Traveling in early summer? Don't miss these traditional ancient villages

Don't miss these traditional ancient villages. Songxi Village and the Zheng Residence, which is ten kilometers away, are both among the first batch of national traditional ancient villages. Compared to Zheng Residence, which has not retained many ancient relics and requires a ticket to visit the main attractions, Songxi Village undoubtedly allows for a longer stay. 【Complete Village Layout】 Songxi Village was settled by the Xu clan from the Southern Song Dynasty, and it has a history of over 800 years. The village still preserves a fairly intact ancient village layout. The sense of ceremony brought by the architectural features such as the bridge pavilion, ancient well, Guan Gong temple, ancestral hall, and stage at the entrance of the village is already more profound than many other ancient villages. 【Colorful Limestone Walls】 Songxi Village has been engaged in lime burning since ancient times, and there are lime kiln relics from the Song Dynasty beside the village. Many residential buildings in the ancient village are made of calcined limestone. The calcined limestone, with its minerals condensed like colorful glaze, is dazzlingly colorful, and each stone displays different colors and shapes, especially under the light. 【The Dark Stream Embodies Local Wisdom】 There are two streams in Songxi Village, one visible and one hidden. The hidden stream is covered by a long archway made of limestone, almost entirely covering the stream. Every few dozen meters, there is a port for villagers to use water daily. Above the archway, there are village roads or houses, and the archway itself is spacious and high, with a stone-paved bottom, making it a perfect spot to cool off in the summer. 【A Long Tradition of Painting and Calligraphy】 Songxi Village also has a strong cultural heritage. Walking through the village, one can occasionally see ancient murals and calligraphy on old walls. The village has spontaneously established poetry and painting societies that have been passed down for a hundred years, perhaps reflecting the entire Pujiang painting and calligraphy tradition. In addition to the earliest settlers, the Xu clan, there are also Shao family ancestral halls and other multi-surname residents living in harmony. In short, from the village architecture to the historical continuity, Songxi Village is a well-preserved ancient village and is one of the not-to-be-missed ancient villages in the central Zhejiang region. Nearby attractions: Zheng Residence; Shangshan Cultural Site