Zhuge Village, located in the northwest of Lanxi, is a significant settlement for the descendants of Zhuge Liang. The village is ingeniously laid out according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern, surrounded by mountains and with a low-lying center, resembling a colossal treasure basin. Centered around the village’s central Tai Chi-shaped bell pond, eight alleys extending in all directions form the inner Bagua, while eight small hills outside the village form the outer Bagua, hence the name ‘Zhuge Bagua Village’.
The scenic area of Zhuge Bagua Village is divided into two parts: the main scenic area and the west line scenic area. The west line includes Longfeng Zen Temple and a Hundred Herbs Ecological Garden, where visitors can observe animals and participate in related experiential projects. The main attraction is the ancient architecture of Zhuge Village in the main scenic area, a culturally rich, simple, and tranquil ancient village where many elderly residents still live. Strolling along the bluestone paths, one can encounter fortune tellers, sellers of paintings and calligraphy, and vendors of small trinkets such as Zhuge crossbows, Zhuge feather fans, and Kongming locks.
The village is not large, and it can be traversed in about one to two hours with a leisurely walk. A thorough exploration of the village’s alleys would take about half a day. Visitors must purchase a ticket to enter the village, and by following the recommended route on the scenic area’s guide signs from the ticket office, one can visit all the main attractions in a semi-circular tour.
A must-see in Zhuge Bagua Village is the bell pond, which serves as the central landmark of the village. The south bank is a steep slope, and several large houses built along the slope appear increasingly taller when viewed from the north bank. A row of small flat-roofed houses facing the water on the front are reflected in the water, creating a sharp and elegant silhouette. Not far from the ticket office towards the bell pond is the ancestral hall of the Zhuge family, the Prime Minister’s Temple, which houses statues of Zhuge Liang and other distinguished ancestors of the Zhuge clan. The architecture is quite exquisite, and the sculptures are very delicate. The Dagong Hall by the bell pond is the only martial memorial building in the Jiangnan region.
Near Shangtang and Xiatang, there are also many points of interest: the Dajing Hall displays a large number of specimens related to traditional Chinese medicine, which is a specialty of Zhuge Village; the Yongmu Hall on the hillside is beautiful in its facade, with unique carvings on the porch, brackets, and roof, and it contains wax figures telling the stories of famous people from Zhuge Village. In addition, there are Tianyi Hall, Sangu Hall, Nongfang Pavilion, and Kongming’s Life Exhibition, all of which require a ticket for entry.
Visitors to Zhuge Bagua Village can generally find answers by asking locals, and by locating the bell pond, one can find the north. Most tourists who come to Zhuge Bagua Village are from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, traveling by car, and usually do not spend the night in the village. However, there are places to eat and stay, mainly concentrated in the Shang Tang and Xia Tang areas. The hygiene is average, and the prices are reasonable. The restaurants that are popular with diners include the Ancient Street Restaurant and the Shui Ge Lou Local Cuisine Restaurant. For accommodation, the Garden Apartment is considered to have better conditions. Additionally, there are seven wells in the Chang Le Fu Di area to the south of the village, arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, which is quite interesting. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Zhuge Village, and it is recommended to visit if time permits. Opening hours are from November 1st to March 31st, 08:00 to 16:30; and from April 1st to October 31st, 07:30 to 17:00. The village is not open on New Year’s Eve. Preferential policies include: Children: Free for those under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.2 meters (inclusive) in height; half price for those between 1. 2 meters (exclusive) and 1.5 meters (exclusive) in height. Elderly: Half price for those 60 years old (inclusive) or above (ID number must be filled in when ordering, and ID, senior card, or other valid documents must be shown upon ticket inspection). Students: Half price for full-time students (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, excluding adult education and graduate students) with valid student ID. Minors: Half price for those between 6 years old (exclusive) and 18 years old (exclusive). Active military personnel: Half price with military officer or soldier ID. Jinhua veterans: Free with valid documents. Disabled: Free with disability certificates issued by the county or city level Disabled Persons’ Federation. Journalists: Free with press cards issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. Service facilities: Parking lot – Zhuge Bagua Village Parking Lot, reference price: ¥10 per entry; address: Zhuge Bagua Village Visitor Service Center, Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province; capacity: 400 spaces.
