Master Zhuge's Eight Trigrams Village, in Lanxi City, and located to the south in Zhejiang Province, is the largest inhabited area of Master Zhuge Liang's descendents, with a population of 4,000 at present.
Zhuge Liang was an excellent politician, thinker and strategist in the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280) in China's history. He was renowned as a legendary figure in one of China's foremost popular ancient novels, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His story and deeds are well known by all the Chinese people and his wisdom respected for over one thousand years.
According to history, the whole of Zhuge's village structure was designed by his twenty-seventh descendant, Zhuge Dashi. It is based on the "Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams" mathematical pattern, and was to be the first of its kind in China. The whole village takes the Bell Pond as its center, with eight lanes extending outward, forming the circular pattern of Eight inner Trigrams. The most amazing effect is created as the whole village is surrounded by eight hills, forming the pattern of Eight outer Trigrams.
There are more than 200 architectural sites from the Ming and Qing Dynasty in the village, and although they have survived over 700 years, the village structure remains almost unchanged. Walls are decorated with wide roof beams and thick columns are the typical architectural style of the Master Zhuge's village. It has been an architectural paragon of the ancient Chinese village style. Moreover, the village has been one of three symbols standing for ancient culture in Zhejiang Province and has been steadily approved by the State Council as a major historical and cultural site under state protection since 1996.
The descendents of Master Zhuge take "The article to admonish descendants written by their ancestor" as their motto, as well as, "Still water runs deep, show high ideals by simple living" and "If not a helpful minister, then a skillful doctor." They have tried to learn and use medical herbs, and many of them have learnt medical science. A lot of old well-known medical families from the village have spread their knowledge throughout the country.
At present, with an original mystical culture and historical heritage, Master Zhuge's village appeals strongly to tourists at both home and abroad.
It has become a bright pearl of the Zhejiang tourist route.
Address: Zhuge Village, Zhuge Town, Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province
Tel: 86-0579-8600026 8600092
Zip code: 321105 Fax: 86-0579-860026
Chinese website: www.zhugevillage.com
(China.org.cn by Li Liangdu November 10, 2003)
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