Chengkan: A life without obstacles

“After climbing Huangshan, no other mountain is worth seeing; after visiting Chengkan, no other village is worth visiting.” Chengkan is known as the “No. 1 village in Jiangnan.” In August 2022, I went on a self-driving tour of Huangshan, and Chengkan was my second stop. Chengkan Village is the No. 1 village in Jiangnan. The village is shaped like a Bagua, and the entire village is laid out according to the I Ching, in line with the ancient feng shui theory of “backing onto a mountain, surrounded by water, and facing a screen.” The village is a place where wind and energy gather, and yin and yang are in harmony. It has three streets and ninety-nine alleys, like a maze, a magical place that you can enter but not leave. From above, the ancient village looks like a Taiji Bagua, surrounded by streams and green mountains, with mountains as its foundation and water as its soul, blending into nature. Two streams run through the streets and alleys, serving as fire-fighting drainage, flood discharge, and irrigation. They provide convenience for the residents of the ancient village. Walking into Chengkan Village is like walking into a “maze.” As soon as you enter, you’re already lost. As you walk forward, there are more and more intersections, and the roads get narrower and narrower, almost like a sheep’s intestine path. No wonder it’s the most mysterious Bagua village in the world. Chengkan is a group of ancient buildings that blend into the natural landscape, scattered around like an ink painting, breathtakingly beautiful. In this simple ink painting, various styles of pavilions, bridges, wells, ancestral halls, and residences, with their exquisite craftsmanship and beautiful stone carvings, brick carvings, wood carvings, and paintings, fully demonstrate the beauty of ancient Huizhou architecture. Huizhou residences are the best in the world, and Chengkan residences are the best in Huizhou. Visit Chengkan, and you’ll have a life without obstacles and good luck.