The stone-built houses of Jing Tang ancient village

Jing Tang ancient village is an ancient architectural complex with Ming Dynasty architectural style and residential characteristics of the western mountainous area, and it is one of the better-preserved ancient villages in Shandong Province. The entire village is surrounded by ancient defensive walls, which are made of bluestone, and several castles (gun towers) have been built with self-defense functions. The stone-built houses are the most characteristic buildings in the ancient village, mainly made of local bluestone. The craftsmen used local materials and skillfully applied primitive manual techniques to construct the stones in an orderly and interlocking manner. In the gaps, they would also patch with iron and stone pieces, making the entire building tight and seamless, not only aesthetically pleasing but also very practical. The architectural style of the stone-built houses also fully integrates the local folk customs and geomancy culture. You can see that these houses are built according to the mountain terrain, constructed to take advantage of the situation, reflecting the life philosophy of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. In the 1980s, villagers had already moved out of the ancient village, so now, in addition to some houses that are still maintained for visits or used as shops, there are also many old houses that only have stone walls left, becoming dangerous buildings or ruins.