Renhua Huatang Ancient Village, the castle at the head of the village is stronger than the watchtower

🏘️Shitang Ancient Village is located in Renhua County, Shaoguan. It is best to set the navigation target to "Shuangfengzhai", otherwise you will be taken to the urban area of ​​Shaoguan. Shuangfengzhai, also known as Shitangzhai, is located in front of Shitang Ancient Village. This fortress was built in the 25th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1899). It is square in shape and covers an area of ​​more than 8,000 square meters. It is surrounded by stone walls, has watchtowers, and a moat outside. The castle was built with funds raised by the villagers at that time. The main reason was that the village suffered heavy losses from the invasion of Shi Dakai's troops. It is a bit like the public watchtowers in Kaiping, where all villagers can take refuge when encountering danger, but it is more majestic and solid than the watchtowers. 🇨🇳During the Great Revolution, under the leadership of our party, a vigorous revolutionary movement broke out in Renhua. At the climax of the Renhua uprising, more than 700 soldiers and civilians held on in the castle and fought the enemy for nine months. More than 400 soldiers and civilians died heroically. This is known in history as the Battle of Shuangfengzhai. In the square opposite Shuangfengzhai, there is a monument to the martyrs of the Great Revolution to commemorate the armed peasant uprising that took place in Renhua that year. 🎞️This ancient village has a history of more than 640 years. Most of the villagers are surnamed Li. The founder of the village was Li Keqiu, who moved here from Zhangshu, Jiangxi. The most impressive thing about this ancient village is wine, and wineries are located in almost every corner of the village. The liquor produced in the ancient village is called Duihua Liquor, and its origin is also related to Li Keqiu. 🍶It is said that in the late Southern Song Dynasty, a winemaker in Ji'an, Jiangxi used secret koji to brew rice liquor with an alcohol content of more than 50%. When Wen Tianxiang returned home, his friends invited him to drink this wine. He saw that the wine had a fragrant aroma and the most important thing was that the wine foam was crystal clear and layered with flowers. He couldn't help but exclaim in praise. Later, when Li Keqiu and his family moved south, they passed by Ji'an and brought this craft to Shitang, where it was developed and promoted. ⛩️There is a Li clan ancestral hall in the village, named Sanduo Hall. This ancestral hall is the earliest existing one in Shitang Village. It was built by Dayong, the 12th ancestor of the Li family. The so-called "three mores" refer to "many children, much blessings, and much longevity." 📍Address: Xinwu Village, Shitang Town, Renhua County, Shaoguan 👍Recommendations: Shuangfengzhai, ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, Duihua rice wine 💰 Cost: Free admission