As the "first water town in China", countless people are fascinated by the tranquility and elegance of Zhouzhuang. White walls and tiles, winding streets, gently rocking boats, swaying green shadows, what a "small bridge with flowing water".
But few people know that there is another Zhouzhuang-Tea Village in Guangdong.
Richard is a veritable ancient village with a history of more than 800 years, located on Lichagang in the north of huilong town, Gaoyao District, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province.
As we all know, Guangdong is an important inheritance place of Lingnan culture, which has a unique style in language, customs, living habits, history and culture. Zhaoqing is not well-known in the cities under the jurisdiction of Guangdong, but it is the birthplace of Cantonese and the earliest meeting place of Central Plains culture and Lingnan culture, western culture and China traditional culture.
From Han Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, Zhaoqing became the political, economic and cultural center of Lingnan for many times.
In this quaint Zhaoqing, Richard is quietly living in a corner.
Why is Richard called Zhouzhuang?
This is because the ancient village was originally opened by people surnamed Zhou, and the whole village was surrounded by water, which has typical characteristics of Jiangnan water town, so it was originally called "Zhouzhuang". But today, Zhouzhuang's name has been gradually submerged in the dust of history, and few people have mentioned it.
Until Jiading in the Southern Song Dynasty and Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, the two clans, Su and Cai, moved from Zhuji Lane in Nanxiong respectively.
At first, two surnames lived in a low-lying place in the village. However, due to the limited conditions at that time, there was no water conservancy dike facilities, and low-lying areas were often flooded. The witty ancestors built their houses on the hills of the village.
What is more special is that these two surnames study Confucian culture and Zhouyi Feng Shui. In order to pray for people's prosperity, they will choose to live in the east or southeast of the mountain.
When building a house, it is built in the shape of gossip, and the distribution trend of Richard's houses and villages is like a gossip.
In the villagers' cognition, I hope that Richard can be like the gossip. Tai Chi gives birth to two instruments, two instruments give birth to four elephants, and four elephants give birth to eight, eight and sixty-four hexagrams, and finally he will live forever and be peaceful forever.
Therefore, Richard also has a name-Bagua Village.
Although the village has been expanded and repaired in past dynasties, the overall layout has not changed much.
Today, Richard Village covers an area of about 50 mu. There is a highway around the village outside the ancient village, and only the north and south exits are connected to the outside world by land. The village is divided into Xingrenli, Suirongli, Renrenli and Suidefang.
There are 15 main lanes, 84 horizontal lanes and 99 * * lanes in the village, forming a distinctive "comb layout" of Guangfu Village.
Strolling into an alley, stepping on a stone at will, inadvertently turning over a page of history and touching a dynasty. This feeling, as if you are not facing a simple village, but a concrete and solidified story.
Experienced vicissitudes of life, experienced wind and frost, so it is more precious.
Walking around, you will have a very direct feeling that the whole ancient village is round. Seemingly simple houses, rows and circles, are full of mystery.
The 10 gate house in the village is particularly prominent, very simple and elegant.
Every gatehouse represents a square, that is, a clan. The name of the gatehouse embodies the profound connotation of benevolence in Confucian culture and gives people enlightenment.
There are several steps in front of the gatehouse to guide curious people to walk in quickly.
In addition to the significance of geomantic omen, the layout of houses in Richa Village also has defensive significance.
There are about 90 houses in the outermost part of Richard village, and the doors inside are all open. The wall of this circle is also the wall of the whole village, which plays a defensive role, and there are gatehouses in and out.
From the second lap, the doors of the houses opened outward, and the number of houses decreased with each lap.
It's hard to find such a unique design in China.
The houses in the village are all brick and wood structures, highly unified, and the walls are made of blue bricks.
I can't say clearly after reading it for a long time.
In this way, Richard village should be very safe. Because these alleys are intricate and winding, and the shapes of houses are too close, you will constantly wonder if you have just passed here.
I don't know which alley I turned into, but there are reliefs on the vicissitudes of life, just like an ink and wash landscape painting, which vaguely feels the passage of thousands of years.
Some color carvings are more exquisite, colorful and lifelike.
Now that you have come to Richard Village, there are several places you must not miss.
The first is the ancestral temple. Every nation has ancestral temples, and some have more than one.
Ancestral hall, also known as "Ancestral Hall" and "Shangfang", is a branch of clan ancestral hall. Generally, it consists of front, patio and back hall, and there are volcanic walls on both sides of the roof. The function of ancestral temple is to offer sacrifices to ancestors and gods on weekdays, and to offer sacrifices here on auspicious days, and the newlyweds hold ceremonies here to pay homage to the dead.
For the villagers, the ancestral hall inherits the traditional culture of the same clan. Because most of the houses in the village were abandoned, the villagers moved to the periphery. It is embarrassing to go back to the ancestral temple to worship only on holidays.
Entering the ancestral temple, the bright sunshine shines through the indoor patio, which makes people feel very warm. Generally speaking, this is the protection of ancestors.
Next is Hongyun Terrace, which is located in the center of the village.
At first glance, you will feel nothing special, just draw a gossip map on the ground. Behind the actual wealth terrace, there is a story related to village construction.
According to legend, before, there was a plane tree where Hongyuntai was located, and it took several people to hold it together. When the flowers bloom, the red flowers are like fire, attracting countless phoenix birds to live, which looks like a red cloud from a distance. When the ancestors who opened the village chose the site to build the village, they saw this scene and thought that Hongyun would be a treasure land after landing, so they chose this land to build the village. Later, the villagers built a red cloud terrace here as a memorial.
Rural customs spread, as long as you turn around sincerely on the auspicious platform, you can keep your health, your fortune and your wishes come true.
Jinshijing is also a big attraction.
Jinshijing, also known as Mu Jing, has a history of more than 300 years. At first, a Wu Jinshi Cai in the village took the lead in excavation and construction, and later named it "Jinshi Well" to commemorate his achievements.
The bottom of Jinshijing is padded with thick wood, and the shaft is made of granite.
The wellhead, in particular, is carved from complete granite, which is necessary. Jinshi well is rich in water quantity and excellent in water quality, which has been used by villagers to this day.
The other is the three-star banyan tree.
"Three-star banyan" is three feng shui trees in Renhuali.
Don't underestimate these three banyan trees. They were planted by village officials at three o'clock in the middle of the night on the third day of the third lunar month under the guidance of the master. Today, three banyan trees are luxuriant, shaded and closely connected, which is a wonder.
Also known as the "Samsung" treasure house, it means that Fu Lushou's Samsung meets here.
Like the fate of many ancient villages, most of the people who stayed in Richard village were old people. The whole village exudes a kind and soothing temperament from the inside out.
Maybe they are far away from modern and electronic life, but they are still guarding the wealth of their ancestors and living a happy life.
An old woman is selling straw mats woven by herself. Every detail of her work has a temperature.
I like this ancient village very much. It is full of beautiful scenery and stories. Welcome here, too.
I'm Yan Ling
With an interesting soul
I've been walking on the road
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