History of Xiajia Courtyard

The triple impressions of the main courtyard of Xiajia Courtyard have aroused our interest in Xiajia history.

Sitting under the withered pomegranate tree in the backyard, we started a difficult inquiry with Bing Lin, director of Yuanyang County Cultural Relics Management Office. The morning sunshine falls down warmly and obliquely, hitting a delicate green willow, and also hitting us. The history of the Xia family is like a creeper crawling all over the attic, but it is difficult to have a panoramic view with branches and vines all over the wall.

Bing Lin said that although he knew that the Xiajia Courtyard was built in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, the history of Xiajia's ancestors could not be verified, only that they moved from Xinxiang County to Guandi Temple in Dongguan, Yuanyang County, and then moved here from Guandi Temple. Xia Mianzu is the last male owner of Xiajiaben Branch. His grandfather was a local official in Hubei, but he was not prominent. In the generation of his father Xia Liankui, he finally won the examination and awarded Wen Linlang. Xia Liankui died in 1918 at the age of 55. She had a son and two daughters, the eldest of whom was married to the grandson of Wei Rongguang, assistant minister of the Ministry of War and Shandong governor. From this point of view, Xia Jia is not comparable to the general rich man.

Xia's family didn't get rich because of being an official. They used to run a pawnshop, and once joined the national pawnshop chain "Tongheyu". The pawnshop industry spread all over Tianjin, Kaifeng, Weihuifu, Huixian, Wuzhi and Qinyang. The Xia family's fortune is also considerable. In Huixian, Wuzhimuluandian and other places, there are villas and big gardens, and there are also small gardens in Cao Zhuang Village, south of Yuanyang County.

As for Xia Jia's more detailed situation, it has disappeared in the depths of history.

Xia widow and her mysterious world

Speaking of Xia family courtyard, locals prefer to call it Xia widow's courtyard, because in the history of Xia family, a widow's position is particularly prominent. Xia widowed

wife is Xia Mianzu's wife. Xia Mianzu was born in the 24th year of Guangxu (1898) and died in the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924). He was only 26 years old and left no descendants. When Xia widow married Xia Mianzu, no one can verify it. This woman from Jiaozuo Boai, people only know her surname as Wang, because her husband is the 14th cousin, and she is honored as the 14th aunt.

Xia widow is small and short, but she is smart. After Xia Mianzu's death, she was widowed at a young age. You can imagine how many problems she had to face. In order to avoid the right and wrong in front of the door, the widow of Xia stayed at home all year round, hiding in the deep house compound and spending her time. We sat in the backyard, looking at a long and narrow light blue sky, and we could imagine her long lonely spring sorrow. Although the yard is full of greenery in spring and pomegranate in Qiu Lai, what is the difference between the closed world and the prison?

Xia widow is locked in the house, but her husband left her a huge family business and she needs to take care of it carefully. Widow Xia did not directly participate in the business, but she was able to win over a group of people to run her business prosperously. Instead of letting Xia's family business be destroyed in her hands, she became famous. "Widow Xia is definitely a strong woman. What kind of management means she has is a mystery." Lin Ruiqing of the County Records Office of Yuanyang County said.

In the lonely life, Xia widow welcomes a family relationship. One morning, when the servant opened the door, he found a baby girl abandoned in front of the door. Summer widow thought it was an act of god, so she took the baby girl home and hired a wet nurse to take care of it carefully. When the baby girls grew up, the new China was born, and the compound was taken away by the government. They then moved out and lived in a small house in the corner of the street. In 1956, Xia widow died quietly, and her daughter didn't live long.

The history of the Xia family came to an abrupt end.

The historical bearing of Xia Family Courtyard

Although Xia Family history ended after the death of Xia Widow, its historical mission did not end for Xia Family Courtyard.

After the founding of New China, Xiajia Courtyard was confiscated by the government and became the office of Yuanyang County Committee. In 1965, after the county party Committee moved away, it became the guest house of the county party Committee, which was once prosperous. In the 198s, the county guest house moved away and became the office of the county industrial bureau. Later, it became a family complex of industrial bureau and other units; In the 199s, it was gradually incorporated into the cultural relics department and was repaired twice. This is just what happened to the main courtyard of Xiajia Courtyard. There are also three courtyards. After the establishment of New China, it has also become the office of government units. Now, few houses have been destroyed.

"The main courtyard was almost destroyed in the 199s, and now it plays a great role. It has become a window to show Yuanyang, receive foreign businessmen to visit and hold various exhibitions, and even the middle school students' admission ceremony will be held here." Bing Lin said that today it has been turned into a hall of historical celebrities in Yuanyang. In the rooms and halls of the front and middle courts, you can see the statues of 12 prime ministers, Mao Sui, Zhang Liang and others in the history of Yuanyang.

In Bing Lin's eyes, if enough funds can be raised, it can be further developed into a tourist attraction.

quadrangles are representative buildings in the north, and symmetrical construction is the biggest feature. However, in Xiajia Courtyard, the decorative brick carvings on the eaves here are really not a little similar, and on the basis of most symmetry, there are completely different details.

The thick ivy vine seems to tell the vicissitudes of time here.

The management funds of Xiajia Courtyard are insufficient, resulting in few repairs here and even fewer tourists. The janitor started a small business at the gate while guarding the door.

The roof animals in Xiajia Courtyard are also different from the usual situation of northern buildings.