of growth, the Zeng clan has established more than forty generations in Jiangbei, now comprising over 270 households and a population of more than 1,400.

　　Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Jiangbei has built over 20 large residences and eleven ancestral halls; at the village entrance, there is also a stone arch bridge, with a pavilion built on the bridge deck called the “Jinshi Pavilion” (Scholar Pavilion); next to this stone arch bridge, there is also a “Baishi Xian’an” (White Stone Immortal Nunnery) and a Water Mouth Pavilion that is six stories high, and at the village entrance stands a “Han Emperor Temple,” among other structures.

　　These large residences, ancestral halls, water pavilions, temples, and other buildings feature distinctive styles and exquisite craftsmanship, adorned with many precious carvings such as wood carvings, brick carvings, and murals. It is said that in those days, wealthy families and prosperous individuals often harbored gratitude and were fond of doing good deeds, especially helping the poor and needy, fostering a long-standing village tradition of mutual aid and harmony. Hence, the Water Mouth Pavilion built at the village entrance is also known as the “Ci’en Pavilion” (Pavilion of Compassionate Grace). This pavilion has long been listed as a key protected ancient building by county and city cultural heritage authorities.

　　Additionally, to honor the virtues of their ancestors, the villagers planted 17 camphor trees around the village, symbolizing the 17 wealthy households that once emerged here, while also beautifying the village environment. Today, as you enter the village, you can still see those towering ancient camphor trees, which are over 300 years old, remaining lush and vibrant. Due to the village’s beautiful natural surroundings, people say it has excellent feng shui. There is also a local rhyme summarizing Jiangbei’s landscape: “Three green hills, one flowing river; dragons leap and tigers bound, dominating the water mouth. The water pavilion rests atop the tiger; a prosperous village for ten thousand years amid green hills and towers.”

　　Throughout its millennia-long history, Jiangbei Village has also been home to many beautiful legends, such as “The Cattle Trader and the White Stone Immortal,” “The Farmhand Lai and the Wine Spring,” “Seven Youths Searching for the Red Army,” and others — all widely loved tales.

　　The people of Jiangbei Village particularly revere the Han Emperor. Since the village built the Han Emperor Temple, they specially created a type of lantern decoration called the “Kang Deng” (Carried Lantern), used during festivals to pay homage to the Han Emperor through a lantern parade. This lantern has four tiers, standing about 1.8 meters tall with a circumference of 1.3 meters; its exterior is entirely covered with exquisitely cut paper designs, featuring patterns of ancient scholars and beauties, mythological figures, famous flowers and noble trees, and various birds and animals, adorning the “Kang Deng” in vibrant splendor. Inside the “Kang Deng” are over twenty oil lamps. During the annual Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, when the “Kang Deng” is paraded through the village, all the oil lamps are lit. The heat from the flames causes the images on the lantern to rotate automatically, creating a series of animated, beautiful scenes. At the same time, the parade includes many Buddha palanquins and drum bands, forming long processions that follow slowly behind. During the parade, the village also fires divine cannons, and every household sets off firecrackers in celebration. In the evening, opera troupes are invited to perform, making the whole village lively and festive, with a strong holiday atmosphere that showcases the boundless charm of Hakka folk traditions. (By Peng Yuesheng)

　　Source: China Ganzhou Network – Gannan Daily, by Peng Yuesheng