Luzhai Buildings

In Chapter 53 of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', the Rongguo Mansion holds a night banquet during the Lantern Festival, where the dazzling array of decorations captivates all who see them, especially the lanterns, which are numerous and varied. Among them, a pair of combined hall lanterns known as the 'Triple Union and Quintuple Cluster Glass Hibiscus Tassel Lanterns' are particularly stunning. In the Lu Residence of Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, hangs a set of 'Treasure Cover Chain-linked Triple Union and Septuple Cluster Colored Tassel Ram's Horn Lanterns' that surpass even the grand hall lanterns described in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. They are the largest hall lanterns in the world and have a history of over 100 years. The residence has two hall lanterns in total, one authentic and one replica. The authentic one is only hung during major festivals in leap years and is returned to a special lamp room for preservation after the event. The authentic lantern is not lit all day when displayed; it is turned off after being lit for a while to protect the lifespan of the cultural relic. Regarding the lighting time: The specific lighting times are managed by the security uncle there (the uncle is very easy to talk to, and if you want to light the lantern, you can directly approach him). I went in the morning, and the lanterns were lit twice around 10 am and 12 pm, with each session lasting about an hour. The replica is on display all year round (P7), and while it is just as impressive as the authentic one, it is not lit in principle (see the previous suggestion). 'North has the Forbidden City, south has the Lu Residence' Additionally, the Lu Residence is a national key cultural relics protection unit. Its Ming and Qing residential architecture is quite grand and well-preserved. On the day I visited, it had just rained, and the sky was somewhat overcast. Due to the sparse number of tourists, the vast mansion had a sense of immediacy reminiscent of the movie 'Raise the Red Lantern', evoking a deep sense of 'How deep is the courtyard?'

| Spanning a millennium in search of ancient charm, stroll through the old residence to enjoy a prosperous era. Come to Dongyang and check in for you, it's worth visiting. The Lu Residence, located in Luzhai Village on the eastern outskirts of Dongyang City, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, is an ancient Chinese residential building, with thousands of rooms, and more than 20 buildings still existing from the Ming Jingtai era to the early Republic of China. The architectural complex is surrounded by water on three sides, facing the Bijiashan to the south ✅Main Buildings The Lu Residence's Suyong Hall, which took six years to build, is arranged in a 'T' shape with nine courtyards, extending 320 meters in depth, grand in scale, with gorgeously carved components, blending Dongyang wood carving with painted art, incorporating brick carving and stone carving arts. The hall houses more than 300 types of palace lanterns from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, the 'Baogai Suluo Lian Sanju Qicai Sui Yangjiao Lamp' in Suyong Hall is particularly magnificent and elegant, breathtaking, This grand hall lamp is 4.5 meters high, weighs 255 kilograms, and is made with 400,000 colored glass beads, and has been recorded in the Guinness World Records. ✅Cultural Relics The Lu Residence houses two masterpieces of Dongyang wood carving: the 'Nine Lions Playing Ball' three-beam structure, carved from a whole piece of camphor wood over 1.7 meters, reaching 1.5 meters in height. Ancient artists used techniques such as deep relief, through-carving, and round carving to sculpt lions that are vivid and lifelike, truly the pinnacle of Dongyang's traditional architectural wood carving. The 'hook-and-join' structure used between the front hall and the main hall of Suyong Hall is another unique feature of Dongyang wood carving. To avoid the hall being too deep, to prevent the roof from rising continuously affecting the aesthetics, and to save materials, Dongyang's skilled craftsmen designed this 'hook-and-join'—two roofs connected together, with a specially designed 'big ditch' at the joint for water flow. It can be said that the essence of ancient Dongyang wood carving is hidden in the Lu Residence. ✅About 'The Forbidden City in the north, the Lu Residence in the south' The Dongyang Lu Residence has a central axis, similar in layout to the Forbidden City, known as 'front hall and rear sleeping quarters', The front hall is the public hall of the Lu family, used for sacrifices, gatherings, entertainment, celebrations, discussions, and teaching among the clan, while behind the Shikumen is the living space for family members and servants, usually closed to outsiders. The entire central axis has nine sections, stretching 320 meters. In China, only the Forbidden City and the Confucius Temple have such a structure, and the Confucius Temple is specially granted by the royal family, with a spatial sequence identical to the Forbidden City, hence the Lu Residence is known as the 'Forbidden City of the people'. 🎫Ticket: 65r ⏰Opening Hours: Year-round 8:00-17:00

Dongyang Ancient Town - "Folk Forbidden City" Lu's house Dongyang Lu's house, known as the "Folk Forbidden City", has a history of 600 years Apart from Hengdian, there is a place where you can check in for tourism There are several places in Lu's house where you can take pictures for free You can experience the traditional charm of intangible cultural heritage architecture No matter spring, summer, autumn or winter, it's easy to take good pictures here However, the whole architectural complex is open for free, but individual scenic spots like Lu's house are charged! Here comes the check-in strategy! 1 Address: No.18, Yihai North Road, Dongyang City, Jinhua City. Route: It's in the suburbs, so it's recommended to take a taxi or drive by yourself. Opening hours: The whole architectural complex is open 24 hours a day, and the opening hours of individual scenic spots like Lu's house are 08:00-17:00. ★Features: A 600-year-old Ming and Qing ancient architectural complex that has been preserved intact Tips: In addition to ancient buildings, there are restaurants, bars and various art galleries here (all very suitable for taking pictures and easy to produce good results). Besides, the night view is also very good

'There is the Forbidden City in the north, and Luzhai in the south.' The settlement of the Yaxi Lu family, descendants of Jiang Taigong, is a renowned group of Ming and Qing ancient buildings in the south of the Yangtze River. The wood carving craftsmanship here is exquisite and unparalleled, and every hall and courtyard is unique, offering high artistic value. It's definitely worth a visit more than Hengdian. Here, every place you see is history. Without excessive renovation and frequent cleaning, the old smell of the rooms makes you feel the real history of hundreds of years. Many movies and TV shows have been filmed in Luzhai, including Andy Lau's 'New Shaolin Temple', Zhao Wenzhuo's 'The Book and Sword: Gratitude and Revenge', and so on. Attractions to check in: 1. Ceiling with wood carving application - Dongyang wood carving. Various forms of Dongyang wood carving art are displayed, represented by the Nine Lions Playing Ball Three Beams. 2. Lanterns that started in the Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty. More than 300 palace lanterns made of various materials such as wood carving, bamboo silk, glazed glass, and colored beads are all precious relics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 3. Ancient architectural complex. Centered on the Lu Family Ancestral Hall, the three halls of Fujing, Suyong, and Shude stand side by side. The main axis of the Suyong Hall Luzhai architectural complex has thousands of houses. Ceiling caisson, door and window lattices, partitions, exquisite stone and brick carvings, unique horse head wall architecture, all show the profound cultural heritage of Dongyang as the 'hometown of a hundred works'. Some of the scenes of 'The Great Ming under the Microscope' were filmed in the Luzhai architectural complex. 4. Three stone archways. Located at the entrance of the scenic area, next to the old street, 'The Great Ming under the Microscope' also has scenes here. Navigate to Luzhai Scenic Area, Dongyang City, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. It takes 2 hours from Hangzhou and 30 minutes from Hengdian. It is located in the city, without crossing mountains and ridges, with convenient transportation and convenient food, drink and accommodation. There is a large paid parking lot right next to the scenic area.