Yangjiang, Guangdong is a place rich in tourism resources, but it is underestimated and ignored. Here the natural scenery is charming, the cultural heritage is profound, the culture can be collected, the leisure tourism, the seaside vacation, the taste of food, etc., are worth exploring and exploring in depth. When I mentioned Yangjiang before, I only thought of Hailing Island. On this trip to Yangjiang, I have traveled to many places, deepened my understanding of it, and liked this low-key city even more.
If you ask me, what is the most impressive place on this Trip to Yangjiang? Eighteen in West Park is definitely one of my most memorable places. I have always been interested in the ancient villages in Lingnan, and walking in these ancient villages, you can feel the slow pace of life, and you can also understand the historical culture and humanistic customs of different regions, which is more into your heart than watching the simple scenery.
The 18 West Garden is a relatively well-preserved ancient Qing Dynasty residence in Yashao Town, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province. Tracing back to history, the eighteen seats in the West Park were first built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty by the ancestor Tan Zhigong here, and have a history of more than 200 years. Although it has been baptized by wind and rain for more than 200 years, due to the meticulous maintenance of Tan's descendants, the ancient village has been well preserved to this day.
There are eighteen seats in the West Park, and the name of this village sounds a little strange at first. The so-called "eighteen", as the name suggests, refers to the eighteen large houses built more than 200 years ago in the village, the pattern is neatly arranged according to 6×3, green brick exterior walls, green brick laneways, each house has two wok ears, all of which are common "wok ear houses" in Lingnan. The uniform ancient houses are very distinctive, especially overlooked by aerial photography, and the scale is quite spectacular.
The "Eighteen Seats" are famous in Yangjiang and even Guangdong, and are a symbol of the wealthy side of the Tan family. Careful friends will look at the aerial photos above and find that there are not only 18 ancient village buildings, but 36. This is because the descendants of the Tan family built another 18 large houses that were basically symmetrical with the original layout on the basis of the original 18, a total of 36 combined to form a rare local mansion, and the scale was also a village of its own.
Tracing the origin of the name "Eighteen", there is also an interesting story. According to legend, more than 200 years ago, there was a villager named "Tan Shu" here, there were three brothers in the family, the eldest brother was good at Wen and the second brother was familiar with martial arts, and the third oldest Tan Shu was good at business. He was mainly engaged in the cattle dealer business.
According to legend, the cattle of other cattle traders at that time were plagued, and many cattle died of disease, and the business was at a loss. Although Tan's cattle also developed rinderpest, after he drove the cattle to Changtang and soaked them with water, the rinderpest disappeared, and he made a lot of money. After making money, Tan said that he wanted to build a family home, and he took his guys to the city to buy building materials, but when he asked the owner of the building materials store for a price, the boss took a look at Tan Yu, who was not trim, and said to him dismissively: "My wood is very expensive, you can't afford it." The boss next to you is likely to be able to afford it. The "boss" referred to by the owner of the building materials store is Tan's guy. Because the guys are dressed more glamorously than Tan, it is no wonder that the building materials store owner takes people by their appearance.
Instead of defending or getting angry, Tan Said said to the building materials store owner, "What if I can afford it?" The boss replied, "If you can afford it, I'll buy one and get one free, and if you build a house, I'll give you a house." Tan Yu listened and was quite happy in his heart. Immediately asked the guy to return to the house to withdraw money, bought the building materials of the nine houses in one go, and the owner of the building materials store could only eat Huang Lian dumbly, fulfilled his promise, and gave Tan the building materials of the nine houses in vain.
Tan Shu used the building materials of the nine houses he obtained to build eighteen wok-ear houses, which is the origin of "eighteen houses". These ancient houses are very Lingnan characteristics, each house has a towering roof shaped like a pot ear, so "eighteen seats", also known as wok ear house.
After the baptism of the vicissitudes of the years, although the residential complex has been damaged and changed a lot, the large layout is still the same, strolling through it, the quiet ancient alleys, the mottled old walls, the details are especially seen in the charm of the traditional architectural culture of Lingnan. Nowadays, most of the ancient houses are empty, most of the young people have moved out, and the basic people living here are the elderly. Friends who like to admire ancient buildings and explore the ancient world can come to punch in and study.
Address: Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, Yangdong District Yashao Town West Park Eighteen Village (it is recommended to travel by car)
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