Houwu Village

　　Houwu Village, located at the southern end of Yongkang and bordering Jinyun, is home to over 800 households, nearly all surnamed Wu. According to the *Genealogy of the Wu Clan of Pingshan Qingtang*, the founding ancestor of the Wu family in Houwu Village was named Zhaoqing, styled Mingzhi and also known as Pingshan. He was born in the Year of Yichou during the Shaoxing reign of the Song Dynasty (1145 AD) and passed away in the Year of Guimao (specific year unclear). He was the tenth-generation descendant of Quanzhi Gong of Xianju, who held the high-ranking title of Silver-Green Palace Attendant. With a noble and detached character, he harbored thoughts of transcending worldly life. While his uncles, brothers, and nephews successively rose to prominent official positions, bringing pride to their families, he remained indifferent to such ambitions. Accompanying his uncle on an official assignment to Yongkang, he was captivated by the scenic beauty of Wuping Mountain in the southern part of Yongkang. There, he chose to settle, building a home amidst the serene landscape, thus becoming the founding ancestor of the Wu clan in Yongkang.

　　Perhaps inheriting their ancestor’s detached attitude toward officialdom, as you wander through Houwu Village—where traditional central Zhejiang-style residences abound—nearly a hundred ancestral halls, elegant mansions, and ancient houses lie scattered like pearls covered in dust along the lanes. Only by stepping closer, brushing off the grime, and appreciating them closely can you truly discover their charm. After visiting landmarks like Shuyu Hall, Yanting Hall, Juqing Hall, Weiji Hall, Cuncheng Hall, Orchid Residence, Pingshan Retreat, Wu Ting Ancestral Hall, Sima Mansion, Chengyi Ancestral Hall, Ancient Cycad, Green Vine Wooden Gate, Li Quan Well, Osmanthus Residence, Zhen Nan Temple, Ancient Camphor Tree, and the Thousand-Crafts Bed, you’ll realize that Houwu Village is laid out facing south, backed by the Jinxi Stream and fronted by Pingshan Mountain, with an orderly layout. The houses are interconnected, with corridors extending symmetrically in all four directions like a grid. Hundreds of rooms form a continuous complex, so even in snow or rain, neighbors can visit without umbrellas. The high gables between houses naturally guard against fire and theft. The village’s simple yet grand, exquisite, and practical architecture makes you marvel at the diligence, pragmatism, and wisdom of its ancestors.

　　Houwu Village has a rich history. Its ancestral halls are particularly noteworthy. The Wu Clan Ancestral Hall, built in the 26th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1547 AD) and covering over 1,140 square meters, stands at the entrance of Houwu Village. The hall consists of three sections—front, middle, and rear—with two side wings. The front hall has three bays, the middle hall five, and the rear hall seven. There are over 20 side rooms on the east and west. The architectural elements inside—such as raised beams, brackets, bracket arms, sparrow-and-bracket decorations, and butterfly-shaped wooden carvings—are adorned with intricate and vivid reliefs of flowers, birds, fish, insects, human figures, beasts, and birds. The column capitals, purlins, and rafters are decorated with gold and colored paintings, all remarkably well-preserved. At the center of the main hall hangs the clan hall’s nameplate, “Xulun Hall,” symbolizing reverence for ancestry and ethical principles. On the left and right sides of the upper middle hall hang plaques listing the official titles and imperial examination achievements of the clan’s ancestors, showcasing familial prestige. The corridors of the side wings are adorned with over 100 plaques, commemorating Houwu Village’s traditions and past glory. The Chengyi Ancestral Hall was built by the six sons of Wu Zhang, the fourteenth-generation ancestor of the Wu clan, to honor their father. According to the Wu Clan Genealogy, the fourteenth generation used the character “Cheng” (澄), and Wu Zhang, ranking first among them, gave the hall its name. Wu Zhang was diligent, adhered to clan rules, upheld rituals and filial piety, and raised his children well. His six sons were named after the Six Arts: Rites, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics, hence the hall is also called the “Six Sons’ Ancestral Hall.” The Lishan Ancestral Hall, built to honor the twenty-fourth-generation ancestor Wu Hanzu of Houwu Village, is also worth visiting.

　　Houwu Village is steeped in culture, as reflected in the names of its ancient houses. The earliest owner of Sima Mansion held the official title of Sima (roughly equivalent to Minister of War), hence the name, much like how modern landmarks are named “Presidential Palace” or “Minister’s Building.” Sima Mansion was built by Wu Wenwu, a man of great intelligence who valued family education. All seven of his sons achieved success, successively passing the imperial examinations to become Jinshi (advanced scholars), imperial students, tribute students, appointed tribute students, or district magistrates. In the hall of Sima Mansion, the Hu Cuncheng Hall, stands a towering 5-meter-tall cycad with a trunk half a meter in diameter, said to be over 400 years old. The Pingshan Retreat, also called Shuyu Hall, was the private residence of Wu Yongsong. The underside of the main beam in Shuyu Hall features an exquisitely carved bas-relief of “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix,” with each bird rendered uniquely and vividly—a masterpiece. Built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Osmanthus Residence gained fame not only for its scholarly owners but also because its osmanthus blossoms perfumed half the village when in bloom. The Orchid Residence, over a century old, dates back to the late Qing Dynasty. Its owner planted various species of orchids from the very beginning, giving the courtyard its elegant name. Though the owners have changed over generations, the love for orchids remains. Every spring, when the orchids bloom, the courtyard fills with a delicate fragrance.

　　Houwu Village remains unshaken by change. Through centuries of turmoil, war, and the cycles of seasons, it has preserved the time-honored virtues of diligence, frugality, effective child-rearing, and charitable generosity—values shared by both the Wu clan and the broader Chinese nation. Strolling through this ancient village of white walls and black tiles in the drizzling early autumn, it’s easy to let your imagination wander. Walking along the moss-covered stone lanes, the centuries-old houses silently recount their past. Intricately carved wooden motifs on window lattices and doors—depicting scenes like “The Fourth Son Visits His Mother,” “A Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate,” “Magpies on Plum Blossoms,” “Generations of Nobility,” and “Three Rams Bring Prosperity”—themes of good fortune and filial piety, guide and protect the villagers, ensuring generations of peace and contentment. Even today, occasional visitors barely disturb the tranquil, pond-like serenity of life here. Peeking into an open ancestral home, you might see an elderly woman, her sparse hair tied in two thin braids, sitting at a table by the door shelling vegetables in rain boots meant for fieldwork. In another courtyard, a middle-aged woman washes rice while chickens roam the yard and a dog lounges lazily under the porch. Visitors may be guests, but the animals are the true masters. At the lane’s entrance, a middle-aged man sells fresh meat, an old woman sells vegetables, and a young man peddles tofu, tending to modest businesses. By the ponds behind the houses, women pound endless laundry on the same large stone once used by their ancestors. Though designated as a “China Historical and Cultural Village” by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the National Cultural Heritage Administration in June this year, Houwu Village remains as vibrantly alive, peaceful, and unpretentious as it has been for centuries.

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