The Zhou Family Courtyard in Yongzhou, Hunan, pays tribute to the ancestors in the name of landscape architecture.

Yongzhou has been a "splendid source of Xiaoxiang and a place of eternal poetry" since ancient times, and many famous historical figures were born. The descendants of Zhou Dunyi, the great scholar in "The Theory of Love and Lotus", also migrated here, spread their branches and branches, and multiplied from generation to generation to become a prominent local family. Adhering to the Zhou family's philosophy of governing the family and the world, he taught his children well and produced numerous talents. Among them, Zhou Xisheng, the Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing during the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhou Chongfu, a second-rank political official in the Qing Dynasty, are the most famous. The Zhou Family Courtyard is located in Qianyantou Village, Lingling District, Yongzhou City. The ancient building complex was built during the Jiajing period of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty and completed in the 30th year of Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. It consists of six huge residential houses, covering an area of ​​120 square meters. With a construction area of ​​45,000 square meters, it is the largest, most functional and complete ancient residential complex in southern Hunan. It enjoys the reputation of "the first ancient residence in Xiaoxiang" and "the treasure of residential buildings in southern Hunan". In 2006, it was rated as a "Key Historical and Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Hunan Province", and in 2007, it was rated as a "Famous Historical and Cultural Village in China" and a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

China’s famous historical and cultural villages are jointly selected by the Ministry of Construction and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. They are particularly rich in preserved cultural relics and have great historical value or commemorative significance. They can more completely reflect the Some villages with traditional features and local ethnic characteristics in historical periods. Regarding the historical and cultural Mingcun, based on simple science here, there are not only scale requirements but also requirements for connotation, culture and expression carriers.

Historical and cultural villages are the crystallization of local humanities, economy and society, and they are models among ancient villages. Historical and cultural villages are relatively concentrated architectural heritage, cultural relics and traditional culture, which can more completely reflect the historical features, local characteristics and national customs of a certain period, have high historical, cultural, artistic and scientific value, and the area under their jurisdiction can contain For a group of historical and traditional buildings built before the Qing Dynasty or that had a significant historical impact in the history of the Chinese revolution, the total building area of ​​the village's existing historical and traditional buildings must be more than 5,000 square meters.

Qianyantou Village, Fujiaqiao Town, Lingling District, is located at the foot of Dupang Ridge and on the banks of the Xianshui River. It is said to be the hometown of He Xiangu among the "Eight Immortals". Since the Tang Dynasty, worship of He Xiangu has been flourishing. , throughout the ages. Here is found the largest, most complete, and most rigorously laid out ancient residential village group discovered so far in Lingling. Because everyone in the village has the surname Zhou, this ancient village is called the Zhou Family Courtyard. The Zhou Family Courtyard consists of six courtyards: "Old Courtyard", "Red Gate Tower", "Black Gate Tower", and "New Courtyard". The location of the entire village is in line with traditional Chinese Feng Shui ideas. Surrounded by water, the stream in front of the village meanders and is surrounded by mountains on three sides. There is a light in front and a back in the back. The bright hall is open and the yin is held in the yang to create harmony, which is a natural pattern that hides wind and gathers energy.

The six courtyards are divided and combined in an orderly manner. They are both independent and interrelated. According to the clan etiquette and ethical order, the villages are distributed in the shape of the Big Dipper and are integrated with the surrounding environment. The buildings in the village are in the Huizhou architectural style. The ancient village head is in the Huizhou style, and the courtyard is deep and winding. There are rows of rows of tiled roofs, sitting on the ridge roof to show off. The ridge lines of the buildings are rich in changes. The horse-head walls and roofs of the Hui-style architecture are undulating and orderly. The "Four Main Courtyards" are the largest in scale, with stacks of courtyards, row upon row, black and white, and well-proportioned. The entire building area reaches more than 10,000 square meters. Not only is the Zhou Family Courtyard as a whole smart and interesting, complex but not complicated, each individual building and courtyard also has its own charm. Adhering to the characteristics of Huizhou architecture that attaches great importance to decoration, the famous Huizhou three carvings (wood carvings, stone carvings, and brick carvings) are abundant and well preserved, with rich and diverse window lattice, realistic stone carvings, and highlighted brick carvings, mainly lotus. , landscapes, fish and insects, flowers, birds and animals, cloud patterns and water waves...the themes are rich and colorful, the carving techniques are superb, and the visual effects displayed are shocking.

Although it has been washed and polished by hundreds of years of wind, rain and time, the appearance is mostly worn, damaged and slightly old and vicissitudes of life, but you can also get a glimpse of the prosperity and ever-changing weather of the year.

Thanks to the government's continued attention and measures, the repair and protection of the Zhou Family Courtyard has been raised to a very high level. Therefore, the Zhou Family Courtyard, which is hidden in the boudoir and unknown to others, is fully presented to us. Every spring blockbuster Surrounded by rapeseed flowers, the Zhou family courtyard is nestled between green mountains and green waters. The black and gray buildings in the colorful purples and reds are harmonious. The beauty of the scenery is beyond imagination, with its graceful architectural shape, huge preserved volume, and interesting courtyards. The combination, rich humanistic connotation and beautiful scenery are amazing and admirable. I have to sigh and admire the ancient wisdom and superb craftsmanship. Seeing the ingenious workmanship again today, I am so dazzled that I have forgotten to say it.