What are the characteristics of the architectural complex in the most unpopular ancient village in Jiexi, Guangdong?

When it comes to Guangdong, many tourists can name at least seven or eight cities. However, when it comes to Jieyang, many tourists from outside the province feel unfamiliar.

Jieyang only became a prefecture-level city in the early 1990s. Due to its geographical location and other reasons, it was unable to become as famous as Shenzhen. It is expected that it is "unknown". Jieyang's popularity still needs to be improved, and its subordinate Jiexi County has been unknown for a long time.

Although Jiexi is not well-known, it is the cradle of businessmen. It is also a famous tourist county in the Chaoshan region. It has scenic spots such as Huangmantong Waterfall and Jingming Resort. In addition, there are There are many ancient villages that have not been developed in depth but have a long history and special layout. Yuemei Ancient Village in Dongyuan Town and Fengnan Village in Fengjiang Town are the main representatives.

Yuemei Ancient Village is a village with the surname Zhuo. This surname is relatively rare in Chaoshan area, but the scale of the village is second to none in Dongyuan Town.

The ancient village has a history of more than 600 years. The Laozhai part is now used as a historical sightseeing zone. Although it is very deserted, you can still feel the past through the pattern of broken walls and streets. The lively scene of groups living together, and the layout of the building can also show the balance made by the ancestors in Feng Shui, defense, and home accommodation.

Yuemei Ancient Village has the most complex "Hundred Birds Chasing Phoenix" pattern among Chaoshan villages. In the middle is the ancestral hall building with the highest status, which mainly enshrines ancestors' tablets and is a place where villagers worship their ancestors during festivals and festivals. .

The ancient village has a layout of three streets and six lanes, with 18 courtyard-style buildings in the middle. The outermost lanes are in a house-to-house pattern, like rows of soldiers guarding the courtyard in the middle.

In the past when traffic was congested and the private economy was backward, in building villages, in addition to pursuing comfortable living, safety issues must also be considered. The houses in Yuemei Ancient Village are all connected by small doors. The small doors are closed unless necessary and will be opened when important things happen to facilitate orderly communication and interaction between villagers, transfer of supplies, escape or defense against enemies.

In the past, there was only one village gate left in the ancient village for villagers to enter and exit. Once the village gate was closed, it was difficult for outsiders to enter, and the village was like a small society.

Looking through the information, I found that the surname Zhuo ranked 277th among the 100 surnames. This surname originated from the Chu State during the Warring States Period. The ancestor was named Zhuo Hua, who was the great-grandson of King Wei of Chu.

Like many Chaoshan people, the ancestors of the Zhuo family also moved to Guangdong from Fujian. They moved from Putian to present-day Shantou, Huilai, Jiexi (Jieyang County in ancient times) and other places. The people who settled in Dongyuan Town, Jiexi County named the village Yuemei Village because there was a large pool in front of the village that looked like a crescent moon.