Why did this 400-year-old village receive the emperor's favor? Exploring the ancient village of Cuandixia in western Beijing

Number of days: 1 day
Tour kinds: Photography, Self-driving, Humanities, Free travel, Weekend tour
Updated: 2025.01.08

With the holidays approaching, how about a time-travelling trip to an ancient village from the Ming and Qing dynasties? Experience every brick and tile, every blade of grass and every tree, and experience a unique landscape so different from the modern metropolis. How about a perfect vacation? Today, I'll continue my journey with you through an ancient village on the outskirts of Beijing. You'll explore the village, admire the scenery, and hear stories. I'll discuss this small village, the story of Emperor Kangxi, and why it's considered a treasure of Chinese architecture.

Today I'll take you to Cuandixia Village, located in Zhaitang, Mentougou District, Beijing. Cuandixia Village, also known as Chuandixia Village, is 90 kilometers away from Beijing and only 3 kilometers from Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District. It is one of the relatively well-preserved ancient villages from the Ming and Qing dynasties in northern China. Cuandixia Village boasts a history spanning over 400 years. Despite the ravages of time, 74 courtyards and over 680 buildings remain, making it one of the largest in China. The Ming and Qing dynasty architecture of Cuandixia Village primarily features a combination of mountain and plain courtyard styles. Similar to Beijing courtyard houses, they are primarily composed of a main house, a back house, and left and right wing rooms. However, influenced by the geographical environment, the courtyard houses of Cuandixia Village also incorporate the compactness and flexibility of Shanxi courtyard houses. It can be said that the courtyard houses of Cuandixia Village have absorbed the advantages of both Beijing and Shanxi courtyards, forming their own unique style.

Cuandixia Village is one of the most well-preserved ancient mountain village architectural complexes discovered in my country. Its well-planned and rigorous structure has earned it praise from renowned ancient architecture expert Luo Zhewen as a "pearl among the treasures of Chinese classical architecture."

Perhaps many of you are wondering, how did Cuandixia Village come to be? How could such a remote village be connected to Emperor Kangxi? Don't worry, let me explain. Cuandixia Village was founded during the Ming Dynasty, in 1403 during the Yongle reign. Who founded this village? The answer is Shanxi people. History buffs know that the Ming Dynasty was the most devastating dynasty in my country, with Shanxi experiencing particularly frequent and severe disasters. During the 276 years of the Ming Dynasty, 362 major and minor disasters occurred. It's fair to say that the people of Shanxi were destitute and destitute, suffering widespread grief. Leaving their hometowns and seeking new settlements was a common choice for many Shanxi residents at the time. Historical records indicate that a severe drought struck Shanxi in 1403. The first to arrive were a family surnamed Han from Shanxi. It was against this backdrop that they arrived in Cuandixia and established the Han settlement there. Of course, Cuandixia initially lacked the scale we see today.

More than 50 years after the Han family settled here, in 1451, due to its location as a crucial official route to Shanxi and a strategic military juncture, the Ming court established a pass at Cuandi, established the Cuandikou Pass, built a main city, and established post stations. Local Han clan members were appointed as Qianzong (thousand commanders) to oversee the defenses. From this point on, the prototype of Cuandixia Village gradually took shape, reaching its peak during the Qing Dynasty. Earlier, we mentioned a connection between this small mountain village and Emperor Kangxi. This connection stems from a legend whose authenticity is unknown, so just treat it as a story. Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, he contracted a strange illness that even the imperial physicians were unable to cure. So, Kangxi went to a temple to burn incense and pray, vowing to abdicate the throne if he recovered.

Unexpectedly, Kangxi's illness was finally cured soon after. However, as an emperor accustomed to a life of luxury, how could he endure the strict rules and regulations of the temple? How could he not fulfill the promise he had made before the Buddha? This troubled Emperor Kangxi. What should he do? Just when he was full of confidence, the counselors around him gave Kangxi an idea, which was to find someone with a similar appearance to become a monk on his behalf. So Kangxi sent people to look for him everywhere. After searching for many days, a candidate from Cuandixia who came to Beijing to take the imperial examination caught the attention of the officials. This man was named Han Shoude. Han Shoude not only looked very similar to Kangxi, but most importantly, he was very happy to accept the assignment. So Han Shoude went to Mount Wutai to become a monk on behalf of Emperor Kangxi.

After Han Shoude became a monk in Mount Wutai, Emperor Kangxi, in gratitude, rewarded the villagers of Cuandixia with a large amount of wealth and even exempted the village from official taxes. This is the popular story of Cuandixia and Emperor Kangxi. Is it interesting?

Not far from Cuandixia Village is a place called "One Line Sky," a typical example of a faulted landscape. A narrow rift valley stretches over 150 meters, and the road through it was once an important post road during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today, Cuandixia Village has become a famous cultural and tourist attraction near Beijing. Here, you can not only see numerous centuries-old buildings, but you can even live in them.

Currently, many ancient courtyards in Cuandixia Village have been converted into unique guesthouses. Wandering among the village's old buildings or enjoying tea and chatting in a guesthouse gives you a sense of time travel.

Follow me! I'll impress you with my original images and stories, letting you experience the beauty of China and the world through my lens. Professional photographer Liu Jie will show you a different world!