Eight Hundred Years of Village: A Journey to Peitian: A Journey to Peitian

Author: Wu Guoping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: So far, not many people know about Peitan, let alone have an in-depth understanding. This is the basic motivation behind our enthusiasm for creating this book. We hope that through this book, more people will quickly become familiar with Peitan and, like us, come to love this place. To be honest, Peitan is not a place for leisure, nor does it have the captivating scenery of Guizhou Mountain. However, it possesses its own unique charm. The cluster of ancient residential buildings it owns writes a glorious chapter in the history of ancient residential architecture in China, but this is merely a surface-level observation. The richness hidden within is extremely profound. Many people, after seeing the ancient residences here, might ask, "How did they come into existence? Why did such a magnificent architectural cluster appear in this small mountain village? What was the historical development process of Peitan? What flows in its veins? What is the driving force behind their relentless efforts?" etc. We strive to answer these questions in this small book and, in doing so, complete a historical of Peitan—a common Chinese village. This is quite fascinating. Sometimes, history allows us to deeply touch something, including the core where the spirit and flesh of a clan intertwine, and thereby cleanse and move our own hearts. This cannot be summarized in just the four words "cultural connotation." The traces of 800 years of walking, from small to large, from prosperity to decline, are extremely similar to our individual lives. After all, it is a long essay. It goes beyond the scope of tourism and differs from general historical and cultural research. The stories it tells are profound and emotional; its essence lies not only in passionately delving into history but also in emphasizing a certain philosophy and aesthetic. We feel that only when Peitan blooms like a flower can we fully appreciate its beauty. Therefore, what we present to you now is not a text about history, but the intriguing music and paintings revealed within it. Due to the urgency of time and the limitations of our understanding, we can only say this much. After speaking, there are often many regrets. Because Peitan, after all, is a grand book. The Peitan scholar Wu Laixing once attempted to write a 120-chapter "Peitan Romance." We imagine that it would be a pot of mellow and exquisite wine. So far, not many people know about Peitan, let alone have an in-depth understanding, which is the basic motivation behind our enthusiasm for creating this book. We hope that through this book, more people will quickly become familiar with Peitan and, like us, come to love this place. This book also serves to complete a historical of Peitan—a common Chinese village. It goes beyond the scope of tourism and differs from general historical and cultural research. The stories it tells are profound and emotional.