Complete detailed information of Kengbei Ancient Village

Zengcheng Kengbei Village has a history of more than 780 years. Like many old villages in this city, although it is so quiet, it once had a bustling past. The name of Kengbei Village comes from The nearby Jinkeng River is rich in shellfish. The history of opening the village can be traced back to the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty. The first person to settle here was a man named Mao Fuxing. His native place may be Shanxi. Mao Fuxing is the fifth generation of the Mao family who traveled across the mountains and ridges to Lingnan. Several of his brothers also settled in Zengcheng. In addition to Kengbei Village, there are five or six natural villages nearby that also bear the Mao surname. The world of man. The buildings at the beginning of the establishment of Kengbei Village have completely disappeared. At present, the width is 152.43 meters, the depth is 53.96 meters, and the area is 8225.12 square meters. The whole building is divided into 11 columns and 5 rows. The shapes of the independent houses are basically the same: hard top, gray tube tiles, pot ears sealing the volcanic wall, painted, each with three rooms and a width of 10.49 meters, with vertical and horizontal Qingyun Lanes between the rows and rows. The village pattern was formed in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and the overall layout has been preserved to this day. Basic introduction Chinese name: Kengbei Ancient Village Administrative District Category: Administrative Village Area: 8225.12 square meters History: more than 400 years Origin of the name, historical evolution, main attractions, looking forward to the future, origin of the name [1] The name of Kengbei Village comes from the nearby Jin Hanghe is rich in shellfish. The history of opening the village can be traced back to the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty. The first person to settle here was a man named Mao Fuxing. His native place may be Shanxi. Mao Fuxing is the fifth generation of the Mao family who traveled across the mountains and ridges to Lingnan. Several of his brothers also settled in Zengcheng [2]. In addition to Kengbei Village, there are five or six natural villages nearby. This is the world for people with the surname Mao.

[1] The buildings at the beginning of the establishment of Kengbei Village have completely disappeared. The current width is 152.43 meters, the depth is 53.96 meters, and the area is 8225.12 square meters. The whole building is divided into 11 columns and 5 rows. The shapes of independent houses are basically the same: hard tops, gray tube tiles, volcanic walls sealed with pot ears, painted, each with three rooms and a width of 10.49 meters. There are vertical and horizontal Qingyun Lanes between the rows and rows. The village pattern was formed in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and it is rare that the whole village has been preserved to this day.

[2] Cai Meixin, deputy director of Zengcheng Museum, told us that this is the most typical Guangfu architectural style. In ancient times, Guangzhou people lived in villages like this. Historical evolution Kengbei Village is the "previous life" of Guangzhou's residential buildings. Lingnan people have always cared about Feng Shui, and Kengbei Village is a perfect example. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with the clear Xifu River in front and the lush Houlong Mountain in the back. The village itself is "round on the outside and square on the inside". The "round" one is the half-moon-shaped fire-fighting pond in front of the village, and the "square" one is the smooth village pattern behind the pond. The circle represents the sky, the square represents the earth, and humans living in the middle represent the three elements of heaven, earth, and humans. The upper part connects to the weather, the lower part connects to the earth, and the middle gathers the popularity, which is quite suitable for Kanyu. This kind of layout is very beneficial to the management of the village. Most of the ancient villages in Guangdong have a "comb-type layout", with only vertical lanes and no horizontal streets. Kengbei Village is an exception. The fifty-four houses here are arranged in a "chessboard style" like guards lined up neatly. At that time, bandits often appeared and the public security environment was not optimistic. As long as the entrance to the village was closed, each house in the entire village could communicate freely with the help of criss-crossing lanes, giving full play to the spirit of mutual help. If you look down at the wok houses in Kengbei Village from high altitude, you will find that the back row of the wok houses in Kengbei Village is slightly higher than the front row. There are vertical alleys connecting the front and back, and there is also a A drainage ditch, so that rainwater will follow the terrain and be discharged to the pond in front of the village instead of pouring into the house. Because the houses are arranged vertically, densely and regularly, radiant heat can be greatly reduced and good ventilation can be achieved. Because there is a pond in front and Houlong Mountain in the back, even in the hottest season, there will be a cool breeze blowing through. However, the beautiful and beautiful Kengbei Village is not a small independent village after all. It has also been full of dangers - there is a two-story watchtower at the back of it. This Qing Dynasty watchtower was built to guard against bandits and to store food and wait for help in times of crisis. Villagers told us that the watchtowers back then were more than twice as tall as they are now. It is not a regular quadrilateral. If you count it carefully, you will find that it actually has twenty walls, and each wall has blast holes drilled out. Hundreds of years ago, the people of Kengbei Village were stationed in this tall and powerful watchtower, paying close attention to the abnormal noises in all directions and defending their paradise-like home. The Legend of the Wok'er House in Kengbei Village Walking through the group of large Wok'er houses, it's hard not to admire the ingenuity of the people who planned it. The villagers of Kengbei Village passed down word of mouth that this remarkable figure was a high official in the village during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The continuous row of wok-ear houses in Kengbei Village is the best evidence that the village once had great scenery.

In the minds of the people of Kengbei Village, the wok-ear house symbolizes wealth, good luck, and plenty of food and clothing. Only those who have achieved fame can adopt it. Whoever's home has a big "wok", exquisite material selection, and magnificent decoration will have greater wealth.

The real name of these towering "wok ears" is "fire sealing wall". In the past, in the countryside, there were piles of straw everywhere, which could easily catch fire. The houses were closely connected. Once the wind helped the fire, the flames could easily jump up to the tiles of the neighboring houses.

The large ear-shaped gables can effectively prevent the spread of fire. When there is no fire, the high wok-ear gables are also useful. Like a pair of big hands, it guides the clear breeze into the long alleys on both sides, and the breeze flows into the house through the doors and windows. Even though the windows of the wo'er house are very small and narrow, the room can still be as cool as water. Why the gable was made into the shape of a wok ear originates from an unverifiable legend. It is said that when Liang Chu, the great master of the Ming Dynasty who was famous throughout the Pearl River Delta, returned home in old age, the reluctant emperor asked his teacher what he wanted. The old master pondered for a moment and then said: I want to imitate the royal architecture and build a house in my hometown, so that whenever I look up, I will see the palace and think of the emperor. The emperor readily approved Liang Chu's request, and this kind of wok-ear house, which resembled a palace but had local characteristics, took root in Lingnan from then on. Upon closer inspection, the wok-ear houses in Kengbei Village do look a bit like the official hats worn by civil servants in the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the villagers firmly believe that their ancestors must be quite extraordinary people to have built wok houses in the whole village. The fact is: although for a period of time, only officials and officials who have achieved fame are eligible to enjoy the benefits of the wok house - the so-called "thousands of gold and ten thousand tons of grain, singing and singing in the wok house every night", "hand-grabbing" Wok-tou-er, some can be steamed and some can be stir-fried, and you have plenty of food and clothing without worries." That's right. But because the mountains in Lingnan are high and the emperor is far away, the wok-er house has become popular among the people early on. "The wok-ear house is actually not as noble as the roof on the veranda or the top of the mountain. If ordinary people build a house with that kind of roof, they will really risk their heads," said Cai Meixin, deputy director of the Zengcheng City Museum. Despite this, the entire Wok-ear house in Hang Bei Village is worthy of respect. "On the one hand, this proves that the authority of Kengbei Village at that time was very powerful and could plan this area of ??buildings in a unified manner. On the other hand, it also shows that the economic situation of the entire village is relatively good, and the difference between the rich and the poor is not big."

The uniform black color of the wok house also has a special meaning. In the Chinese Five Elements theory, black represents water. Guangzhou is located in the south and belongs to Fire. The black wok ears are borrowed from the black color of the Northern Xuanwu Water God to suppress the fire evil and residential fire in the South. Main attractions: From the ancient village to the big park, there was once Kengbei Village. Inside and outside the house, Kengbei Village Flagpole Stone is also called the flagpole clamp. It is a base made to fix the flagpole. The flagpole stone is carved from fine stone. In the old days, whether in the city or in the countryside, anyone who erected a pair of flagpoles at the door of a house or an ancestral hall must mean that someone in the family or family had passed the imperial examination or Jinshi. The purpose of erecting a flagpole is to honor one's ancestors, show one's identity, inform the world, and encourage young students to study hard. The more stone flagpoles in a place, it means that there are many talented people in this place. Walking along Kengbei Village, you can still hear the sounds of chickens and dogs in the ancient village. Most of the people I met in the village were elderly people, and they were probably the only ones who were still stationed in their once bustling homes.

The first Grandpa Mao I met looked like an old man from a fairy tale. Lean figure, slightly rounded waist. After greeting him, he slowly raised his head, revealing a bright and kind smile under his big bamboo hat.

Grandpa Mao took us to the wok house where he lived. This is a small room of about 25 square meters. Grandpa Mao told us that the size of the wok house has not changed since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but the number of villagers has increased. For convenience, everyone added a wall here and a room there inside the wok house. house. Slowly, the Wok'er House became what it is now.

But he still remembered the original appearance of the wooer house: it was a typical layout of three rooms and two corridors, with three houses in a row hanging on the top of the mountain, with a large hall in the middle and smaller bedrooms on both sides. There is a patio in the middle of the wok house, with corridors on both sides of the patio. The wok houses at that time were spacious and bright, not to mention how comfortable they were to live in. Every household has its own "indoor garden" - the patio of the wok house is filled with flowers and plants, which sway in the bright sunshine and the gentle breeze.

[1] Although the current Kengbei Village miraculously maintains its appearance on the outside, when we get closer to its "heart", we have to admit that this is a very old village. Very old old man. The sandstone was peeling off, the wood carvings were rotting, and moss was everywhere... Despite this, Grandpa Mao did not want to leave. He told us that he had five children in his first marriage, and all of them have now moved out to live. The farthest one is in Shanghai, and the nearest one is in the newly developed "New Village" next to Kengbei Village. Grandpa Mao and his wife insisted on staying in the village where they had lived all their lives. "No matter where I go, I don't feel as comfortable as here!" Inside and outside the house in the ancient village of Kengbei. 85-year-old Ruibo is the oldest person staying in Kengbei Village. He brought a yellowed map, depicting the former Kengbei Village.

"You think the current Kengbei Village is beautiful, but it is far worse than in the past! Many beautiful buildings in the village have been destroyed by the Japanese." Kengbei Village Fire Pond First of all, in front of the village The fire pond will be much more beautiful than it is now. The area of ??the fireproof pond is as large as the village, about 6,000 square meters. On every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, a bright moon is reflected in the half-moon-shaped pond, and the villagers toast and drink by the pond, not to mention how comfortable it is. The sense of order is the biggest feature of the architecture in Kengbei Village. Generally speaking, it is built in the order of pond - wall - grain drying field - ancestral hall - village house - watchtower - woods.

The ancestral hall, official hall, and large study room related to the public affairs of the entire village are all listed in the first row. Ancestral Hall Group in Kengbei Village The current ancestral hall has a shabby scenery. At that time, there were colorful paintings and carvings on the walls, which were beautiful. Some of these beautiful details were destroyed by the Japanese during the war, and some were covered with lime by the frightened villagers during the "Cultural Revolution", losing their original splendor. The first building at the entrance of the village is the large study room. Placing the reading place in the most important place in the village architectural layout also reflects the importance Kengbei Village attaches to education. For hundreds of years, the villagers of Kengbei Village have received enlightenment education here, including Ruibo who also studied here. Standing in the courtyard with lush grass, Reber told us that there used to be a swimming pool here, and behind the swimming pool was a public garden. The swimming pool disappeared completely, but the garden still left a trace. Following Ruibo's instructions, we saw an archway covered by a wall, with three simple characters "Bie Youtian" engraved on it. Ruibo said that there was a pair of couplets next to these three words: Open the door to welcome guests from all over the world, and everyone who enters the garden is a flower-viewer. The biggest change is that Kengbei Village has gone from being a bustling village with people coming and going to becoming as lonely as it is today. In its heyday, four to five hundred people lived in Kengbei Village. In the hot summer, the bluestone road was filled with villagers enjoying the shade. But now, there are only about a dozen old people left behind in Kengbei Village, as well as some chickens, kittens, and puppies walking around without fear of strangers... "Loneliness is not lonely. Life in the village It is very convenient, and there are many old friends. When everyone has nothing to do, we can get together to drink tea, chat, and play mahjong..."

But sometimes, I still miss the old Kengbei Village, which was full of people. Kengbei Village is a place of order, vitality and laughter. Tomorrow in Kengbei Village Kengbei Village will soon become lively. The staff of Kengbei Village told us that the planning of "Kengbei Village Park" is already under implementation and is expected to become a reality this year. Looking to the future [1] The ancient village of Kengbei Village will be the "soul" of this park. The 54 wok houses will be renovated - don’t worry about erasing the traces of history. The repair work will mainly focus on the interior of the houses, cleaning up the excess bricks and tiles that were added later, and restoring the old beauty of the wok houses. appearance.

Houlong Mountain behind Kengbei Village is also part of the park. In the 300-acre mountain forest, there are not only coniferous forests, masson pine, casuarina, and broad-leaved forests, but also fruit trees full of lychees, longans, mangoes, and sugar oranges. You can walk, eat, and see all the way here. . In Guangzhou, there are few ancient villages that are as well-preserved as Kengbei Village. If this place is restored, Guangzhou people will finally have a place to appreciate the life of fishermen, woodcutter, farmers and readers in Lingnan in the old days. This ancient village from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties will also be declared as a provincial cultural heritage.

Perhaps the most urgent task is to attract the old residents of Kengbei Village to return again. Cai Meixin, deputy director of the Zengcheng City Museum, said that most of the old houses in Kengbei Village are now unoccupied, which is not a good thing. An old house is like an old man. If you ignore it, it will age faster and lose its vitality until it becomes a ruin. Hundreds of years ago, it was the ancestors of Kengbei Village[1] who created this beautiful home. Today, only the villagers of Kengbei Village are the key to rejuvenating this ancient village. Walking into Kengbei Village, you will feel the ancient charm and simplicity here, with smooth and hard stone streets, exquisite decayed wooden plaques, jagged wok-eared houses, ancient courtyards of the Ming and Qing Dynasties with similar shapes, and watchtowers with strange bones. There are chickens, geese, cows and sheep everywhere, making your journey full of unexpected surprises. The vaguely preserved ancient customs here give you a glimpse of the traces of history.