Feelings of visiting Zhang Guying

Yan Huaru Zhang Wenbo

In the early summer of April, the grass grows and the orioles fly, and everything is green. With great excitement, I went to the ancient village of Zhang Guying, about 70 kilometers away from the southeast corner of Yueyang City. At this time, Zhang Guying Village is majestic, lying quietly in the green mountains and green water, vaguely telling the world the past events and wind and rain of thousands of years. I walked into this large ancient village in the south of the Yangtze River with the joy of visiting secluded places and sights.

Looking around, the mountains are green and the water is green. In the mountain stream, mist lingers and birds sing. It gives people the feeling of walking in a fairyland. At the foot of Bijia Mountain in Weidong, the old houses with gray walls and blue tiles in Zhang Guying Village are lined up in rows, with eaves, corridors and pavilions connected to each other. They look like a group of penguins crowded to rest on the beach, and they look full of life. This is the Folk Forbidden City, Zhang Guying Ancient Village Group, which is famous both at home and abroad.

Looking at the head of the village, I saw only two ponds with rippling blue waves measuring an acre in size. Aren’t those the eyes of Bijia Mountain in Weidong? In addition, not far away stands a huge stone three meters in diameter and two meters high, which people call a pearl. Legend has it that it is a gem left by Empress Nuwa to patch the sky. This stone corresponds to the Bijia Pass in Houwei Cave, Laowu Village, and looks like a giant dragon playing with a pearl. It means that the dragon will protect you and bring you wealth and prosperity. This thing is a creation of nature and the work of uncanny craftsmanship.

After crossing the Huzhuang River and arriving in front of the main hall of the ancient house, three large and powerful Chinese characters "Dangmen" came into view. It is said that this is the masterpiece of Mr. Zhang Guying six hundred years ago.

In the shrine in the main hall sits a statue of Mr. Zhang, with a kind and kind appearance, a childish face and white hair. Although it has gone through many vicissitudes of life, it still shows great pride. It gives people a unique feeling of immortality!

Six hundred years ago, in a trance, Mr. Zhang resolutely moved his family from Jiangxi to Hunan to settle down at the foot of Bijia Mountain in Weidong, Hunan, in order to escape the disaster of war. Mr. Zhang’s superhuman IQ is admirable!

Walking into the Ancestor Hall, the banner "The World Worships Confucianism" is very conspicuous on the front wall. Is this the interpretation of the ancestral precepts of "advocating literature and martial arts, being filial and kind, observing rules and valuing justice, being friendly to neighbors, and being charitable"? Perhaps this is the main reason why the Zhang family has been able to develop and prosper for a long time.

Look: the single surname in this old house has been reproducing for hundreds of years, and the generations of descendants will continue. The current population is 2,169, with 658 households registered. Carrying forward the past and linking up the future, twenty-seven generations of descendants have been produced so far. What is particularly magical is that generations of champions here have been given official salaries and royalties. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, countless students from the clan have been admitted to key universities every year. It is true that there are talents everywhere and virtuous people are born in every household. They are all fortunately assigned to various important positions in the country to bring glory to the clan and contribute to the country. What’s even more incredible is that, according to authoritative research on relevant information, none of these officials who have left are corrupt officials.

In addition, the design of the house is also extremely clever.

Look: there are more than 200 courtyard-style halls with five or four entrances in a row, and more than 2,700 residences, connected by pavilions and crisscrossing streets. At first glance it looks like a maze, but upon closer inspection they are connected. It is also fully waterproof and fireproof. This ancient scientific and ingenious architectural art style is really amazing.

What is even more impressive is that there is a hollow carving embedded in the main wall of each patio. That is, patterns of various exotic flowers and exotic animals.

The bamboos are blue and red, the plum blossoms are majestic, and the dragons and tigers leap and the phoenixes fly.

The meaning is self-evident. We firmly believe that with the continuous development of the times, the charm of Zhang Guying’s old house will shine even more brilliantly.

The various unique landscapes of Zhang Guying’s ancient architectural complex attract tourists from all over the country. Yes, no matter you are a Chinese or a foreigner, you are not afraid to travel thousands of miles to see the beautiful and magical style of Zhang Guying’s ancient villages. The magical Zhang Guying has colorful legends; the ancient rhyme Zhang Guying has a long history; the beautiful Zhang Guying has beautiful scenery; the dazzling Zhang Guying is a wonder of Ming and Qing architectural art. We will come again when the peach blossoms are in full bloom in the mountains.