Yangshan Ancient Town

　　    Yangshan Ancient Town is situated in Yangshan Town, Jinxiang. It currently retains 148 well-preserved ancient dwellings of various styles from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as 36 ancient shops. The ancient dwellings are mainly found in Xiaolizhuang, Xiaotun Village, and Manzhuang Village, while the ancient shops are located on the east street of Yangshan Town. During the Ming and Qing periods, Yangshan’s ancient streets were lined with shops, primarily dealing in incense and religious goods. A local saying still circulates: “Business in Yangshan, temples in Ju’ye,” referring to how people from within a hundred-mile radius would come here to purchase temple supplies. The ancient dwellings include some with storefronts in front and courtyards in the back, as well as two- or three-courtyard quadrangle compounds. These compounds consist of an enclosed layout formed by a north room, south room, and east and west wing rooms, featuring a clear central axis, symmetrical housing, interconnected left and right sides, and deep passageways. Most of these dwellings are built with brick-and-wood or stone-and-wood structures, using grey bricks, grey tiles, and stone walls. Some even have two-story buildings with sharp angles, elegant steps, and red pillars, boasting highly refined exteriors. Some are decorated with intricate wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings. Others feature hanging flower towers, chimneys, shrines, and screen walls (a screen wall is a wall surface directly inside the main gate facing the entrance of the courtyard, also called a welcoming wall, often adorned with rich brick carvings, sometimes complemented by elaborate paintings, mainly symbolizing blessings such as “good fortune” and “prosperity”). In front of the houses, there are often stone lions and horse-tethering posts (stone). Larger quadrangle compounds also include differently sized backyards, known as rear gardens. The main north-facing room inside the inner residence is situated at the back and is the most important space in the compound. Its foundation and overall dimensions are relatively large, typically consisting of three rooms, and five rooms in larger homes. On the east and west sides of the inner residence, there are three rooms each, opening inward toward the courtyard and called wing rooms. In some larger compounds, there are also small side rooms located south of the wing rooms. The south room, also known as the “reverse seat,” is generally used as a guest room or a study for younger family members. These distinctive, regionally characteristic ancient dwellings hold significant cultural and historical value. In the spring of 2009, during a cultural relics survey on Yangshan Ancient Street, two stone tablets were discovered, inscribed with “Reconstruction of the East Gate” and “Reconstruction of the West Gate.” In 2008, the ancient dwellings of Yangshan were designated as municipal-level key cultural relics protection units. (End)