介绍:
Although China has been a village society for millennia, only a few villages can trace their origins back to the 11th and 12th centuries, and even fewer can prove their ancient origins not only with written records, but also by existing structures from that distant past.
In the scenic land of Yixian County in southern Anhui, near the spectacular Yellow Mountain, there are two such villages, Xidi and Hongcun, and the two villages are only about 15 kilometers apart.
Xidi and Hongcun share many similarities. Both were founded during the Song dynasty about 1000 years ago. Both started out as single family villages. Xidi was the residence of the Hu family, which claimed a Tang dynasty royal prince as its ancestor. Hongcun was home to the Wang family. The Hus and Wangs are still living in the two villages today.
Both villages flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties from the 14th to the 19th centuries, when merchants from southern Anhui dominated Chinese trade. Most of the existing structures in the two villages were constructed during that period. The preservation of these buildings owes much to the remote location of the two villages.
Today, Hongcun has nearly 140 Ming and Qing dynasty structures. Some 300 families still live in the area. The buildings were arranged according to the principles of geomancy, or fengshui. And the design of the village emphasized the accessibility of water, partly because the previous residence of the Wang family had been destroyed by fire. Prof. Yang Hong-xun, an expert on historical buildings, tells us more.
"The layout of Hongcun features hills at its edge, and the Xixi River on its South. The local villagers built a waterway to channel the river for water supply. The waterway runs along the terrain through the entire town so that each household had easy access to water at its doorstep. At the same time, the flowing streams helped to lower the temperature and assist with putting out fires."
As Prof. Yang says, the age-old waterway in Hongcun well reflects the Chinese philosophy of the unity of man and nature--how choosing materials, constructing buildings and designing and landscaping a town should all be considered as an integral part of nature and blend harmoniously with the nature. And the rhythm of life should also go in step with nature.
Almost every building in Hongcun and Xidi is an outstanding example of the Huizhou-style of architecture, including the gray walls, dark tiles, horse-head gables and open interior courtyards.
All these elements are harmoniously integrated within the natural background of green hills, and clear waters, also a reflection of the local merchants' pursuit of the delicate balance between the natural and the man-made.
Prof. Yang Hong-xun again.
"The Hui-style architecture was developed along with the prosperity of Hui commerce and the development of its social economy. Though business-oriented, Huizhou people never took education lightly. Actually, almost all Huizhou children studied Confucianism as a compulsory course. Thus, business and Confucianism were closely related, which characterized the Hui merchants as well as their residential dwellings."
Hui-style woodcarving, brick-carving and stone carving make for another feature of the Hui architecture, laden with subjects of Confucianism such as loyalty, harmony, forbearance, and academic achievements.
The concept of a harmonious and all-generations-under-one-roof lifestyle equally valued by the local people is also an important subject of the Hui-style carving. Thus, on wooden archways and beams there largely exist the cheerful engraved images of family life shared by different generations.
Take the house named Lv-fu-tang in Xidi, for example. On a long narrow table inside the house, there lies a clock in the middle, a vase to the east and a mirror to the west.
Those objects are used as they would normally be used, but they also have a deeper significance.
In Chinese, the words "clock", "vase" and "mirror" are pronounced the same as words that mean "always, safe and peaceful". So, if you combine the clock, the vase and the mirror together, it actually means "to always live a peaceful life."
A Chinese writer once observed --"If you want to learn about the life of Chinese emperors, you can go to Beijing; if you want to know about civilian life in the Ming and Qing dynasties, however, you should go to Hongcun and Xidi."
These words are absolutely true. Wandering throughout the streets in the ancient towns, visitors can observe the daily life of villagers that functions now just as it did almost a century ago; and thus learn about ancient Chinese wisdom and traditions. Prof. Yang Hong-xun again.
"Xidi and Hongcun are two exceptionally well preserved traditional Chinese villages from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. They are a cultural conduit for us to learn about the civilian life and traditions centuries ago. What's more, the unique architectural style and townscape of elegance, conciseness, and magnificence still provides a special artistic flavor to visitors to this day."
In 2000, Xidi and Hongcun were designated as world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO. As the Committee stated in its evaluation, the two villages "preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements that disappeared or were transformed during the last century."
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