Likeng Village
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Likeng Village | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 A street in the village | |
 Map of Jiangxi | |
| Coordinates: 29°19′32″N 117°55′34″E / 29.32556°N 117.92611°E | |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,340 |
Likeng Village is a village in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi, eastern China. It supposedly is populated only by people with the last name "Li".[citation needed] With a history of more than a thousand years, it was first built in the Song dynasty.[1]
Likeng Village has been around since 1010. In the Song dynasty, there were 32 officials out of over 100 people who rose to fame and power after completing their duties. They decided to build their home village of Likeng. In the process, they made 17 temples, 12 ancestral halls, many bridges, and houses along streets. They also wrote 29 famous books. The former residence of a Song-era martial arts scholar, Li Zhicheng, is also situated here, containing an inner garden with an 800-year-old crape myrtle tree. Later, in the Ming dynasty, more farm- and normal houses were built in the Huizhou style of architecture, which, specifically for the village, means houses painted bright white with crystal-cyan roofs.[2] Pottery, art and calligraphy endemic to these time periods was made. In 1109, the Zhongshu bridge, which is 9 feet (2.7 m) high and 13 feet (4.0 m) long, was built as an entrance to the village, connecting it to a river. Many relics and wood carvings were also made in the Ming and Qing dynasties.[1]
During the Mongol conquest of China, refugees would come to villages such as this in Jiangxi province, due to its concealed location (it is surrounded by mountains on three sides).[citation needed]
The Wenchang temple is the home of the Ming/Qing relics and is considered a temple of happiness. Locals strongly believe that the village's growth stems and benefits from this temple.[1]
