Furong Ancient Village is located on the west side of Nanxianqing Highway in Yan Tou Town, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City. It is a large village established at the end of the Tang Dynasty and is a settlement for the Chen family. Although there are no lotus flowers in Furong Village, it is named after three high cliffs on the southwest mountain, which are white with a reddish hue, resembling three lotus buds about to bloom. Furong Village is one of the oldest villages along the Nanxi River. The ancient village is roughly square-shaped, facing west to east, and was planned and designed according to the concept of ‘Seven Stars and Eight Buckets’, symbolizing the correspondence between celestial stars and people on earth, with star platforms and bucket ponds as symbols. The village wall made of pebbles makes the entire village resemble a small castle.
There is a main village gate in the middle of the eastern wall, with two smaller gates slightly further away. Inside the village gate, there is a watchtower that can overlook all directions. Upon entering the village through the main gate, one is greeted by the main street made of pebbles, called ‘Ruyi Street’, which signifies good fortune and happiness. To the south of the main street, there is a small lake named Furong Pond, with dense flowers and trees around the lake. The villagers have diverted the lake water, so that small streams run alongside houses and roads, creating a very elegant environment. Most of the houses in the village are wooden structures with white walls and green tiles. The courtyards are mostly shaded by green trees, giving a harmonious and comfortable feeling. The village currently has more than 30 ancient residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and 18 ancestral halls, all of which are Chen family temples. The village is not large, and the main houses include the Sima Residence, Chen’s Great Ancestral Hall, and Sanxing Ancestral Hall. Visitors can explore these grand houses along the village streets. The Sima Residence, built during the Qing Dynasty, has a history of over 200 years. It is located in the northwest corner of the village and is composed of three courtyard houses. It includes 15 main halls, 6 courtyards, 24 platforms, 58 rooms, as well as gardens, ponds, and wells. Each of the three courtyards has its own door, and there are passageways connecting the courtyards, forming a large compound. Chen’s Great Ancestral Hall is located on the north side of Ruyi Street inside the east gate. It has a strict layout and complete structure, and is considered the essence of Furong Ancient Village’s architecture. The main building of the ancestral hall faces west to east, with a large courtyard in front, and a door on the south and north. The south door is called ‘Guangzong Gate’, and the north door is called ‘Yaozu Gate’. The main building of the ancestral hall is a seven-room, two-deep structure. The spacious corridors on both sides of the main hall face the grand stage in the ancestral hall, which protrudes into the courtyard and is open on three sides, facilitating the audience to watch the play from three directions, reflecting the grandeur of the host’s family at that time. Sanying Ancestral Hall, also known as Zonghu Ancestral Hall, is located in the southeast corner of Furong Village. It was built during the Ming Wanli period by the 28th ancestor of the Chen family, Zonghu. This is a flat-roofed wooden structure in the style of a courtyard house, with a neat and symmetrical layout. The front hall and the back temple are seven rooms wide, and the two sides are three rooms wide. The building materials are robust, the structure is tight, the beam structure is freely placed, and the shape is simple and elegant.The Furong Ancient Village has a large area. It takes at least about 2 to 3 hours to walk around. You can choose to visit according to your preferences.
Opening hours from January 1st to December 31st: 08:00 – 17:00. Preferential policies supplementary note: The above information is for reference only. The specific information is subject to the disclosure of the scenic spot on the same day.
