Lianghu: a magical ancient village that has lasted for thousands of years

The picture shows the panoramic view of Panlong Village in Lianghu Village. Photo by Guo Guowei

At the foot of the Taihang Mountains and on the banks of the Dan River, a magical ancient village "lives".

After thousands of years of vicissitudes, it has completely preserved the exquisite architectural remains and built it into a living history museum that will amaze everyone who walks into it; passed down from generation to generation, it has preserved the tolerant and open-minded countryside Civilization is integrated into the blood, condensing a vivid history of creation by the working people, and has been hailed as a legend by countless experts and scholars.

"Our village has a history of thousands of years. As early as the middle of the Tang Dynasty, families named Guo and Tian began to settle here, and the earliest 'two-household village' was born. Later, Wang and Tian Families with surnames such as Li, Qin, and Zhao moved in one after another, and the "Lianghu Village" became stronger and more prosperous, and the name of the village was changed to "Lianghu Village."

When I entered the village, I happened to meet him. Shao Linlin, deputy director of the Shang Village Committee, is receiving a group of tourists. Follow along and listen to his eloquent narration, and the legend of Lianghu Ancient Village slowly unfolds.

The eight-hundred-year-old Yuxu Temple, the four-hundred-year-old General’s Mansion, and the scattered ancient courtyards of the Ming and Qing Dynasties... Strolling through Lianghu Village, which is full of relics and lined with ancient streets, tourists stop to linger from time to time. Walking into ancient houses, you will see gorgeous "three-carving" exquisite works everywhere, exuding the dazzling wisdom of the ancients. Mr. Zhang from Changzhi admired it with eyes and sighed: "There are very few such prosperous, exquisite and elegant villages. It is not easy to preserve the original flavor. Walking here is like traveling through time and space." ."

Chen Zhihua, a well-known vernacular architecture expert and professor at the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, once commented: "The remains of good households tell people that life should and can be created exquisitely, artistically, and emotionally. ” Sun Dazhang, former chief engineer of the China Architectural Research Institute, even said, “The essence of thousand-year-old architecture can be found in Gaoping’s good homes.”

"Our Lianghu is a traditional Chinese village and a famous historical and cultural village in China. There are 17 temples from various periods preserved in the village and more than 30 well-preserved ancient courtyards from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. We have been here for generations. People have lived here for generations, and it is called by experts a 'living Taihang Ancient Village'," Shao Linlin introduced with a proud look on his face.

The complete preservation is due to the cherishment of Lianghu people’s homes. It also benefits from the excellent construction quality, which also proves Lianghu’s former prosperity. "We have a saying that has been circulating since ancient times: When a girl marries into a good household, her house will be built with bricks and a lion's gate." Shao Linlin said that during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Lianghu Village had developed agriculture, prosperous commerce and handicrafts, and there were many shops on the street, making it prosperous. Looking up, the shop front is still ostentatious, and the business is still prosperous, but the business projects have new content.

Museums with different styles, traditional handicraft experience projects, and unique tourist souvenirs. Every time they enter a courtyard, tourists are deeply attracted by the old workshops and old objects in front of them. Paper-cutting, tie-dying, pottery... everyone started doing it one after another, recalling the fun of childhood and feeling the endless joy.

To revitalize and utilize historical relics and fully explore cultural connotations, Lianghu Village adheres to the principle of "inheriting while protecting" and transforms many old shops and homes into exhibition halls, experience halls, inns, tea bars, Special areas such as hotels have also developed and constructed "farming paradise" and "picking garden" to bring rich tourism experience to visitors.

Walking through the streets and alleys, a majestic castle on the northeast slope of the village caught everyone's attention. "This is the residence of Tian Fengji, who served as a lecturer at the Kangxi Sutra Banquet and served as Minister of Household Affairs and Minister of War - Panlongzhai Minister's Mansion." As we walked into the row of castles, we were filled with exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings. It's fascinating, and the sound of books ringing around makes the place full of charming humanistic atmosphere.

"Tian Fengji, who retired from old age and returned to his hometown, once set up an academy here to preach and educate the villagers. Now, the 'Lianghu Academy' has been rebuilt here and has become the 'Commercial Press Rural Reading Center' 'One." Shao Linlin said that various reading activities and cultural lectures are often held here, and it has become a new leader in building study tour brands.

"Both farming and reading, being an official and doing business, both ancient and modern, all of these are perfectly integrated in this small village." Visiting here, tourist Li Wenkai couldn't help but sigh, “Here you can not only touch history, but also get close to nature, not only experience culture, but also taste nostalgia.

Next time I bring my child with me, I have to let him know what hometown is..."

(Editors: Ma Yunmei, Liu Yang)