Zhaji ancient village, a lifelike ink painting in China's Anhui

2013-05-09 15:05

By (People's Daily Online)

Zhaji ancient village, a lifelike ink painting in China's Anhui

Located 60 kilometers west of Jingxian county in Southern Anhui province, Zhaji ancient village was built during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581 AD-907 AD), with a long history of over 1,380 years.

Zhaji village is second to none in South Anhui province in terms of scale, and it is also one of the largest ancient residential complexes extant in China. The village has more than 300 Hui-style ancient structures built in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, covering a total area of 26,414 square kilometers. It still keeps the only architecture of the Yuan dynasty – Degong Hall, and the most complete Ming dynasty buildings – Aiyue (Loving Moon) Hall and Erjia Temple. Quite a lot of architectures built in the Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved.

Walking along the time-honored lane, visitors can appreciate the quaint yet lively architecture of Anhui province: glazed-tile-roofed cottages, solemn ancestral halls, exquisite arch bridges, and well-preserved temples that promote local culture. Zhaji village receives more than 15,000 visitors every year, including painters, photographers and other artists, to record the fascinating scenery of this ancient village.