Escape the city and retreat to the most beautiful Hakka folk palace in Fujian—Peitian Ancient Residence
Preface
Fujian is a place with eight mountains, one river and one piece of farmland. Although transportation was very inconvenient in the early days, it has preserved many exquisite and magnificent buildings that have not been discovered by the world.
As a novice in architectural culture, I have no feelings about architecture, but I heard that there is a folk Forbidden City in Peitian, Liancheng. I am so curious that I decided to go and see it.
As soon as I entered the ancient village, I was attracted by the rich historical charm. The archway with the emperor's grace at the entrance of the village, the grand and elegant buildings, and the delicate lotus pond made me interested in this ancient village.
Peitian Ancient Residence
Peitian Ancient Villagecheck the details
Peitian Ancient Village, located in Liancheng County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, is a quaint village in Fujian Province, known as the "Southern Manor" and the "Folk Forbidden City." It still retains a relatively intact complex of ancient residential buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, earning it the reputation of "Fujian's No. 1 Folk Residential Village." At the entrance to Peitian Ancient Village stands a famous memorial archway dedicated to Wu Bazhen, a Peitian native and imperial guard, bestowed by Emperor Guangxu. This is the ancient "Enrong" memorial archway.
Recommended month: All seasons
5458 recommendations, 4478 visits
How to get there
Liancheng now has an airport and a high-speed railway station (Guanzhishan Station). Children coming from other places can take a taxi after arriving at the local area.
1The minibus to Xuanhe passes through Peitian (8 yuan)
2. There are many private cars in the local area (you need to share a car with several people for 8 to 10 yuan, the price may have increased now)
If you are driving here, just use Baidu Maps to get to Peitian Ancient Residences, which is very convenient!
Scenic spot tickets
This small Hakka village has more than 30 tall houses, 21 ancient ancestral halls, 6 academies, two cross-street archways and a kilometer-long ancient street. It is famous for its well-preserved ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
If you invite a local guide to visit the scenic area, it will take 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the tour. The other spots are suitable for you to check in slowly and appreciate every architectural feature and its history.
In addition to the most complete collection of exquisite Ming Dynasty buildings, the area also preserves traditional woodblock printing, papermaking, paper-cutting, and lantern-making, as well as the particularly interesting bamboo puppets.
Ticket prices:
45 yuan/person (including shuttle bus)
Preferential policies:
Free admission for children under 1.2 meters in height, senior citizens aged 70 and above with their senior citizen ID, military officers with their military officer ID, and journalists with their state-issued press cards.
Preferential crowd: Seniors aged 60 (inclusive) to 69 (inclusive) can purchase discounted tickets for the scenic area with their senior citizen cards, and students and teachers can purchase discounted tickets with their valid identity cards;
The above discount information is for reference only. For specific information, please refer to the ticket office of Longyan Peitian Ancient Residence on the same day.
Essential Playgrounds in Peitian Ancient Village
Peitian Ancient Residences may be modest, but each building is steeped in historical and cultural allusions. This village has only one surname, "Wu." Over 800 years ago, a man from another family, surnamed Wu, came alone to this area seeking a place to live. While at a loss by the river, he saw a snake and a turtle mating, and believing this to be a good omen, he built his first residence here. Sure enough, over the centuries, Peitian Village, a village of the Wu family, has produced 191 scholars, 19 of whom entered officialdom, five reaching the fifth rank, and the highest reaching the third rank. Why not share in this good fortune, if you visit here?
Enrong Archway
As soon as you enter the scenic area, you'll see a memorial archway with the inscription "Enrong". According to records, Wu's ancestor was deeply favored by the current emperor and was the only third-rank official in the village. The emperor specially bestowed this memorial archway on him, and all officials below the third rank who passed by were required to dismount and kowtow.
The archways are at the beginning and end of the street.
As soon as you enter the village gate, you will be greeted by the ancient atmosphere of the village. There are old ladies washing clothes by the canal, and old men basking in the sun and listening to the radio by the roadside. Walking in the ancient village, you will feel not only relaxed but also a yearning for a peaceful life.
Wenwu Temple
The Wenwu Temple enshrines both Confucius and Guan Gong, which is rare in the country.
Doctor's House
The first must-see spot is the village's largest mansion, the "Daifudi" (大夫居), also known as the "Jishu Hall." It was built in 1829 and took eleven years to complete. It was named after its owner, Wu Changtong, who was awarded the titles of Fengzhi Dafu and Zhaowu Dafu.
According to local villagers, their ancestral home can host more than 100 tables of guests, which shows how big it is!
At the entrance of the ancient house, we found a very interesting half-coin used to move bricks and stones. The owner of this ancient house was very kind and generous at that time. He sponsored young people in the village to study and take exams. He said that if he had a fortune, he would only leave half to his descendants, and use the rest to do charity.
Upon entering the historic residence, we were stunned by its opulence! Its design adheres to the traditional concept of "orderly order, with primary and secondary elements distinguished." The main hall and wing rooms are arranged vertically and horizontally, with separate main and auxiliary rooms.
Ventilation, air collection, drainage, sanitation, and the development of future generations were all taken into account in the planning. The beam and rafters are exquisitely carved, each with a hidden allusion. Experts call it a world-class earthquake-resistant building for its characteristic of "the wall collapsing but the house not collapsing."
However, this old house is now mostly inhabited by elderly people who raise dogs, bask in the sun and live a peaceful old age.
Dunpu Hall
Now a cultural and creative base for university students, it preserves the most original woodblock printing experience and features a Lianshi paper workshop. The well-known Jinmei vase was produced here.
Rongxiju
This was a place only women at the time could come to, and it was also a center for women to exchange gossip.
Duyanfu
This was the ancestral home of the Wu family, the highest-ranking official at the time. Unfortunately, a fire broke out at that time, and now not much of the exquisite building can be seen. Now only the flagpole, which was a symbol of status at the time, is left in front of the gate.
Yanqing Hall
Built in the Ming Dynasty, the structure is largely the same as the "Dafudi," but with a winding lotus pond outside and a majestic stone lion in front. This well-matched pair symbolizes the aspirations and pursuits of Central Plains immigrants living in a foreign land to continue their lineage while remaining in a family.
There is also the Wu Talent Exhibition Hall here, where one of the people is a classmate of Premier Zhou Enlai who studied abroad. Unfortunately, his life in his later years was not good.
Peitian Ancient Theater
Wu's Ancient Village is not boring at all. The Wu's Stage was where people watched operas and held large-scale events. It was also the filming location for the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.
The indigenous people on the roadside do some small business, but the dried sweet potatoes are really delicious!
Every path in the ancient village is a turning point in history!
Check in at the most beautiful corner!
There is also a Ming Dynasty building hidden here, which is a complete mortise and tenon structure! It is simply not something that can be described as grand.
New ways to play with Peitian handmade crafts
I stumbled upon a handmade bamboo puppet by a 24th-generation Wu family member. He used a string to connect each bamboo part, then stood it on a table, allowing him to manipulate it flexibly. There were also handmade lanterns and paper-cuts by Auntie.
Peitian Cuisine
They say the Hakka people are very hospitable, and sure enough, we chose the Wu Family Courtyard for our meal today, right inside the scenic area. The portions here are incredibly generous! And they're really delicious.
Conclusion
If you also yearn for such a leisurely and comfortable life and want to have an in-depth understanding of local culture and customs, you can join the New Year Hakka·Ancient Tingzhou activities~ You can experience all the points, fun things, delicious food and beautiful scenery mentioned above.
