Grandfather’s Legacy: Transforming a Village into a ‘Cow’ – What’s the Significance of This Feng Shui?
Nancun is almost every photographer's dream destination. But as soon as you get off the bus, you'll be disappointed. What you see is 'Hong' rather than 'Village,' a remarkably mature commercial bazaar. It's only after you've dragged your trolley case for a long time that you'll see that 'village.' This reminds one of the box of Mooncakes every August fifteenth, with so little to eat!
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Hongcun is much like many ancient villages in Western Anhui. At the village entrance, you'll find some ancient trees that have stood for countless years. These tall ancient trees make the surrounding three-story buildings seem even smaller. It's unclear how many years these small buildings have existed; wouldn't newly built ones be disappointing?
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You can imagine such ancient villages, during the day they're bustling with tourists, crowded and lively, with no place to set up a shot. Fortunately, we arrived in the evening.
The photographers who accompanied us acted in perfect unison, driven by their shared passion. In the early morning, they all gathered on the street of Hongcun, searching for their own angles, and I remained fixed on the South Lake at the village entrance.
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Hongcun is a peculiar village shaped like a cow. The name 'Hong' comes from the idea that Hong Guang Da Fa – 'promoting vast development' – so it was named Hongcun. The mountains are green because of the water, and the water is alive because of the mountains. During the Southern Song Dynasty's reign, the people of Hongcun built an artificial water system, inspired by biomimicry, to prevent fires and irrigate their fields, creating a 'Chinese marvel.' This water system surrounds a village shaped like a cow, with the 'Cow's Intestine' – a nine-turn, ten-bend water channel – 'Cow's Stomach' – a spring excavation called 'Moon Pool', and 'South Lake' as the 'Cow's Belly.' The 'Cow's Intestine''s sides are lined with houses called 'Cow's Body,' and the two ancient trees, the red willow and the white peach, are called 'Cow's Horns.' The lake's scenery and the layered courtyards harmonize with each other, blending natural landscapes with human culture, becoming one of the world's greatest historical and cultural wonders today.
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At night, Hongcun is the way we imagined it. Although there were many people on the streets, a prosperous ancient town should also be like this. Otherwise, would a few people dare to walk through a deserted, ancient street?
All the photographers with me acted in perfect unison, driven by their shared passion. In the early morning, they all gathered on the street of Hongcun, searching for their own angles, and I remained fixed on the South Lake at the village entrance.
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Hongcun is a place worth staying and quietly observing and savoring its profound antiquity, despite the somewhat intensified commercial atmosphere, it still retains its long-standing rustic charm.
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Author Biography: Wang Xiqing, Weibo: Zhuang Shang Jiu Ye (Mr. Jiu from the Manor). A soldier by training, but loves listening to music, driving, and wandering through mountains and waters. A freelance writer on multiple platforms. He was surprised that the soldier who disliked literature wrote a million words online, and his photographs are more professional than his writing; unfortunately, he still hasn't visited two provinces.
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