A mysterious "gossip village" actually uses house walls to make village walls, so thieves will get lost

When it comes to water villages, we immediately see a scene of intertwined water networks, crisscross rivers, and quiet and beautiful villages. Especially in the south of the Yangtze River, there are abundant products and abundant rainfall. Among the many water villages in the south of the Yangtze River, there is a name that cannot be bypassed-Zhouzhuang.

As the recognized "China's No. 1 Water Village", countless people are attracted by the tranquility and elegance of Zhouzhuang. Whitewashed walls and black tiles, long streets and winding alleys, small boats swaying, green shadows whirling, like "small bridges, flowing water, people".

However, few people know that there is also a Zhouzhuang-Licha (cha) village in Guangdong.

Licha is a truly ancient village with a history of more than 800 years. It is located on Lichagang, north of Huilong Town, Gaoyao District, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong.

As we all know, Guangdong is an important heritage of Lingnan culture, with unique styles in language, customs, living habits, history and culture. Zhaoqing is not well-known in all the cities under the jurisdiction of Guangdong, but it is the birthplace of Cantonese and the earliest intersection of Central Plains culture and Lingnan culture, Western culture and traditional Chinese culture.

From the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Zhaoqing has repeatedly become the political, economic and cultural center of Lingnan.

In such an ancient Zhaoqing, Li Cha lived quietly in a corner.

And why is Li Cha called Zhouzhuang?

This is because the ancient village of Licha was originally opened by a person named Zhou. The whole village is surrounded by water and has typical characteristics of a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, so it was originally called "Zhouzhuang". But until now, Zhouzhuang's name has gradually been drowned in the dust of history, and few people mention it.

Until the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty and the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, there were two ethnic groups named Su and Cai who moved from Zhuji Lane in Nanxiong to Licha.

In the beginning, the two surnames lived in the low-lying part of the village. However, due to the limited conditions at that time, there were no water conservancy embankments, and low-lying areas were often flooded. Therefore, witty ancestors built houses on small hills in the village.

What's more special is that these two surnames studied Confucian culture and Fengshui in Zhouyi. In order to pray for prosperity and prosperity of the people, they would choose to live on the east or southeast of the hills.

When building houses, they are repaired according to the shape of the Eight Diagrams. The distribution of houses and village roads in Licha is like a diagram of Eight Diagrams.

by Happy Caicai Slow Life

In the villagers’ cognition, they hope that Li Cha can be like gossip. Taiji produces two yis, two yis produce four images, four images produce eight hexagrams, and then eight, eight and sixty-four hexagrams. In the end, there will be endless life and peace forever.

Therefore Li Cha has another name-Bagua Village.

Although the village has been expanded and repaired in all dynasties after the village was built, the overall layout has not changed much.

Today's Licha Village covers an area of ​​about 50 acres. There is a ring village road outside the ancient village. There are only two exits from the north and the south to the outside world. The village is divided into Xingrenli, Roushunli, Renheli, Suidefang and other "ten miles and one square".

There are 15 main lanes, 84 horizontal lanes, and 99 lanes in the village, forming a distinct “comb layout” of the Cantonese village.

Wandering into an alleyway and stepping on a stone at will will unwittingly turn a page of history and touch a dynasty. This feeling is as if what you are facing is no longer a simple village, but a concrete and solid story.

Experienced vicissitudes and winds and frosts, so it is more precious.

Walk around, you will have a very direct feeling, the whole ancient village is circular. The seemingly simple houses, row after row, circle after circle, are full of mysteries.

The 10 gate towers in the village are particularly prominent, very simple and elegant.

Each of these gatehouses represents a workshop, that is, a family. The name of the gate reflects the profound connotation of benevolence in Confucian culture and is inspiring.

There are several steps in front of the gate building, guiding the curious people to walk quickly to find out.

In addition to the meaning of Fengshui, the layout of houses in Licha Village also has a defensive meaning.

There are about 90 houses on the outermost circle of Licha Village, all of which open inwards. The wall of the house in this circle is also the wall of the whole village, playing a defensive role, and there are gate towers for entering and exiting.

From the second circle, the door of the house opens outward, and the number of houses decreases every time you enter the circle.

You can hardly find such a unique design in all of China.

The houses in the village are of brick and wood structure, with uniform height, and uniform walls made of blue bricks.

After watching it for a long time, I was a little confused.

Thinking about it this way, Licha Village should be very safe. Because these alleys are complex and winding, and the appearance of the dwellings is too close, walking in between, you will constantly doubt yourself, have you just walked through here?

I don't know which roadway I turned into, there are reliefs on the vicissitudes of wall, just like an ink landscape painting, you can vaguely feel the time of a thousand years flowing.

There are also some color carvings that are more delicate, rich in colors, and lifelike.

Now that you have come to Licha Village, there are several places you must not miss.

The first is the ancestral hall. Every tribe has an ancestral hall, and some have more than one.

The ancestral hall, also known as "ancestral hall" and "shangjian", is a branch of the clan ancestral hall. It is generally composed of front, patio, and back hall, and there are volcanic walls on both sides of the roof. The function of the ancestral hall is to worship the gods of ancestors on weekdays, to worship here on auspicious days, weddings and newcomers hold ceremonies here, and the dead stay here to pay homage.

For the villagers, the ancestral hall inherits the traditional culture of the same ancestor and roots. Because most of the houses in the village were abandoned, the villagers moved to the periphery. Only during the New Year's Day, will they return to the ancestral hall to worship, which makes people sigh.

Walking into the ancestral hall, the bright sun shines through the patio, which makes people feel very warm. Probably, this is the protection of ancestors.

The second is Hongyuntai, which is located in the center of the village.

At first glance at Fortune Terrace, you will think it's nothing special, it's just a figure of gossip drawn on the ground. Behind the actual Fortune Terrace, there is a story related to village building.

According to legend, there was a phoenix tree at the location of Fortune Terrace that needed a few people to hug together. When the flowers bloom, the red flowers resemble fire, attracting countless phoenix birds to roost, looking like a red cloud from a distance. The ancestors of the founding village saw this situation when they chose the site to build the village, and thought that the red cloud would be a treasure, so they chose this place to build the village. Later, the villagers built Hongyuntai here as a memorial.

Rural customs are spread, as long as you make a few sincere turns on the Fortune Terrace, you can ensure your health, prosperity and success.

Jinshijing is also a highlight.

Jinshijing, also known as "Wood Well", has been around for more than 300 years. It was originally built by Cai Muen, a warrior in the village, who took the lead in digging after his fame. Later generations named it "Jinshijing" in memory of his achievements.

The bottom of Jinshijing's well is lined with thick wood, and the well is made of granite.

Especially the wellhead, which is carved from a whole piece of granite, is a must. Jinshijing has abundant water and good water quality, which is still used by villagers.

The other is Samsung Rong.

"Sanxingrong" is the three feng shui trees in Renhua.

Don't underestimate these three banyan trees. They were planted at the same time at three o'clock in the middle of the night on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar by the three males in the village under the guidance of the master. Up to now, the three banyans have luxuriant branches and shaded and closely connected trees, which is a spectacle.

This place is also known as the "Samsung" treasure place, which means that the three stars of luck and longevity will gather here.

Like the fate of many ancient villages, most of the remaining people in Licha Village are old people. The whole village exudes a kind and soothing temperament from the inside out.

Maybe they are far away from the modern and electronic life, but they still guard the wealth of their ancestors and live a life of contentment.

A grandmother is selling her hand-woven straw mats. The works by her hand, every little detail carries warmth.

I like such an ancient village so much, there are beautiful scenery and stories everywhere. You are welcome here too.