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    Hongcun: A Village of Rivers and Lakes

    Written by: Shan Deqi
    Posted on: November 25, 2014 | | 中文

    Hongcun Village, China

    Huizhou is full of green hills and clear waters, where the landscape is like an artistic picture. The Huizhou dwellings have adapted to the characters of hills and waters there, giving full play to them. The villages at Huizhou have paid a lot of attention to integrated planning, skillfully selecting locations with geomantic omens and a perfect structure. The buildings at Huizhou are mostly located in the shade, but their faces are towards the sun. Moreover, they are situated at the foot of a hill for using the water sufficiently and matching local conditions—concentrated when on plains and dispersed when off them. The model of these villages is Hongcun, a village of rivers and lakes that is a part of the world's cultural heritage.  

    Hongcun is located at the north of Yixian, with Leigang Hill toward its North and the Yangjian River to its South. This exact position is required for geomantic omens: "to be located in the shade but face to the sun…with hills behind and water in front". The distinguishing feature of Hongcun are its artificial water channels, distributed all over the village.

    Hongcun China: A Village of Rivers and Lakes

    Hongcun originated in the first year of the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1131), but the large scale construction of channels began in the early Ming Dynasty. At that time, the villagers introduced streamlets into the village and dug channels with a length of over 300 meters, which flowed through the yards of every household in the village and finally converged onto a pond like a crescent moon in front of the clan ancestral hall, built at the center of the village. 150 years later, the villagers opened a large pond, the South Lake, with an outward surface of over 100 mu at the south of the village. In the 400 years since then, this perfect structure of channels has been maintained by Hongcun villagers and used by them in their everyday lives.

    The entrance of the channel system is situated at a relatively high level, where the villagers have built a dam with stone and installed a water gate to raise the level of the water. The water gate is the entrance of the channels as well as the starting point of the channel system.

    Hongcun China: A Village of Rivers and Lakes

    The general channels are 60 cm wide and 1 m deep, crossing circuitously through the lanes of the village, extending in all directions from the northwest to the southeast. As a poet from the Ming Dynasty describes, "In every dooryard flows a limpid streamlet". Lastly, all channels rush down into the center of the village, the Moon Pond, which has a straight northern end and a curved southern end, like that of a new moon. Like a blood circulatory system, the channel stimulates the spiritual and material life of the village. On the one hand, the channel system plays the role of washing, protection from fire, drainage and adjustment of temperature and humidity; on the other hand, together with the flagging, gardens and yards, squares and arches over the gateway, it has become a sight with unique features and a public place for villagers to rest and interact. Walking at Hongcun, one sees loquacious waters reflecting white walls and black tiles, green hills and the blue sky. Simple and unsophisticated flaggings connect profound courtyards, pavilions, terraces and open halls. In the South Lake at the southern end of the village, one can see osier willows in spring, lotus flowers in the summer, red leaves in autumn and white snow in the winter. The channels link all the houses together, the water bringing a natural spirit to each house.

    Together, the water gates and channels, the Moon Pond, the South Lake, and the small ponds at every yard compose an integrated water system and form the spirit of the village. The waters and hills, the streets, the lanes and the buildings, as well as the villagers' lives and culture form an integrated organism. What is learned here is that human beings can co-exist harmoniously with nature and utilize it. Nature is not only an object of human use but is also an indispensable part of human life.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021