The capital of the world's enclosed houses is hidden in Jiangxi, a "thousand-year-old county" with as many as 376 enclosed houses.

When it comes to Hakka architecture in the past, the first thing that comes to mind is always the earthen buildings in Yongding and Nanjing, Fujian. Recently, I traveled to Longnan City, Jiangxi Province and learned that there are many enclosed houses here.

Although the total population of Longnan is only 338,200, there are 376 enclosed houses of different styles, which are the largest in China in terms of number, scale, and completeness of preservation. Many enclosed houses are relatively large. It was earlier rated as a "National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit". Today, the "Hakka enclosed houses in southern Gansu" with Longnan enclosed houses as the main body have been included in the preliminary list of world cultural heritage, and Longnan City (county level) has been awarded the title of "the county with the most Hakka enclosed houses".

Longnan County was established during the Southern Tang Dynasty. It has been more than 1,000 years since the Hakkas created a splendid culture here. In the past, due to the mountains and inconvenient transportation, the unique culture and architecture have been well preserved. The Hakka culture here is very different from the Hakka culture in Guangdong, Fujian and other places, and this is most obvious in terms of food.

Guanxi Village is a treasure village in Longnan. It has many ancient enclosed houses with distinctive features. The most famous one is Guanxi Xinwei, which is the largest of the Hakka enclosed houses in southern Ganxi. It is known as the "Ancient Roman Castle in the East".

Xichang Wei near Guanxi Xinwei was built in the Ming Dynasty and was not completed until the Qing Dynasty. The locals called it "Jiu Wei" to distinguish it. Many Hakka enclosed houses have the overall layout thought out before they are built, but Xichang Wai is an exception.

The shape of Xichang Wai is toad-shaped in Feng Shui, and its appearance is not the usual square, half-moon or circular structure. The builders of this wall were the ancestors of Xu Mingjun, the founder of Guanxi New Wall. They built houses first, and then built walls. The ancestral hall was leaning against the ancient wall. This shape is indeed real to outsiders. A little weird.

Many tourists come and go in a hurry without carefully understanding the history and culture of Xichangwei. Some of the carvings in the Weiwei cannot be understood without introduction by knowledgeable people. In this regard, we are lucky.

On the day of the tour, we met Uncle Xu, the third descendant of the Xu family. He enthusiastically and seriously guided us to the Li Xiaogong Hall, pointed to the sculptures and paintings everywhere, and explained to us the cultural origins and connotation.

There are window lattice carvings of "Fishing, Woodworking, Farming and Reading" in Xichang, as well as ancient murals such as dragons and phoenixes showing auspiciousness, and hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix. Although the carvings are very old, they are still well preserved, which shows that future generations cherish the elderly very much. Something left by our ancestors.

The Hakka people were originally immigrants from the Central Plains. Although many of their descendants changed their culture and became farmers, they still attach great importance to the improvement of cultural literacy. This is one of the reasons why local talents have always been produced in large numbers.

The Guanxi New Wai next to Xichang Wai has a history of more than 200 years. From the ground, it looks like a huge castle, and from a height, it looks like a big Chinese character.

There are pools in the front, lower left and right sides of Guanxi New Wai, which look particularly aura, especially when the enclosures and blue sky and white clouds are reflected in the pool, it looks like a beautiful picture.

Guanxi Xinwei is a three-story civil structure with 79 rooms on each floor. Every blue brick on the wall tells a long-standing story. There is also a "Little Flower Island" and Meihua Academy at the west gate of Xinwei. The entire enclosed house is elegant and elegant, with great attention to detail. It is said that it took 29 years to build.

Whether it is Lao Wai, San Wai, or other enclosed houses in Guanxi Village, there are still people living in them, exuding a strong atmosphere of human smoke, especially when the villagers cook and entertain guests, the scene is The most lively.

There are many festivals held in the ancient village every year, which vividly display the long-standing Hakka culture.

With the passionate gongs and drums, the dynamic dragon dance, and the melodious Hakka folk songs, Hakka culture is worth understanding, tasting, and sharing.

Travel strategy: If you drive by car, locate the destination in advance as "Guanxi Wai" and follow the navigation to get there. You can also take a bus to Kansai in Longnan City.