Live Your Best Lives
This article is reprinted from the official account @诗画浙江文化旅资讯. The copyright of the pictures and texts belongs to the original author.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, a stream flows down from the mountains in the south, encircling the village before winding its way into the Nanxi River system. To the southwest lies Furong Cliff, with its towering peaks resembling a hibiscus bud about to bloom.
The ancient village of Furong, located on the bank of the Nanxi River, is simply a "Peach Blossom Spring" hidden in the secluded area.
@Zhou Jinsheng
Nanxi Rivercheck the details
Known as the "Cradle of Chinese Landscape Painting," the Nanxi River is renowned for its unique features: picturesque waters, unique rock formations, numerous waterfalls, ancient villages, and picturesque beaches and forests. It is the only national scenic area in my country known for its idyllic landscapes. It boasts cultural relics from the Neolithic Age, ancient pagodas, bridges, roadside pavilions, archways, and battlefields from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It also preserves ancient villages built around the "Seven Stars and Eight Dippers" and "Four Treasures of the Study," as well as yin-yang feng shui principles. It also houses a large collection of complete genealogical records of hundreds of surnames.
Recommended months: March to November
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Unlike many ancient villages whose histories are unverified, Furong Ancient Village has a well-documented history. Founded in the late Tang Dynasty, the Chen Clan Genealogy, compiled in 1497 during the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty, records that the ninth-generation ancestor, Chen Gong, moved from Changxi to Yongjia in 904 AD. Over a thousand years have passed since then, and the village has been included in the first batch of China's traditional ancient villages.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
Walking through Furong Village and stepping onto the stone road that had long been worn round and smooth by the footsteps of our ancestors, I suddenly felt as if time and space were intertwined, as if in just a few steps I had fallen into the vicissitudes of time.
Life here hasn't changed at all with the arrival of tourists: water flows in front of the door, pavilions hang over the pond. Times have changed, but the essence of life remains unchanged.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
Time cannot be retained, but beautiful memories are the most lasting. Go for a walk in Furong Ancient Village, be a mountain villager, dream of the legacy of the ancient village, and pick up a piece of leisurely old time.
The prosperity has faded, but it seems to be still in the Song and Yuan dynasties
@Zhejiang National Treasure
Unlike other traditional Jiangnan villages, Furong Ancient Village boasts a more rugged and rugged character. Built from massive, untamed stone, its walls, approximately two meters high and imposing, feature seven stone arch gates. This seemingly casual construction creates an unpretentious, natural charm within the village.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
Entering Furong Village, one first steps onto Ruyi Street, a street that connects the village's history from ancient times to the present. Rows of cobblestones, steps, gates, mottled walls, even the roaming chickens and ducklings and the rustic charm of the ancient dwellings, all offer a sense of familiarity.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
At the heart of Furong Village lies a lotus pond, nestled within which stands a two-story pavilion with a hip roof. The pavilion, with its sweeping eaves and angled corners, creates a delicate and airy space, creating a striking contrast with Furong Peak, reflected in the lake. Water from the lake is channeled by villagers into a stream, and the gurgling streams along the roadside lend the village a tranquil atmosphere.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is the architectural gem of Furong Ancient Village. Its front courtyard features two gates, one on the north and one on the south. The southern gate is dedicated to "Guangzong" and the other to "Yaozu." A plaque with a golden dragon encircling the edge still hangs quietly in the hall, expressing the ancestors' hopes for the younger generation.
@Jin Xiaomin
The main hall of the ancestral hall is spacious and lofty, and opposite it is the temple's most exquisite stage. Today, the ancient stage still stands majestically, with long wooden benches as always. Wandering around, one can still see the lively scene of actors and actresses performing on stage, singing, reciting, acting, and fighting, while the audience was packed and cheering.
@Zhejiang National Treasure
If the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall represents a legacy of the ancient village's clan culture, then the establishment of Minglun Hall and Furong Academy reflects the village's emphasis on the culture of farming and studying. To cultivate oneself, one must first cultivate oneself, and to cultivate oneself, one must cultivate the principles of morality. Minglun Hall is an enclosed courtyard-style building with a garden in front, filled with lush bamboo and rolling rockeries. Students can enjoy the garden in their free time.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
The Sima Mansion, located in the northwest corner, was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. It was formed by merging three quadrangles. It has 15 central halls, 6 patios, 24 altars, 58 houses, as well as gardens, ponds, and wells. Each of the three quadrangles has its own gate, and the courtyards are connected by alleys, forming a huge courtyard that is very exquisite and unique.
Besides its sprawling ancient buildings, Furong Village is also notable for its "Seven Stars and Eight Dippers." This is a mystical hexagram symbolizing the correspondence between the stars in the sky and the people on earth. The "Seven Stars" are arranged in a wing-shaped pattern, representing the elevated platform at the intersection of the roads. The "Eight Dippers" are arranged in the shape of the Eight Trigrams, representing the square pools where the village's water veins converge.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
This layout not only symbolizes the village's ability to embrace the stars, hoping for future generations to produce as many talented people as the stars, but also demonstrates its strong strategic advantage in warfare. If war breaks out, the "stars" serve as the command post, while the "drifts" provide a guaranteed water supply. Combined with a cobblestone wall more than a meter high surrounding the village, the village becomes like a small castle, more than adequately protecting against common bandits.
@Zhejiang National Treasure
Furong Village has preserved a large number of buildings from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, including residential houses, ancestral halls, academies, roadside pavilions, temples, village gates, village walls, etc., which have been passed down day after day, year after year, and are ancient, vicissitudes of life, and intriguing.
It is like a hidden paradise, which will fascinate passers-by.
@Zhejiang National Treasure
"Farming in the sun and reading in the rain" is a half-farming and half-reading lifestyle advocated by ancient Chinese literati. This is no exception in the ancient village of Furong, which advocates reading.
@sina-Heritage
According to the Chen Family Genealogy of Furong Village, "All the sons of our clan, those who are scholars must study hard to seek advancement in their careers; those who are farmers must work hard in farming and trading to build up their family business. Even those who are very poor should keep themselves clean and must not do vulgar things and tarnish the family reputation."
@sina-Heritage
For nearly a thousand years, Furong Village has been prosperous in literature and has cultivated a large number of talents. In the Southern Song Dynasty, there were 18 officials serving in the court at the same time, and they were called "Eighteen Golden Belts". It also cultivated Chen Fuliang, a famous scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty and a representative of the Yongjia School. In the Republic of China period, 18 people were admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy one after another. All of this is closely related to the village's tradition of farming and studying.
@sina-A leaf left in the cold
@sina-Heritage
Farming is the foundation of survival, and reading is the basis of life. The Chen family, descended from a prominent family in the Central Plains, placed particular emphasis on the importance of reading to the family's development and inheritance, as evidenced by the village's location and layout.
Furong Peak is not only beautiful in shape like a hibiscus, but the two peaks next to it also look like a black gauze hat and a huge pen holder. Together with the Nanxi River winding like a belt at the foot of the mountain, it forms a feng shui pattern of "waist belt water in front and gauze hat rock in the back". Legend has it that it is particularly helpful for the tribe members to study and become talents.
Farming and studying to pass on the family tradition is a tradition in many ancient villages, and Furong Village regards it as the primary factor in maintaining the prosperity of the clan, and holds special sacrificial activities for it every year.
On the day of the sacrifice, a red list will be posted, a family tree will be requested, and portraits of the "Eighteen Golden Belts" will be hung... The fine family tradition of "farming and studying to pass on the family" will be permeated into the blood of generations of people in Furong Village.
📍Yongjia County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province
🎫Ticket price (for reference): 20 yuan/person
🚗Transportation information: West side of Xianqing Highway, Yantou Town, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City. Self-driving is recommended.
⭐Nearby attractions: Furong Three Cliffs, Lishui Ancient Street, Cangpo Ancient Village, Lion Rock Scenic Area, Taiping Rock Scenic Area, Jiuzhang Garden, etc.
🏨Accommodation recommendations: Huazhu Yongjia Big House Inn B&B (15058953918, online reference room rate ¥315), Yongjia Xishang Furong B&B (0577-67269666, online reference room rate ¥230), etc. There are many B&Bs around Furong Village with affordable prices. You can also choose to stay in Lishui Ancient Street, which is a short walk away.
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