THE SCHOLARLY VILLAGE—LINGSHUI Village
3 min readLingshui is a thousand Ayear~old village comprised of ancient residential houses,historical temple sites, and ageeold trees. A long history and profound cultural elementsimbue the village scene with a particularly pristine and elegant atmosphere. Thanks to afavorable geographical environment, numerous historical and cultural sites, and a strongindigenous culture, Lingshui is considered to be one of the most culturally attractive ancientvillages within the suburbs of Beijing.
A Millennium Place
Lingshui, under the jurisdiction of Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, is located inthe mountainous area 78 kilometers west of urban Beijing. About 430 meters above sealevel, it comprises an area of 1,508 hectares, and the buildings within the village occupy a total floor space of 64,000 square meters. Mostlyholding the surname of Liu and Tan, about 700villagers make up some 200 households.
Thcirprimary agricultural products are miscellaneous graincrops and dried fruit, of which the walnuts havegained wide name—brand fame.The terrain of Lingshui Village extends fromnorthwest to southeast in a rectangular configuration.The egress of the village faces east, overlooking Mt.Zhuaji. (According to traditional Chinese culture,fortune is believed to come from the east.) To thewest of the village is Mt. Lotus. Constructed aroundan array of springs, with that water nurturing bothpeople and livestock, the village is viewed as anauspicious place where resources and powercongregate and man and nature blend harmoniously.Lingshui enjoys a reputation as the “Home ofScholars.” During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing(1644-191 1) Dynasties, when imperial examinationsprevailed, many of the villagers were high achievers,securing varying scholarly honors, including 22successful candidates at the provincial level and twocandidates ranking at the highest level of the imperialexamination.
During the Republic of China period(1912-1949), the village produced six talented youngmen who were admitted to Yanjing University, thepredecessor of Peking University. Represented by LiuMaoheng, a Qing-Dynasty district magistrate, and LiuZengguang, a successful candidate in the provincial- level examination, those having both ability and moral integrity won Lingshui the title of“Scholar Village of West Beijing.”Since ancient times, the villagers of Lingshui have exhibited great respect and passionfor education and reading, evolving the village into a model of Chinese countryside culture.According to historical records, the history of the village can be traced back to theHan Dynasty more than 1,000 years ago, when the Lingquan Zen Temple, north of thevillage, was constructed.Legend has it that during the Han period, a prominent monk visited this place andfound it auspicious due to its surrounding mountains. dense forests, fertile soil and abundantsprings. So, he constructed a temple here to impart Buddhist doctrines.
Floods of Buddhistfaithful came, and increasing numbers of people settled in this beautiful place. During theLiao Dynasty (916—1125), the village took shape.During the Ming and Qing, the village truly prospered, with 36 stone rollers and 72water wells. The economy developed, giving birth to the then famous “Eight Great Shops.”The village is also famous for its beautiful natural landscapes and cultural attractions,characterized by the “Eight Sights of Lingshui.” The tortoise—shaped layout testifies to thespecial ingenuity of the earlier designers of the village. (The tortoise is a traditional symbolfor long life.) BlaCk-stone-paved paths and lanes wind through the village, and the mottledwalls of houses, the broken walls of temples, and the leafless branches of old trees bearwitness to the historical changes of Lingshui.
In 2005, Lingshui was inscribed by China’s Ministry of Construction and the StateAdministration of Cultural Heritage to the second list of “Chinese Famous Historical andCultural Villages.”
