People who are tired of big cities will often start to miss the quiet countryside. At the junction of Dongyang, Zhuji and Shengzhou, Kuaiji Mountain Range winds its way to Dongbai Mountain, leaving a gentle and narrow flat area between the peaks of Dongbai Mountain. Shanglin River winds through the area and merges into Dongbai Lake. In this mountain pass by the water, the feel of Jiangnan comes to your face.
Among the first batch of "Chinese Traditional Villages," this is a typical large-scale Qing Dynasty architectural complex in Jiangnan. The thousand-pillar house close to the mountain and water, the low-key villa of Huaguogong, and Faxiangju with carved beams and painted pillars have survived a hundred years of wind and rain, but the glory of the past can still be seen.
For more than 1,100 years since the end of Tang Dynasty, there are always people living in these white-wall and balck-tile houses scattered on both sides of Shanglin River. The rare surname that cannot be found on the One Hundred Family Names has been reproduced in this giant house in Jiangnan for more than 50 generations.
Sizhai Ancient Village is full of charm.
The secluded environment makes the residential buildings here little known and well preserved to today. The high fence quietly keeps the life inside the door. The white walls and black tiles reflected in the stream, the original old houses, the remnants of the courtyard walls, the flying eaves and the carved wooden windows all make people feel as if nothing has changed.
The high-rising horse-head walls are still imposing, separating the houses from passersby and busy traffic outside and keeping the hustle and bustle far away. The village has never been a prosperous place, but is China’s largest settlement of people with the same surname Si.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Shi Wei, a court officer, was sentenced to death by Sun Quan for pardoning a criminal without asking for permission. When Shi Wei's two sons pleaded with Sun Quan, the older brother asked to be executed in place of his father, and the younger brother asked to die for his brother. Sun Quan was so impressed by their filial piety that he gave them a new surname Si and reinstated the father to his former position.
The village has 14 relatively intact ancient architectural complexes, most of which were built in the late Qing Dynasty. Each architectural complex is of a grand scale and is known as the "Great House of Jiangnan." Each of these old houses still retains its past glory, truly records the story of ancestors and former generations and showcases the charm of Jiangnan.
Sizhai Village
Address: Sizhai Village, Dongbaihu Town, Zhuji City, Shaoxing
How to Get There:
Take No. 102d bus from Zhujia to Qianzhuwu Station.