But whether it is ancient Huizhou or Huangshan today, it is the external expression of Huizhou culture. If you want to pursue the lost years, you have to go deep into the countryside and have a look at the vicissitudes of the old days.
I wrote an article before to share the story about Xidi. Today, I want to show you another more famous ancient village, namely Hongcun, a 5A-level ancient village which is also listed in the World Cultural Heritage List.
Hongcun's fame is becoming more and more widely known, which can't be separated from the promotion of a movie "Unintentionally Inserted Willow".
In the summer of 2000, a film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" directed by China appeared on the screens of major cinemas. The starring lineup of this film is very imposing, with famous actors such as Chow Yun Fat and Zhang Ziyi as the main roles, which is also one of the famous works directed by Ang Lee.
One of the important locations of this film is Hongcun in southern Anhui. For a time, the scenery of Hongcun was also known by more people. Coincidentally, at the end of the same year, Hongcun was also included in the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO.
Approaching Nanhu Lake
Before coming to Hongcun, I made a special trip to Xidi. I thought that the next Hongcun and Xidi were similar, after all, they were all ancient villages in Huizhou. But I found Hongcun relatively more agile. And this special spiritual feeling is brought by water.
Before I entered the village, a beautiful lake appeared in front of me, which made me excited at once. The mountains in the distance are faintly visible and rolling, and the beautiful scenery of South Lake in front of you makes people fall in love at first sight. The beauty of lakes and mountains is my first impression of Hongcun.
Huizhou architecture with blue tiles and white walls by the lake looks quiet and calm. It is a good landscape painting, but this landscape painting has increased human creation, more fireworks and more affinity.
Such a beautiful scenery, in addition to being recorded with eyes and captured with cameras, some people are full of artistic cells and will choose to paint with brushes.
Many of them are art students from all over the country. They came to Hongcun only because it can bring them inspiration, and what they see in front of them can be turned into colored ink on paper. This is a sense of accomplishment and a long-lost aesthetic feeling.
Inadvertently, it turned out that not only tourists felt the beauty of South Lake, but also passing dogs were attracted. Seeing them in a daze, I seemed lost in thought, and I couldn't help raising my mouth. I quickly took this photo and thought it was very nice.
Looking for ancient buildings in Hongcun
Hongcun has a long history, about 900 years ago. Sigh is a thousand-year-old village, and it deserves it.
Today, there are hundreds of ancient buildings in Ming and Qing dynasties in the village, which can be described as the "Grand View Garden" in ancient buildings. In view of this, I decided to cross the painting bridge and go to the other side of the South Lake for an "ancient journey".
I have always been interested in Huizhou architecture, and the exquisiteness of the "three sculptures" in the detailed description is even more amazing. Before I came to Hongcun, I had been to several ancient villages in Wuyuan, and I was attracted by their gorgeous ancient buildings. During this trip to Hongcun, it is natural to visit several famous old houses.
If we want to talk about the ancient folk houses in Hongcun, we have to mention Sincerity to Hall. This is the private residence of Wang Dinggui, a famous salt merchant in the late Qing Dynasty, and it is also the most luxurious ancient building in Hongcun. How luxurious is it? It can be said that this mansion is made of real money. The building area is as high as 3000 square meters. At present, the luxury houses are basically pediatrics.
It is said that Huizhou's carving art is exquisite, so we should appreciate it carefully in Chengzhitang. All the carvings here took twenty craftsmen seven years to complete. As the saying goes, it takes several years to do a good job, no matter what age, it is commendable.
Careful observation of the wood carvings on the door and in front of the window is amazing. Compared with the records in books, wood carving is more specific as a carrier, and stories float in front of us. This is not only a beautiful handicraft, but also a great sensory enjoyment.
Influenced by the traditional culture of China, this family attaches great importance to ancestral halls. Not to mention in the old days, there are ancestral halls in many villages today, which are used to worship ancestors and pray for blessings.
Wang Jiagen lived in Hongcun for generations and of course had his own ancestral temple. Wang's Ancestral Hall was built on the edge of Moon Lake in Hongcun, with a nice name "Le Xiutang". It is common for people to gather here happily, catch up with the past and talk about things in the village, big and small.
But the ordinary is often the most touching, which contains the traditional thought of "harmony is precious", and "musical narration" pursues a stable and peaceful small society.
Although there are many buildings in Hongcun in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, most of them are buildings left over from the Qing Dynasty, and the only surviving building in the Ming Dynasty is this ancestral temple of the king. It is unique and expensive, so the ancestral hall is of great significance, and its position is irreplaceable in terms of historical age and people's beliefs.
In addition to Chengzhi Hall and Wang Ancestral Hall, there is also a Nanhu Academy near Yuenuma Lake. The role of Nanhu Academy is particularly easy to understand. It is an ancient school, also called a private school.
Many students regard Confucius as their teacher, so there is a portrait of Confucius in the middle of Wenchang Pavilion. I don't know if you have heard of such a sentence: "Confucius in the north, Wenchang in the south." It is said that Wenchang is the patron saint of exam-oriented learning. Now that Confucius is standing in Wenchang Pavilion, we can see how much people expect fame and fortune.
Moon lake
Unconsciously, I have come to the center of Hongcun. There is a pond here, which looks like a half moon, hence the name "Moon Marsh".
Like South Lake, Moon Bay makes the whole village more feminine. The water is as calm as a mirror, and the walls made of white tiles are neat and orderly, drawing a beautiful picture.
Because Moon Lake doesn't flow like South Lake, it is actually a small pond, so it is also called "Moon Lake". Don't underestimate this pond, it has a long history.
It is said that Moon Bay was built in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty, with a history of 500 to 600 years. At that time, villager Wang Siqi and his wife Hu Chongniang stumbled upon a natural spring in the village, so they hired a Feng Shui master to re-plan the water system of the village, and finally introduced the spring to build a pond.
Remember when I said that the moonpool is a half-moon pool? There is also a mystery here. At that time, many people advocated digging a full moon-shaped pond, but the lady who found the spring water had different opinions.
She thinks that everything can't be perfect, saying that "when the water is full, it will overflow, and when the moon is full, it will lose money." If the pond is dug too perfectly, it will definitely have an impact. In this way, Moon Bay became what we see today. Although it is not "complete", it is still very attractive. Isn't this "half a month" the normal state of life?
Nine times out of ten things in life are unpleasant. How can everything go smoothly? In this case, it is better to face it frankly, even if it is not perfect, it has its meaning of existence.
The big trees at the entrance of the village are also exquisite.
The entrance of Hongcun village is also called Tingqian. It turns out that there are indeed two pavilions at the entrance of the village, which are from the Ming Dynasty. If it can be preserved, it is also a precious cultural relic. Unfortunately, it has been destroyed, leaving only two towering old trees.
These two trees are Feng Shui trees in Hongcun, one is a red poplar, and the other is a ginkgo, also called ginkgo tree. Red and white trees just correspond to something red and white. The villagers believe in geomantic omen. Whenever there is a happy event or a white event in the village, the villagers will gather around the tree to pray for peace.
If it is a happy event, the married red sedan chair will have to go around Hongyang and seek happiness; If the old man dies, pray around the ginkgo tree and seek peace for the living.
Wandering in the ancient village, missing the old days.
Hongcun is really "old" She is like an old man with an eye patch. She doesn't like to talk, so she quietly watches people come and go. Mottled walls can be seen everywhere, and honest shops are too dark.
I just like this feeling. When I came to Hongcun, I didn't feel strongly that I was in a scenic spot. On the contrary, there is a feeling of going home.
Every child must have a corner in his heart, the hometown that makes people cry, which is carefully placed there. Over the years, I have been busy outside and have been to countless ancient towns and villages. Hongcun is one of them that can make me feel intimate.
It's good to go out for a walk during the day. There is no nightlife in the village. Basically, it is dark everywhere after dark. I have always felt that it is a good state to work at sunrise and rest at sunset, which is the primitive law of nature.
There are no bright lights in the city, and there are no tasks that overwhelm you and can never be completed.
It's getting dark It is my consistent style to find a small shop in the village, have a steaming meal and chat with the proprietress when there are few people.
When traveling, it is best not to close yourself, giving people a feeling of being inaccessible. It's a pleasure to chat with local people and listen to them talk about some local specialties or folk customs.
Compared with many scenic spots in China, Hongcun is not very playable. There are almost no exciting amusement facilities, bars and dance halls that can stay up late into the night, or various online celebrities punching in. There is plenty of seclusion and tranquility here, which is the "paradise" needed by an impetuous and restless heart.
I wonder what Hongcun will be like after many years. See you next time, will you recognize what you used to look like?
With the gradual penetration of the commercialization model, more and more ancient villages may soon change their souls. Before spitting out this breath, every encounter will be precious and worth savoring.