Shanxi Guangling: The Mystery of the Seven-Starred Chain of Yards in an Ancient Northern Wei Village

Shanxi Guangling Yinjiazhuang village, adjacent to Hebei Weixian, is a village of two or three hundred people.

An ancient fort in the north of the village, the top of the fort door engraved with the words "peace in the world", the aisles are paved with green stone, hundreds of years of crushing and rutting, to become a link between the ancient and modern history marks. A theater at the entrance of the fortress, although dilapidated, reveals the ancient meaning of a long time.

Yinjiazhuang is an ancient village built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, where every corner is a remnant of history.

For example, the mysterious seven-star nine-ringed compound.

The ancient houses in northern China are mostly li jacket courtyard. Here, however, there is a chain of courtyards, nine courtyards in the shape of the seven stars and the Big Dipper distribution, the courtyard and the courtyard through a small ear door, forming a whole, but also can be closed to remain relatively independent.

Casually from one into the courtyard entrance to hold the drum stone, on the horse stone, carving of the cornerstone are complete, for a "year" of the old mansion, this is not rare, but a closer look, these stones on the carvings but seems to have less time to sharpen the appearance of the pattern, the grain is very clear, there is almost no trace of the fracture, the stone carving of lions, unicorns and other auspicious beasts play plot. The plot of the lion, unicorn and other auspicious beasts play perfectly realistic.

Into the courtyard, in the middle of a shadow wall, above the distribution of a large number of imitation wood brick carvings, pendant columns between the blessing of life pattern, luxury to the extreme. The left and right sides of the wall have a modeling and brick carvings of the same elaborate doorway leading to the two sides of the courtyard, nine courtyards is to open the door to the kind of way to set up a chain, each place connected.

The gate is one of the courtyards with a complete set of main houses and ancillary houses. The foundation of the house is made of green stone masonry, the wall is long brick, white ash hooked seams are extremely fine; the roof ridge has a kissing animal, the ridge has a brick carving, the beam purlin hanging between the wood carving carving is also well-preserved. The corner stone of the pillar is carved with a group of monkeys offering life, and the door hairpin is hollowed out with the image of bats and fish, which is overall very exquisite.

The brick carving design of the chimney of the house has the image of a felt bag used by Mongolian nomads, which is reflected in the blue sky, full of exotic flavor. This epitome of the intersection of Mongolian and Chinese nationalities, bring people to guess: when the owner of this place, will not be a go west of the business of the Jin merchants?

When exactly is the seven-star chain yard built? No one in the village to say clearly, but combined with some of the sayings handed down and Guangling County Records, this yard should be the end of the Ming and early Qing dynasty Ma family a rich businessman in the capital as an official close relatives in his hometown to build the House. As for the reason for the construction of the shape of the Big Dipper, the village people are even more confused.

But what is interesting is that, according to the legend of our ancestors, there is an underground defense system in the seven-star courtyard, and the cellar is connected to the outside of the village, but due to the age, no one dares to go down to see what is going on for fear of unknown gases underneath.

Relative to the untested legends of the past, the villagers in the courtyard are more eager to tell visitors about some of the experiences they have personally seen, trying to attach to the ancient associated with another thing? --Mystery: the entrance to the compound aisle wall has a carved stone, summer time, this stone is often like a waterfall like downstream water, as long as the water here, two days after the inevitable rain. So much so that when there is a drought, the townspeople will be here to pray for the green stone to flow. Later, the yard raised a tricycle, from the day of the "mutu mutu" back to the tricycle, this piece of "frightened" green stone is no longer flowing. Finished, we all patted the chest with "witnessed" to give this old mansion mysterious and spiritual color.

The entire Lianhuan Yuan now has 7 gate towers, gate 11, 3 shadow walls, 26 houses, covering an area of 2600 square meters. According to its architectural style and patterns of cultural meaning, the cultural relics department initially believed to be the early Qing dynasty remains. Not only has a high ornamental value, but also folklore, architecture, arts and crafts research precious physical data. Existing three courtyards of the preservation of the surprisingly well-preserved, there is no trace found in the construction and then repair and transformation, such as residents living in the case is still roughly maintain the original appearance of the ancient homes is not rare, which also reflects the urgency and necessity of protecting and repairing the ancient courtyards.

At present, the seven-starred Lianhuan Yuan is a municipal cultural relics protection unit in Datong City, and Yinjiazhuang was selected as one of the fourth batch of traditional Chinese villages.

I checked the information, in accordance with the Dipper seven-star layout of the housing construction is very rare, the domestic in accordance with the Dipper seven-star shape built in the residence of Gansu Tianshui Shi Zuorui residence a record, known as "the world's only by the Dipper seven-star layout of the residence" is "the world"! Extinct", Guangling, this seven-star chain courtyard will be subverted from this "world extinct" statement? In addition to the mystery of the construction time, the mystery of the shape of the seven-star chain, the mystery of the underground fortifications, this ancient residential compound will have what mystery to show people?

Thanks to Mr. Huo Feifei for providing some of the pictures.

Thanks to Mr. Huo Feifei for providing some pictures.