Xucun Village, called Renxi in the past, has got a long history of over 1000 years. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Xuru, an official who intended to keep away from wars and have a peaceful life, made his settlement here and thus became the ancestor of the Xu Family. Famous scholars of Xuguo, who erected the Eight-Posted Arch in the downtown of Shexian, and Xuchenyao are all descendents of the Xu Family. Emperor Rezong of the Song Dynasty granted Xu Kefu the honorary title of " Gand Family of Generations" for his big sum of donations to the dynasty. Wang Anshi, a renowned sholar of the Song Dynasty, wrote a preface for Xu's Family Genealogy.
Throughout the history, as many as 48 candidates of the Xu Family passed the highest imperial exmination in fedual China, showing the eminent social status and distinction of the Xu Family in the past.
From the South Song dynasty (1241 A.C.), local Hui merchants began to accumulate wealth by doing business of various kinds in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and south China. Enjoyed an advantegeous location between Anqin (an economic center in North Anhui) and Huizhou, business people from Xucun village became rich quickly, which contributed greatly to the elaborate and sophisticated architectural buildings within the village. The Ming and Qing dynasties wintnessed the peak of economic development of Xucun village in this area. The brilliant history has left with Xucun abaundant precious assests, among which are ancient houses and buildings with its own characteristics.
The whole village of Xucun is in good preservation and, thus, reflects truely the historical layouts of its past. Just along the 1,500-meter-long old street between Gaoyang and Qianxi, nearly 200 old houses are still standing there complete and intact. Those old houses and buildings are surely of high value in terms of architecture, history, envioronmental study and anthropology.
Traditional houses in Xucun are in wooden strcture inside and brickworks outside while the public arches and bridges are mainly made of stone. There are 6 stone arches, 1 veranda bridge, 1 four-storey parvilion, 3 brick arches, besides ancestral temples and residential houses. Those old buildings are a true reflection of the soical and ecomonic development meanwhile via their functions, plane layouts, customs and aesthetics.
In 1996, Xucun was accepted as a cultural protection district on the provincial level. In 2006, it became a key cultural protection unit on the state level by the State Council of PRC.
Scenic Spots in Xucun Village
Arches: Weixing Arch, Shuangshou Cheng'en Arch, Sanchao Dianhan Arch, Wu Ma Arch, Shuangjie Arch, Bingqing Yujie Arch, Dajun Bodi Arch
Pavilions & Bridges: Shengping Bridge, Gaoyang Bridge, Grand View Pavilion, Qingshan Bridge
Ancestral Temples: Yunxi Hall, Damu Temple, Da Bangbo Temple, Guancha Di Temple
