Hu Village, Daduan Town

A place that makes visitors linger and never want to leave must boast stunning scenery together with profound cultural heritage.

Hu Village in Daduan Town, Tonggu County, is exactly such a wonderful destination with charming landscapes and a rich cultural legacy, well worth a visit.

The village has a history stretching back 800 years. Many cultural researchers have verified that the Peach Blossom Spring depicted by Tao Yuanming refers to today’s Hu Village.

Its geographical location, terrain, landforms, place name and natural ecology match almost every detail described in The Peach Blossom Spring. More than 1,600 years have passed since Tao Yuanming’s lifetime, yet Hu Village still retains the idyllic scene: “There are fertile farmlands, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees and bamboo groves. Paths crisscross the fields, and the crowing of chickens and barking of dogs can be heard from one household to another… The elderly and children all live in peace and contentment.”

The Shi Clan Ancestral Hall in Hu Village was built in the early Yuan Dynasty, more than 700 years ago. It underwent major renovations three times: in the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Kangxi and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty. It has been restored again this year to its original appearance. This ancient ancestral hall integrates exquisite wood carvings, brick carvings and stone carvings, boasting high cultural relic value and ornamental appeal.

To the right of the ancestral hall stands rows of old dwellings. In front of the houses lies a bluestone path over 300 metres long, marked with deep ruts left by ancient carriage wheels.

Wenchong Pagoda in Hu Village was first constructed in the second year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1797). Built with bricks and stones, it stands 23.3 metres tall. This solid seven-storey hexagonal pagoda earns the reputation of “The No.1 Pagoda along the Xiu River”. Each tier is decorated with a recessed fake door or window sunken six centimetres into the wall. The doors are semi-arc shaped, while the windows come in round, fan, jar and hexagonal forms. The eaves are built into three stepped layers with blue bricks. The eave corners are carved from granite into bird shapes curving upward like fish tails, and the spire is a granite arch.

Two thousand-year-old camphor trees in Hu Village are tied to a beautiful legend. The two trees stand ten metres apart. One needs seven adults linking arms to encircle its trunk, and the other requires five.

According to the tale, a deadly plague once swept the village. Two brothers obtained two divine pills from immortals. Back home, they dissolved the pills in water, saving all the villagers. Having revealed heavenly secrets to mortals, the two brothers passed away quietly. After their death, a camphor tree grew out of each of their tombs. To honour their virtue, the villagers named the two trees “Lord Camphor Brothers”.

Next to the ancient camphor trees sits a dilapidated old mansion with a pair of stone drum plinths at the gate. The plinth (men dang) and lintel ornament (hu dui) were key components of gate architecture in ancient residences. Men dang refers to the pair of stone drums standing before wealthy manors, also known as drum-bearing stones. People believed the powerful rumble of drums could ward off evil spirits, so stone drums were widely used as men dang. The size and shape of these ornaments indicated the owner’s official rank and wealth.

In front of the Shi Clan Ancestral Hall stretches a hundred-mu lotus pond. From afar, luxuriant green lotus leaves hold up elegant lotus blooms, like green gauze cradling red silk. The lotus flowers stand gracefully; the curved leaves dye the whole pond emerald green. Sunlight ripples gently across the foliage. Up close, red blossoms hold glistening dewdrops ready to drop, while white flowers stay pure and spotless after light rain. Full blooms look serene; budding flowers appear shy and delicate. Layered green leaves catch rolling water beads. When a soft breeze blows, thousands of leaves tremble slightly, forming ripples of deep green just like freehand ink brushstrokes painted by a master artist.

Villagers of Hu Village love growing rapeseed. If you come here around the Qingming Festival, golden rapeseed flowers bloom all over the land. The countryside is covered with golden carpets edged with green wheat seedlings, creating a spectacular view. Warm breezes roll waves of blossoms, spreading rich fragrance far and wide. The sweet scent refreshes the mind and lifts every visitor’s spirits.