Ancient Architectural Complex of Matou Village

　　Matou Village, located in the southern section of the Ten-Mile Gallery and on the western bank of the Qinglong River. The Qinglong River flows past the front of the village. Currently, there are 208 households with a population of 1,126, among whom over 60% are the Song family, who have converted to the Han ethnicity (they were the Buyi ethnic group during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties). They all make a living through farming. Local specialties include peanuts and sunflower seeds. Most of the buildings are ancient wooden structures from the Qing Dynasty, including seven quadrangle courtyards and seventeen three-sided courtyards, all with stone courtyards and entrance gates that open westward. The three-sided courtyards are enclosed with walls, and when the entrance gates are closed, they become very secure. Among them, the sites of the Chief’s Office, the residence of Song Qingling (where Red Army slogans are found), the residences of Song Rongchang, Song Rongzong, the Tu Family Courtyard, the residence of Song Yueqian, and the residence of Song Yongde are relatively well preserved. The rest consist of triangular courtyards (main house plus one wing room) or linear courtyards (only the main house), most of which are located in the peripheral areas. The ancient wooden houses are all stilt-style architecture. The gates are flanked by railings, with side doors added to the main gates, as well as entrance gates, gate lintels, eaves, railings, and furniture—all featuring deeply cultural wood carvings with various patterns symbolizing meanings such as fortune, prosperity, longevity, happiness, wealth, many offspring, and diverse talents...

　　Over 60% were originally of the Buyi ethnic group (during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties), but later became Han Chinese. They all made a living through farming. Local specialties include peanuts and sunflower seeds. Most of the buildings are ancient wooden structures dating back to the Qing Dynasty, including seven quadrangle courtyards and seventeen three-sided courtyard houses. All have stone courtyards and ceremonial gates that open to the west. The three-sided courtyards are enclosed with walls, and when the ceremonial gates are closed, they become very secure. Among them, the ruins of the Governor’s Office, the residence of Song Qingling (where Red Army slogans can be found), the residences of Song Rongchang, Song Rongzong, the Tu Family Courtyard, the residence of Song Yueqian, and the residence of Song Yongde are relatively well-preserved. The rest are either triangular courtyards (main house with one wing room) or linear courtyards (only the main house), most of which are located in the peripheral areas. The ancient wooden houses are all built in the stilt-style architecture. The main gate is flanked by railings, and there is also a side gate and a ceremonial gate, along with gateheads, eaves, railings, and furniture—all featuring deeply cultural wooden carvings with symbolic meanings such as fortune, prosperity, longevity, happiness, wealth and honor, numerous offspring, and various displays of talent...

　　Every New Year's Day, villagers play with flower lanterns and dragon lanterns, and on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year (Lantern Festival), Sichuan opera was performed in the past (now replaced by pop songs and dances). People enjoy sports, mainly basketball.

　　Red celebrations involve house-warming ceremonies, while white mourning includes singing funeral songs. In childhood, people played various games such as holding goose eggs, hitting mouse tails, horse-sealing, hide-and-seek, dotting sow nests, crossing the river felt, shoulder pole games, spinning tops, playing wooden tigers, blowing horn (made of wood skin), head-butting bulls, flipping scoops, and more. Farmhouse snacks include the two-grain rice cake and sticky rice cake, yellow sticky rice cake, glutinous rice balls, two-piece sticky rice cake, and glutinous rice cake during the New Year; zongzi in May; and Qingming cakes in March. Other snacks include red sticky rice cake, sorghum cake, millet cake, buckwheat cake, and fragrant wheat noodles.

　　Rural snacks mainly include the New Year’s glutinous rice cake, yellow rice cake, tangyuan (sweet dumplings), two-layer rice cake, and sticky rice cake; zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) in May; and Qingming cakes in March. Additionally, there are red

　　rice cakes, sorghum cakes, millet cakes, buckwheat cakes, and fragrant wheat noodles.

　　Location

　　Hefeng Township, Kaiyang County, Guizhou Province