“Dungeons” have appeared in many martial arts films. Have you seen any real “dungeons”? When Xiao Yu was traveling in Huizhou, he saw the “water prison” in the ancestral hall of an ancient village, and he felt chilly and terrifying even when he was near.

In the previous travel note, Xiao Yu took everyone to visit Xichong Village in Wuyuan. This village like a paradise left a deep impression on my trip to Huizhou. There are row upon row of Huizhou ancient buildings, beautiful and peaceful natural scenery, and I really feel the Huizhou ancestral temple culture. Deterrence.

(Ps. Regarding the specific content of Xichong Village, you can read here:At the junction of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Zhejiang, there is an ancient village in secret, where the beauty Xi Shi lives forever)

Anyone who has traveled to Huizhou will have an impression of the ancestral hall.

In all Huizhou ancient villages, there will be a tall and magnificent ancestral hall. Huizhou has always lived in a group of clans, and the status of ancestral halls is particularly important. As the saying goes, “no ancestral, no clan, and no clan, no ancestor”. The ancestral hall is the soul of Huizhou village culture. Whether it is a poor village or a rich village, the ancestral hall must be the most brilliant and spectacular building in the village. Because of this, the ancestral hall is called the “Three Wonders of Huizhou” together with the residential buildings and the archways.

When we first came to Xichong Village, we were “shocked” by the Yu’s Ancestral Hall at the entrance of the village (PS. The travel note mentioned in the previous article that 90% of the people in Xichong Village are surnamed Yu). Unexpectedly, in a primitive village like Xichong, there should be such a complete preservation, such magnificent architecture, and such exquisite woodcarving craftsmanship.

The Yu’s Ancestral Hall, also called “Dunlun Hall”, is a Qing Dynasty building nearly 200 years ago. The Yu’s Ancestral Hall was built in the 19th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty, and it took 14 years to complete the construction in Daoguang 7 years ago. It covers an area of ​​more than 2,000 square meters. Now it is also a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Yu’s Ancestral Hall has right way, left way and right way, which constitute the main body and two wings and three buildings, of which there are 16 light courtyards. When we stood in front of Wufengmen Tower, the grand entrance of the ancestral hall, our first feeling was that the building was so magnificent, and we were so small.

Entering the front hall of the ancestral hall, there is a very wide patio in front of you. The front canopy of the main hall is an open structure, and the two compartments are corridors, forming a closed loop with the front hall. If you walk in it, pedestrians can be protected from wind and rain.

The wood carvings on the eaves around the front hall are also amazing, and you can see that they are from the hands of skilled craftsmen. Later, we thought of the Yu family in Xichong Village, a well-known family of wood merchants in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. No wonder the woodworking here is so good!

We secretly exclaimed for the grandeur of the Yu’s ancestral hall, while turning from the small door on the right into the building on the right. As soon as we came in, we were faced with a pond, which immediately gave us a bit of coolness. Take a closer look, good fellow, this is actually a “water prison”!

We only saw “Water Prison” in martial arts dramas before. The first time we saw a real existence, it immediately aroused our interest and wanted to take a closer look. At first, my friends and I thought that small pond was a “water prison”. Later, I saw the introduction on the wall and realized that entering through the small and cramped door in the picture below is the real “water prison”.

This “water jail” was included in the design when the clan ancestral hall was built. When the clan members violated the clan rules, they would be locked up here. At that time, most of the men in Xichong went out for business, and the women stayed behind in their hometown, so the water jail It’s mainly for the women who “the red apricot goes out of the wall”.

Looking at the moss on the walls around the “Water Prison”, everyone knows how cool the place is. Of course we didn’t dare to go inside to find out, just standing next to it for a while, it felt eerie and terrifying.

Later, I searched for relevant information on the Internet and learned that the inside of the “water jail” in the Yu’s ancestral hall was about 2 meters high, and the small door was locked firmly by an iron lock outside. The “water prison” is connected to a pond next to it. The depth of the water in the prison is about 30 centimeters. The punished personnel cannot sit or lie down in the prison. They can only stand in the water and retreat, making life worse than death.

Fortunately, in nearly 200 years, this “water jail” has not punished any disciple of the Yu family.

If you want to learn more about popular and fun tourist destinations, you are welcome to pay attention to “Xiaoyu’s Travel Diary”. Let’s discover more beautiful scenery in the world with Xiaoyu!

On the shore of South Lake, the white walls and gray tiles and blue sky are reflected on the lake water. The first sight of Hongcun is so amazing. Except for the blue water and blue sky, there are no brilliant and colorful colors, but the simple and elegant tones are rich in layers, just like the representative ink paintings of Chinese painting, emblem ink, rice paper, xuan pen, and She inkstone. The simple black and white ash freehand expresses an infinite rich artistic conception. Perhaps this is the aesthetic rooted in our bones, and seeing such a picture makes me feel particularly comfortable.

Although growing in the north, the Hui-style architectural villages in front of them are not alienated. The houses and courtyards are full of the warmth of home and a touch of intimacy. With a bit of yearning and expectation, after passing the small bridge, he walked into this dream home in the south of the Yangtze River.

Home is the inheritance of ethos

The first stop when we walked into Hongcun, we came to Nanhu Academy. “Jia and good Confucianism” is a major feature of Huizhou merchants’ culture. Huizhou people integrate reading with being an official and doing business, forming a “ten-household village, do not abandon reading” folk style of respecting culture and education. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were six private schools by the South Lake of Hongcun Village, which were called “Yihu Sixth Court”. During the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Yiwen, a native of Hongcun Village, took the lead in contributing capital on the advice of a friend and merged the six private schools. The villagers responded and donated money. The Academy was built in 1814, named “Yiwenjia School”, also known as “Nanhu Academy”. The academy consists of six parts: Zhidaotang, Wenchang Pavilion, Huiwen Pavilion, Enlightenment Pavilion, Wanghu Tower and Gion. The ancient academy in traditional Huizhou style covers an area of ​​about 6000 square meters.

Zhidaotang is a place for lectures. The wall is neatly written with “Zhuzi Zhijia Motto”; Wenchang Pavilion enshrines the Confucius tablet, where students pay homage to the most holy master; Huiwen Pavilion reads four books and five classics for students, and the literati reads the text A place for meeting friends; Enlightenment Pavilion is a place for enlightenment and reading; Wanghu Tower is a place for viewing and resting during leisure time, reflecting the cultural and martial arts of relaxation; and Gion is an inner garden. The academy is a place to educate children and pass on culture. Huizhou has a strong cultural atmosphere, and Hongcun’s family tradition of respecting teachers and education has been passed on from generation to generation, so talented people come forth in large numbers. Scholars such as Wang Kangnian, a book in the cabinet of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Daxie, Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the Republic of China, and Li Xiaojuan, an Australian star expert, have all enlightened here. One by one, students, generations of red-top businessmen, read poetry and books from here, unlocked their wisdom, and embarked on a wonderful life track.

Home is built by heart

Home is the place to live and the home of the heart. To build a home with heart is to create a better life. The attitude of Hongcun people towards home can be seen from the exquisite buildings. Entering Chengzhitang, this residence of Wang Dinggui, a great salt merchant in Hongcun in the late Qing Dynasty, can be said to be a veritable mansion. There are 9 patios, 7 pavilions, two entrances in front and back, with a construction area of ​​more than 3,000 square meters. The brick-wood structure has 136 columns, 60 doors, and 60 windows, which symbolizes the smoothness of six or six. It is said that 100 taels of gold and 600,000 taels of silver are used for building houses, and 5 jin of gold powder is used for the gold powder couplets in the main room alone. The best thing to look at is the exquisite wood carvings, which have been carved by 20 craftsmen for 4 years. Each wood carving is a classic story. The pictures are finely portrayed and the characters are vivid and vivid. While appreciating the art, you can also experience the profound meaning. And connotation.

Hongcun is a “cow”-shaped village. The artificial water system designed and built by Hongcun is known as “a great wonder in the history of architecture” today. The water system is built first and then the village is built. Hongcun has been carefully designed and laid out at the beginning of its construction. Make use of natural stream water, build dams on the river, build water outlets, take advantage of the terrain drop, use stone artificial canals to introduce the stream water into the village, go around the residential buildings, use the natural terrain drop to flow naturally, and merge into the “moon marsh”, and then Flow into the South Lake through the streets.

The water cannon in Hongcun is like a nine-turn “cow intestine”, coiled in the body of the cow in Hongcun. The tight and complete water system composed of the canyon, moon marsh, and South Lake is “tap water” designed by the ancients. The distance of each household in the village is no more than 100 meters. This solves the problem of villagers’ production and domestic water, and can also adjust the temperature and humidity. Huanji is far away from Fangxi, and there is a “clear spring” living environment in front of my house.

In the planning and design of Hongcun Village, according to the traditional saying of “flowers bloom, and the moon is full,” a half-moon-shaped pond was excavated in the village, taking the realm of “flowers not blooming, moon not full”, called ” Moon Marsh”. Now it has become a landmark attraction in Hongcun, as well as a shooting location for many scenic works and blockbuster films. Through scientific and sophisticated design, the people of Hongcun have achieved the “Water” article to a height that we still admire six hundred years later. Build a home with heart and create a harmonious and beautiful life. “Pilot water into the house and dig a well to prevent Zhu Rong’s ravages, take the convenience of washing, seek for the wealth of money, the filth in the house, and the fertile land outside the village.” This is the vivid summary of the function of the water system by the people of Hongcun.

The beautiful homeland also needs care. In order to protect the clean water source, the people of Hongcun have established rules from their ancestors. The water in the “cow intestines” is drinking water before 8 o’clock in the morning. After 8 o’clock, the villagers can wash here. . The water in the canal does not soar due to rains and floods, the water level is always kept below the stone slab, and the flow has never stopped in the years of severe drought. The subtleties reflect the ancients’ superb wisdom and deep understanding of the harmonious relationship between man and nature.

Home is the taste of comfort

Anhui cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines. It is based on cooking, stewing, braising, steaming, smoked and other techniques. It is salty and fresh, respects the original taste, pays attention to firework, pays attention to food supplements, and has a unique style. As the business of Huizhou merchants grows bigger and bigger, as a hometown dish for entertaining guests, Hui cuisine is spread all over the place and has a profound influence. In Hongcun, it is of course indispensable to taste the local flavor. By the side of the moon marsh, the ingredients being dried have attracted great interest from passing tourists, and they have already begun to figure out the lunch and evening dishes.

When “Bite of China” was broadcast, it showed the historical origin, cultural connotation and charm of Anhui cuisine incisively and vividly. Hairy tofu and stinky mandarin fish became a must-see online celebrity delicacy in Huangshan. I am from the north, it is easy to adapt to the salty and fresh taste of Anhui cuisine, and I like it more and more after eating it.

It is said that good mountains and rivers produce good tea. Huizhou has always been a famous tea producing area. Apart from restaurants and supermarkets, a large part of the stores along the streets of Hongcun are selling specialty products, especially tea. The newly picked Mingqian tea is on site. Stir-fried, fragrant all over the street, savor a cup of fragrant tea, fragrant refreshing.

Although it was the first time I came to Hongcun, I was no stranger to it. I even had a sense of deja vu, as if I had returned to the homeland where I grew up. What I saw and heard in the village seemed to awaken the imprints in my memory. Perhaps this is the recognition of beauty rooted in the heart that will evoke the memory of home. Some people say that Hongcun is a painting, and there is a natural ink Jiangnan constructed between the blue tiles and white walls. Some people say that Hongcun is a poem. A dream, vaguely dreamland, as if walking into the dream home in the depths of the soul.

Maotan Factory is affiliated to Jin’an District, Lu’an City, Anhui Province, and is located at the junction of Shucheng, Huoshan and Jin’an counties. This is an extremely rare and well-preserved ancient Anhui architectural complex in the Jianghuai area. Fortunately, this all-ancient Huizhou ancient architectural complex has been well preserved so far, and it has become more and more unique with the passage of time. Although it has experienced wars, social turmoil, and the erosion of wind and rain, the street is still intact, without losing the ancient charm of the old street.

Speaking of the history of Lao Cai, people will naturally think of the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Indeed, the initial formation of Lao Cai began in the Ming Dynasty, but this land has a glorious history. In ancient times, this was the place of enfeoffment of Gaotao, the originator of justice, which opened the origin of ancient civilization. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, Maotanchang Town was once the fief of countless nobles in the ancient six countries. The pass fishing in Lidi, the names and stories of places such as Ganyuling and Gudiaotai are still talked about by future generations; celebrities such as Sun Bin and Wu Zixu in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period have all left their footprints near Maotan Factory; the end of Qin Dynasty In the early Han Dynasty, the capital of Jiujiang Wangyingbu was established in the sixth period; from the Jin Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, the ancient town has gradually taken shape; to the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the rebels rose, the rags were everywhere, the lives were wiped out, the fertile land was abandoned, and it became a sparsely populated and thatched “thatched beach”.

In the 1980s, a group of Wangchong villagers in Bajiaotang Village, Maotanchang Town, excavated a tomb of Zhou. The unearthed bronze ware was identified as a marquis ritual object by experts and is now in the Anhui Provincial Museum. This shows that during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the Maotanchang area was already a thriving place deep in the mountains.

Zhu Yuanzhang won the world from the horseback uprising and established the Ming Dynasty. After taking office, he had a deep attachment to horses, paid high attention to horse raising, and actively promoted “horse governance”. He believes that the number of horses is an important indicator of whether a country is prosperous and strong, so he vigorously advocated raising horses in the “land with abundant water and grass” across the country. Zhu Yuanzhang’s hometown is in Anhui, and he attaches great importance to the horse breeding industry here. According to historical records, “the Ming Dynasty has 14 prisons for horse breeding in the Mainland, of which there are five prisons and 33 groups in Anhui.” The “Maotanchang” was luxuriant with water and grass, and the people who fled due to the war were also unable to leave their homeland. They returned one after another to feed military horses for the court to replace taxes and food. Soon this area gradually prospered due to horse breeding. This is the development history of Maotan Factory.

The old street is a 3 Huali old street with a complete set of ancient Huizhou buildings preserved along the street. On the streets paved with bluestone strips and cobblestones, the old wooden wheelbarrows and carriages have left deep ruts. Since the Ming Dynasty, the commerce here has been very developed. Various local products, tea, department stores and even foreign goods are traded here, forming an unprecedented trade market and also promoting the development of Lao Cai. Coming here makes people feel like they are in the time and space of Ming and Qing Dynasties, with people coming and going, shops, merchants going north and south, pedestrians passing by, a lively and noisy scene. The purpose of coming to Lao Cai is to experience this kind of feeling, and to understand the true meaning of life from the calm, peaceful and quiet life of the people in Lao Cai.