How to Experience the 'Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People' Phenomenon Without Visiting Zhuwang Village in Anhui?
This is my first time seeing a Huizhou village, in Jingde County, Anhui Province, a small village with a rich and vibrant life atmosphere, named Zhuwang Village. It's a rather ordinary village, with a very long history, and great fame, with a history of 1300 years. Why is it famous? Let me tell you in detail.
Traveling from Hefei by high-speed train to Jingde County, it wasn't a specifically planned tourist trip; it was part of a company-organized training. However, I unexpectedly discovered such a worthwhile small village, as Jingde County is not far from Wuyuan. Although Zhuwang Village has attractions that rival Wuyuan's, its fame doesn't quite match. Therefore, many people choose to go to Wuyuan instead of this Zhuwang Village, which is named. Perhaps Anhui should reflect on this.
Zhuwang Village is located in the northeastern part of Jingde County, Caijiaqiao Town, as a vital passage for Jing, Jing, and Tai counties. Caijiaqiao Town integrates cultures and histories from multiple regions. When visiting Zhuwang, the weather wasn't ideal, it was cloudy and gloomy, and the summer temperatures in May in Jingde were as comfortable as those in Qinghai, but they felt slightly melancholic. Amidst the laughter and play of my companions, we walked across Caijiaqiao's century-old bridge and followed the river upstream, eventually arriving at the ancient village of Zhuwang.
Zhuwang Village is a typical ancient Huizhou traditional village, with a strong ancient Huizhou style. It has a long history and profound cultural heritage. It is said that most of the residents in the village are descendants of Zhu Xi. A famous line from Ma Zhiyuan's 'Little Bridge, Flowing Water, People' makes me suspect that this line was taken from here, as the most renowned one here is 'Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People'.
Deep cultural heritage, long humanistic history, exquisite architectural landscape, and numerous historical sites have enabled Zhuwang Village to meet the conditions to become one of China's famous villages. Consequently, it has successively been recognized as a Landscape Village, a Traditional Village, and a 4A Scenic Area in China. After just a few years of development, this ancient village, which had always been hidden in the depths of obscurity, has undergone a transformation and become a 4A scenic area with significant attractions in Anhui, and is a coveted paradise for many people.
Entering the village, the noise suddenly ceased, becoming incredibly quiet. This is because the village is so quiet. A local villager told us that since it's not the peak tourist season, there aren't many tourists in the village. Many residents who originally lived in the village go out to work, and only a few elderly people sit on stone benches at the village entrance, chatting and enjoying the peace. Entering the village allows you to experience the unique architectural style of Huizhou houses, with white walls and gray tiles, which are very beautiful. The village looks relatively new, but it's not. New buildings are built by villagers themselves, while the original old buildings are well-preserved. There are over 40 well-preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty ancient buildings in the village. Zhuoxia River, which runs through Zhuwang, flows from north to south, and the clear river water is teeming with fish.
Following Zhuoxia River, we continued uphill, and thirteen giant stone bridges constructed from massive stone slabs stretched across the river. Nine water wells of various shapes and sizes were located in the river. This is the famous 'Nine Wells and Thirteen Bridges', which is also a unique landscape in Zhuwang in the Huinan area, and is a distinctive feature.
Here, we can see a fascinating phenomenon: 'Water doesn't contaminate river water.' This phrase comes from here. Yesterday it rained, and the river water looked somewhat turbid, but the water in the wells along the river remained crystal clear. This perfectly illustrates 'Water doesn't contaminate river water', and this is why I say this village is famous.
As we strolled along the water street, watching the clear river flow by and walking through the ancient buildings that have weathered over a hundred years of wind and rain, listening to the footsteps on the stone pavement, we all felt our hearts calm down. Only our own breathing sounds remained. Villagers and passersby took a leisurely rest on the low stools along the roadside, and the picturesque hillside and water village brought a sense of peace and tranquility. It's like a Chinese ink wash painting. The villagers and passersby rested lazily on the roadside stools, leaning against the mountains and by the water. The colorful flags fluttering in the wind added to the idyllic scenery.
Zhuwang, a village with a history of 1300 years, sits quietly in Caijiaqiao Town, preserving its most original and authentic side. When visiting here, it can quiet a restless heart, and make people feel happy and content. If you are tired of the hustle and bustle of big cities, you can go to such a small village for a stroll and a turn, and maybe your mood will improve.
