Zhuge Village

Author: Shen Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: A Class I National Cultural Relic Protection Unit, the largest settlement of descendants of Zhuge Liang in China—Zhuge Village in Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province. In recent years, its mysterious culture and historical sites, with an authentic and unadulterated charm, have attracted countless domestic and international tourists, making it a hot spot for tourism in Zhejiang. The layout of Zhuge Village is exceptionally unique and rare, with its (highs and lows arranged in a well-ordered manner), grand and magnificent (magnificent and imposing), and exquisite and distinctive structure (intricately designed and unique), as well as a beautiful aerial outline. It was meticulously designed and constructed in the late Southern Song Dynasty by Zhuge Daishi, the 20th-generation descendant of Zhuge Liang, to commemorate his ancestor. The Zhongchi (Bell Pool), located at the center of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams pattern in Zhuge Village, is half pond and half land, with a wellspring on each side, forming a highly symbolic fish-shaped Tai Chi diagram. The eight alleys surrounding the Zhongchi radiate in all directions, naturally placing all the residential buildings in the village into the eight positions of Kan, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui, and Qian. More mysterious is the fact that eight small mountains surround Zhuge Village, forming a natural outer Eight Trigrams formation. As visitors walk through the crisscrossing ancient lanes in the village, they feel as if they are connected yet disconnected, partially open yet not fully accessible, creating a sense of mystery. Immersed in the village, one gains a deeper appreciation for Du Fu’s line, “With his merit covering the three kingdoms, his fame achieved in the Eight Trigrams map. The river flows, the stone does not turn, his regret lies in failing to conquer Wu.” Zhuge Village has been called a “rich gold mine of traditional residential ancient architecture” by the expert team of the National Cultural Relics Administration. There are 209 existing residential buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, characterized by “blue bricks, small tiles, and horse-head walls, with thick beams, sturdy pillars, and small bedrooms.” Their exquisite structure and unique layout are breathtaking. The types of buildings, such as upstairs halls and front halls with rear halls, are rare nationwide. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were 18 halls, 18 halls, and 18 wells, along with eight main alleys. Currently, 11 well-preserved halls remain, including Daguang Hall, the Prime Minister’s Temple, Chongxin Hall, Chongli Hall, Yongmu Hall, Daijing Hall, Chongxing Hall, Chunhui Hall, Wenyu Hall, Yanji Hall, and Dunfu Hall.