In addition to those famous ancient villages in Anhui, Chengkan ancient village is also very famous. Chengkan, called "Longxi" in ancient times, was founded in the late Eastern Han Dynasty with a history of 1800 years.
It is the only well-preserved ancient village in Ming Dynasty in China, and it is also a rare village in China that is located according to the theory of geomantic omen and gossip. I have to admire the erudition and wisdom of the ancients, who can make good use of geomantic gossip to build the whole village. Moreover, it is said that from the air, the whole village looks like a map of Artest, but unfortunately they didn't bring an aerial camera.
As soon as you get close to the village, you can see "Yongxing Lake" at the main entrance. The name Yongxing Lake means eternal prosperity. The lake represents water and has the meaning of gathering wealth. It is impossible to study whether this lake is a natural lake or an artificial lake.
Yongxing Lake is lush with grass and lotus leaves dancing lightly, which is a unique beauty of Jiangnan water town. The Huizhou architecture reflected in the water is even more beautiful, with occasional ripples on the calm water. It is the fish spitting bubbles and playing leisurely among the weeds. Take a deep breath here, I feel very comfortable all over, and my pores seem to be open, greedily absorbing the aura here.
If you want to enter the village, you have to pass the stone arch bridge on the lake. This bridge has a long history as this village. In their spare time, villagers like to walk on this bridge and on the lake. Although it is a familiar place, I still love it deeply.
The village is full of narrow paths, and the women sitting in the street are whispering. The path is like a maze, you will get lost if you are not careful. But it is precisely because of getting lost that we have a deeper understanding of this ancient town. It is quiet and gentle and has a mysterious charm.
There are three streets and ninety-nine lanes in the village, all of which are bluestone roads. The mottled white walls and rusty wooden doors on both sides of the road are all whispering about the past. The aunt in the corner is carrying a basket full of vegetables and is rushing home at a brisk pace to prepare dinner for her family.
The men in the village also hurried home with what they needed at home, or a bundle of firewood or two glasses of wine. The afterglow of the sunset lazily sprinkled golden light on them and they went their separate ways.
This is Huanxiu Bridge, a wooden bridge with a long history, which was destroyed in the flood and reappeared in front of people after being repaired. There is a white-haired grandfather on the bridge. He sat on the bridge with a kind smile and looked at the distance peacefully.
Go west on the stone road opposite Huanxiu Bridge, and you can reach Zhongying Building. Zhongying Building is such a street-crossing building, which was built in the 11th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1582). It was originally the exclusive residence of Luo, assistant minister of the household department, and was later used to work overtime, tell the time and enjoy the cool in the village. At this time, when I heard the innkeeper explain it to me, I couldn't help thinking. It seems that those clear and long knocks and shouts are ringing in my ears.
Strangely, almost all the celebrities in this village are surnamed Luo. Luo Ruzhen, an official minister in the Song Dynasty, one of the Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou, Yan Song, the adopted son of Ming Taizu, and Huizhou ink master in the Ming Dynasty all walked out of Chengkan, and the first two brothers in Chengkan were all surnamed Luo. Under the guidance of Feng Shui theory, Luo Tianzhen and Luo Tian Zhitang brothers chose Longxi, 40 miles northwest of Shexian County, and changed their names.
Even this well-known biscuit shop is still surnamed Luo. The surname of Roche really lives up to its reputation here, perhaps because of the blessing of its ancestors. I don't know if it's because it's a little late to enter the village, or because the shopkeeper closed the door and went home for dinner. Most shops along the road are closed, and we can only imagine their goods and tastes from the signs and couplets on the doors.
Only restaurants by the lake are open. Those big lanterns hung lightly on the beams, with white walls, red cages and blue tiles, and reflections in the lake. These colors blend together perfectly and have a lasting appeal from a distance.
At night, Chengkan Ancient Village began to return to tranquility. Those typical Huizhou Four Waters and the exquisite stone carvings are full of deeper silence and exude another mysterious charm. Chengkan ancient village has not been discovered by the world.