Hongcun is located in the southwestern foot of Mt. Huangshan and about 11 kilometers off the southwest of Yixian County. In ancient time, it's the only access to Beijing to do business from Yixian. The whole village covers an area of about 28 hectares. The place which is classed as old village spreads 19.11 hectares of land.
Hongcun was first founded in the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty (about AD. 1131-1162), with a history of about 900 years. Hongcun was first called "Hongcun (another Chinese word with the same pronunciation)". According to the record of Pedigree of Wang Clan, because it was enlarged to the shape of the Taiyi elephant at that time, it was acclaimed as Hongcun. In the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, its name was changed into Hongcun.
Hongcun is the main village where Wang families live together. Wang clan is a respectable family in Central Plains. Because of moving to the south at the end of the Han dynasty, the descendants of Wang clan spread every parts of the south of the lower reaches of the Changjiang River. The ancestral home of Wang clan is Jinling. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it moved to Huizhou. They are the earliest ancestor of Huncun.
The allocation of the whole village looks like the shape of cow. The erect Leigang Mountain is regarded as the head of the cow, the old green and shadowy trees spread the whole mountain are the horn of the cow, the long lines of buildings in the village are the body of the cow, the glittering lake is the belly of the cow, crooked manmade canals which run through houses are the intestine of the cow, and four wood bridges near the village are the legs of the cow. Hongcun looks like a sleeping cow located among the hill which is surrounded by the green mountain and a large rambling rice fields.
Hongcun is 18 kilometers away from Xidi(introduced later). The climates are similar.
Among the Folk Residences, the Chengzhi Hall is touted as the Folk Summer Place, which is engraved carefully and covered with gold and painted with colors. The Dongxian Hall is vast and simple. The moon Pond is as even as a mirror. The water of the Southern Lake dances and sparkles. The simple Guanyin Shop is in the deep of the alley and beside the cyan stone street. There are old lofty tree on the Thunder Hillock and peonies with a history of over 100 years. Green bines climb on the wall and enter the yard of domestic houses. The Xuren Hall and Shangyuan Hall, the ancestral temples, are strict. The Southern Lake Academy is given the words of "Yiwen Family School" on the stele by 93-year-old Liangtongshu, Shijiang (a rank in the court) of the Imperial Academy. All these constructions constitute a perfect art whole with the Jingxiu Hall and Sanli Hall. One step is one view; one place is one picture. At the same time, these constructions reflect wide and deep cultural inside information which is left by long history. Till the Qiny Dynasty, Hongcun has become a big village with over 1000 families. Long lines of houses looks like a big city. Until now, Hongcun is still the site of the People's government of Hongcun Town. It starts to develop at the middle of the 1980s.
Hongcun has the system of streets and alleys which looks like square net. The ground is covered by granite stones. The manmade water system through all families forms unique space of Water Street and Alley. The village centers on "the heart of the cow"- the Moon Pond which is a crescent-shaped pond. It's surrounded by houses and ancestral temples. It exhibits strong cohesion. There are 158 domestic houses in existence, which were built in the Ming or Qing Dynasty. 137 houses of them are in a good state of preservation. The buildings of the Qing dynasty own not only beautiful surroundings, but also logical function layout.
The structure is elegant and blends closely with nature. It creates a scientific living environment, which is also full of affection. It's one outstanding representative of China's traditional domestic houses.
Most villagers divert water in canals into houses, and forms "House Garden" and "Water Yard" which exist only in village. This makes the construction of Hongcun inaugurate the special house pattern of water-side pavilion of Hui constructions. Hongcun is an outstanding representative of Huizhou traditional local culture, building techniques and landscape design. It is full of much value of history, art and science. It indeed is the witness of Huizhou traditional architectural culture. Hongcun has been listed into the Contents of World Cultural and Natural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The people of Hongcun built six family schools at the north bank of the Southern Lake. They were called "Six Schools Leaning-on Lake". They were used to teach and learn for the scion of a family. In the 19th year of the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty (AD.1814), six schools were combined together and rebuilt. It was given a name of "Yiwen Family School", or "Southern Lake Academy". The academy covers an area of over 6,000 square meters. The buildings are tall and majestic, grand and wide. It's one architectural representative of ancient the academies in Huizhou style.
Lexu Hall
It's also called the Zhongjia Hall. It's the ancestral temples of Wang family. It lies in the center of the north bank of the Moon Pond. The Lexu Hall and the Moon Pond were all built in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. It has always been the place where Wang family offer sacrifice to their ancestors, celebrate and meet. The Lexu Hall is composed of three parts- gate tower, hall and ancestral temples. There used to be a tower at the back of the main hall. The brick carvings on the gate, wall and torii are very exquisite.
The Southern Lake
The Southern Lake is located in the due south of Hongcun. It was built in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (AD.1607).It's a man-made lake, covering an area of 20,000 hectares. The whole surface of the lake assumes the shape of a huge bow. The bank of the lake located in the back of the bow can be divided into two layers. The upper is about several Zhangs (unit of length) wide, which is floored with slates and cobblestones. The lower is planted with poplar and willows. The Southern Lake Academy, the Yuwei Study of the Qing Dynasty and long lines of folk houses are located in the bowstring part.
Moon Lake
The Moon Lake has a history of 500-600 years. Originally, it's an active fountain. Spring issues forth continuously all year around. Until now, people still can see ducks play in the pond, breeze sweeps and wisps of smoke curl in the air.
Chengzhi Hall
It's the provincial level key unit for cultural relics protection, located in the middle section of the canal. It was built in the 5th year of the Xianfeng period of the Qing dynasty. It's the house of Wandinggui, who was a great salt businessman in the later Qing dynasty of China. The Chengzhi Hall is vast and majestic. The structure design is perfect. It's well built and equipped. There are 7 floors, 9 dooryards, more than 60 rooms and 132 wooden pillars. The hall is mainly built with brick and wood, decorated with three kinds of exquisitely engraved things (stone, brick and wood). It's the classical work of old folk house of South Anhui.
Lexian Hall
It's provincial level unit for cultural relics protection, located in the main street of Hongcun. It was built in the 38th year of the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty (AD.1699).It covers an area of 411 square meters and structural area is 958 square meters. It's one of three halls which were built by descendants of Wang family in Hongcun in the beginning of Qing dynasty (the rest two halls are the Sanli Hall and the Baoyi Hall).
Deyi Hall
It was built in the 20th year of the Jiaqing period of the Qing dynasty. It only covers an area of 220 square meters and structural area is 144 square meters. In this small space, it was built with the arrangement of garden-like structure, such as small pot gardening and big fruit tree. All these can be thought as a wonder.
Biyuan
The Biyuan waterside pavilion is near the canals of Hongcun. It was built in the end of the Ming dynasty, but then destroyed. It was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Daoguang period of the Qing dynasty (AD1825). It covers an area of 278 square meters and structural area is 256 square meters. It's one representative of structure with waterside pavilion of the Qing dynasty in Hongcun.
Qishu Lake
It's located in the southeast of Hongcun. Walk upwards along the earth road at the east entrance of Hongcun. People will see green water is wandering on the right, and plants exhibit all kinds of colors. After walk for about half an hour, the surface of water becomes wide suddenly. This is the Qishu Lake. Now, it's a part of the East Red Reservoir.
