The seventh batch of traditional villages in East China's Jiangsu province were recently announced by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
That was in collaboration with the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Finance, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Natural Resources, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and other departments.
Of these, eight villages in Taizhou city in Jiangsu were selected, which have rich resources, improved living environments and relatively complete support infrastructure and public service facilities.
Currently, Taizhou has a total of 58 named traditional villages under its jurisdiction in Jiangsu and four traditional villages with national authentication. Here are some details about the selected villages.
Longgang village, Qintong town, Jiangyan district
Located on the west side of Qintong Ancient Town, Longgang village features a dense water network and picturesque scenery, showcasing the typical characteristics of a riverside village. With a long history and simple folk customs, it has a rich cultural heritage and a unique brick kiln culture. The "Half 10th Month Chujia Temple Fair" has a history of over 400 years and the brick kiln culture is listed in the second batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage in Jiangsu.
Qianfo village, Gugao town, Jiangyan district
An aerial view of Qianfo Temple. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]
Qianfo is an ancient natural village in the southwest of Gugao town, with an ancient Qianfo Temple dating back to the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The temple was reconstructed in 2006 and covers an area of about 37 mu (2.46 hectares). Currently, it serves as a base for learning the history of the Communist Party in Taizhou and is a cultural relic protection unit in Taizhou.
Baiguan village, Baimi town, Jiangyan district
Baiguan village is home to the Dabeian Temple from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which is a cultural relic protection site in Jiangyan. The village also preserves the ancient storytelling art of the “singing phoenix”, which gives the people a local dialect charm, full of rich rural flavor and folk artistic characteristics.
Gangmen village, Gangyang town, Hailing district
An overhead view of Gangmen village. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]
Gangmen is a magical and charming ancient village and is an emerging demonstration village for new rural construction. The village has a flat terrain, fertile land and a network of rivers, creating an excellent ecological environment. The traditional crafts of bamboo weaving and bamboo crafting, as well as the temple fair customs, are preserved here.
Chunduo village, Gangyang town, Hailing district
Chunduo village has a Daxian Tower built in the late Yuan (1271-1368) and early Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. The village also has a primary school built in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The traditional folk customs of the dragon raising ceremony and flower boat display during the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar continue in the village.
Xinhuayuan village, Daiyao town, Xinghua city
Xinhuayuan features traditional buildings with double-sloped roofs and blue brick walls, representing the architectural characteristics of the lower Yangtze River region. A blessing temple with a history of over 400 years connects two bridges, namely the prayer bridge and the wish-fulfilling bridge.
Peima village, Dainan town, Xinghua city
There are still some architectures from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Peima village. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]
Peima village has the typical traditional folk houses of the lower Yangtze River region and its overall appearance is well-preserved with a clear and complete layout. The village has a fishbone-shaped street and lane system centered around the central lane.
Jiangdai village, Qianduo town, Xinghua city
Situated by the water, Jiangdai boasts well-preserved ancient buildings from the Qing Dynasty, a hundred-year-old water dragon statue and a conference hall dating back to the 1960s. The internal streets and lanes have a high density, mainly presenting a strip distribution, with houses connected to each other.
In recent years, the village has continuously optimized its rural living environment and implemented the Five Modernizations project. There are a few waterfront promenades, themed wall paintings, rest pavilions, green spaces next to houses and leisure squares – creating a quiet and leisurely spatial environment.
