In the depths of Fuxi Mountain in Xinmi, there is a small mountain village called Tianzhongwan. Everyone in the village is surnamed Wang. According to the villagers, everyone in the village is a descendant of the landlord Wang Xing. There are several stone houses in the village, which were built in the early Qing Dynasty. They are all the houses of the landlord Wang family, and the largest is the mansion of the big landlord Wang Wu.
This is a two-story stone house, with stones inside and outside, all of which were collected from the mountains. The villagers said that the owner of the house ranked fifth, called bachelor, the largest landlord in Tianzhongwan in Qing Dynasty, and his house was also the best building in the village.
I stared at this two-story building, with its dilapidated stone and gray appearance, and it was difficult to associate it with the "mansion". If you think about it carefully, Xinmi belongs to the mountainous area, and the stone house is a local tradition, but the landlord bachelor has brought this tradition to the extreme.
In front of the house is a kitchen, an ancient cooking place, and on the left is a pigsty. Feeding seven or eight pigs on a large scale is not a problem. The front row of caves is the main room, and the villagers say that every layout in the room is exquisite.
Bandits in ancient mountainous areas were serious, and bandits often harassed villagers who went down the mountain. Stone houses were the strongest fortress. The window on the second floor is like an old leaky window, which is very small, and it is also to prevent the invasion of bandits.
There are many shrines on the wall. In ancient times, there were no electric lights, and landlords lit candles no matter how rich they were. These temples are places where candles are lit. Buddha statues will be placed during the day to protect the safety of family members.
There are three small stone pillars beside the Buddhist shrine, which are used to tie horses in ancient times. Only in this way can we see the level of the house. You know, in ancient times, all rich people rode horses. The landlord had three stones for tying horses, and the height was constantly improving, which meant that they were promoted step by step.
There are several small holes in the bottom of the wall. The villagers asked us what this was for, but we couldn't answer at the moment. He said with a smile, this is a chicken nest. In ancient times, even landlords had to raise chickens. In order to facilitate nursing, some holes were dug on the lower side of the wall. Chickens run outside during the day and sleep in their nests at night, which also prevents them from being stolen.
Due to the age, the interior decoration of the room has completely disappeared, leaving only the architectural structure. The upper and lower compartments are made of wood with thick wrists, and each room is connected by doorways. This is a real stone house. Even the stairs are made of stone. The narrow steps have been trampled for hundreds of years. The stairs lead to the ladies' room, which is also called the boudoir. Other rooms are used to store food to prevent mice from stealing food.
The villagers said that although the house is simple, it is warm in winter and cool in summer, and it is very comfortable to live in, and there are many mysteries and hidden organs.
There is a secret passage next to the stairs, and only one person is allowed to pass through. This is the escape route set by the owner. As mentioned above, there were many bandits in ancient times. As soon as the bandits arrived, the landlord's family escaped. The underpass leads directly to the back hill, and they can escape when they come out.
Do you think there is only one secret passage? Too look down upon the landlord! In front of the landlord's bedroom, there is a small secret passage that people who feel fatter can't get in. This is for the landlord. You can escape directly from the bed to prevent bandits from raiding at night.
The villagers said that this is not all. There is a thick wall in the room, which is easy to be overlooked, but this is a "secret room" carefully set up by the landlord, which can hide more than a dozen people. Only later, for security reasons, the secret room was sealed and could not be visited.
It seems that landlords and bachelors are really rich, otherwise they would not deliberately set up so many escape routes. If they are ordinary people, even bandits will not care.
During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Tanaka Bay Village was the front line of the Anti-Japanese War in western Henan, and the mansion of the landlord Wang Wu was changed into the operational command center, which is one of the reasons why it can be preserved to this day. If you have the chance to go to Fuxi Mountain, you can see what this mansion looked like 300 years ago.
Address: Zhongyuan Yuxi Anti-Japanese Memorial Park, Tianzhongwan Village, Fuxi Mountain, xinmi city, Zhengzhou
Transportation: Just take a bus to navigate Tanaka Bay Village in Xinmi.