Jincheng, January 1, China News Network Topic: Douzhuang Castle in Jincheng, Shanxi: A "Lady City" with a panoramic view of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Author: Yang Peipei, Gao Ruifeng, Yang Jieying
"Douzhuang Castle is a city and an ancient village. As the earliest ancient castle built in the Qinhe River Basin, there are a total of 72 courtyards here, with distinctive architectural characteristics, which provide a reference for the study of northern residential architecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ma Xiaoqiu, a 75-year-old keeper of Douzhuang Castle, told reporters.
In the cold winter season, walking into the Douzhuang Castle located in Qinshui County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, the labyrinthine streets and alleys are criss-crossed, and the courtyards are interconnected, which can be described as "one door leads to one hundred households, and one hundred doors are strung all over the village". In the meantime, the city fortress, official residences, temples and ancestral halls, shops and workshops abound, brick carving, stone carving, wood carving are overwhelming, and there is a strong historical and cultural atmosphere everywhere.
The labyrinthine streets and alleys in the Douzhuang Castle are criss-crossed. Shoot upwards
In the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty (1093 AD), the Dou family chose a place to build Dou Mansion, that is, Douzhuang Castle, which is also Douzhuang Village (now known as "Douzhuang Village"). In the fourth year of Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty (1631 AD), the ancient castle of Douzhuang was besieged by the Liukou, and the wife of Zhang Quan, the secretary of the Ming Dynasty's military department, led the villagers to fight against the Liukou, and the fortress was preserved.
"History of the Ming Dynasty" contains: "All the prefectures and counties of Zelu, except for the small castle of Douzhuang, were captured by the rebels. It is recorded in the "History of the Ming Dynasty and the Biography of the Martyr" that Wang Zhaosheng praised "Douzhuang City" as "Lady City" in the Ming Dynasty. The emperor personally gave the imperial pen "Yan Gui Chuanfang", and since then, Douzhuang has become famous all over the world as "Lady City".
Ma Xiaoqiu introduced that in addition to the "Lady City", Douzhuang Castle is also known as "Little Beijing" by the locals. Its overall layout is nine gates and nine passes, similar to the Forbidden City, and the Qinshui area spreads the folk song of "Tianxia Village, Dou Village, Dou Zhuang is a small Beijing".
The ancient castle is relatively well preserved in the courtyard of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Photo by Zhang Yun
Douzhuang Castle covers an area of about 4,2 square meters, the four city gates are five to seven zhang high, the city wall is three zhang high, and the wall is five feet thick. Under the gate is a brick arch and above is a lookout. The existing south gate has been submerged by 120 cm, although the north gate wall is seriously damaged, the main building is still clearly visible, and the east gate and west gate are destroyed. The ruined walls and some of the caves still exist.
In the ancient castle, a large T-shaped street and several small T-shaped streets of different verticals and horizontals divide it into six areas, and the streets are lined with neatly arranged "four big and eight small" two-storey courtyards, and there are also temples, pawnshops, merit archways, etc. Nowadays, there are 38 courtyards of the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Shangshu Mansion, Nine Mansions, and Jiajia Courtyard.
Shangshu Mansion is a large group of buildings, divided into two houses. The overall layout of the upper house is six courtyards on the chessboard, the door of the house faces east, tall and majestic, and the lower house is composed of three courtyards, which is very characteristic of northern folk houses. There is also a Changjia compound with unique characteristics, the architectural style is a combination of Chinese and Western, and the brick carving and wood carving patterns in the courtyard are different, which is exquisite.
Shangshufu is a larger group of buildings. Photo by Zhang Yun
"The defense system of nine gates and nine passes, the form of streets and alleys crossed by T-shapes, and the courtyard pattern of 'four big and eight small' all have high historical and cultural value. Ma Xiaoqiu said that more than 20 years ago, there were no enterprises on the ground and no resources underground, so they began to excavate their cultural connotations, protect and develop, and were included in the list of "Chinese Historical and Cultural Villages" and "Chinese Traditional Villages".
In 2013, Douzhuang Castle won 7000 million yuan of national cultural relics protection funds to repair 66 courtyards and renovate the surrounding environment. Over the years, the local area has been building a "living castle" and integrating resources with the surrounding ancient villages to develop tourism.
Douzhuang Castle repaired the courtyard. Photo by Zhang Yun
Dou Gangbao, secretary of the general party branch of Douzhuang Village, said that on the basis of the villagers not moving out, the ancient castle will be combined with rural revitalization through the promotion of the Bailiqin River ecological and economic belt and the Qinhe ancient castle group ring line, relying on the courtyards of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and through cultural experience, handicraft, education and research, etc., so that the ancient castle resources will be "brightened" and cultural tourism will be "fired". (ENDS)