| Liukeng Village
Ancient and Unique Folklore
| | Ming-Qing Lane, also known as "A Gleam of Sky", in Liukeng Village. It is lined with Ming Dynasty residences on one side and Qing Dynasty residences on the other. |
Liukeng Village has formed its unique folklore. The Liukeng villagers worship the "He-Yang God." According to a legend, when Dong Dunyu, an ancestor of the Dong clan, went through a period of great hardship, two generals named He and Yang saved his life and helped him complete his mission. To commemorate these two generals, Dong built a temple and set up shrines in their honor for villagers to worship. Then ninth day of the first lunar month has been decreed as the god's birthday. Every year, on He-Yang's birthday, villagers form a parade and carry the statue of the god as a way to pray for happiness for the whole village. Every family burns joss sticks, lights candles, and sets off fireworks to greet He-Yang. The custom has been handed down from generation to generation for several centuries.
In Liukeng, the Dong clan has eight branches, and each branch has its own temples. Starting from the second day of the first lunar month, branches parade around the village. The parades become most elaborate on the 15th day of the first
lunar monthe (Lantern Festival). Villagers perform a mask dance that has been performed for generations. Locals once believed that by performing the mask dances, they could drive away pestilence. Liukeng Village also holds parades to honor deities such as Bodhisattva. During festivals. Villagers carry statues of the dieties' around the village, hoping to bring safety to everyone's homes.
| | an ancient tomb for two deeased of the Ming Dynasty. |
There are a number of household-run shops in the village specializing in weaving, candlestick making, tofu making, and wine making. The village's market street is called Zhaozhaojie. Often, along the street, old nannies huddle around wide, shallow bamboo baskets, playing an ancient Song Dynasty game of copper coins.
Ancient buildings in Liukeng Village have been well preserved. It is hard to imagine how such a remote village could have created such a splendid civilization. Maybe its isolation fostered its cultivation.
Tips for Travelers
To get Liukeng Village, visitors can take a three-hour bus ride from Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province, to Le'an county town. The village is 32 kilometers from the county town. The village is 32 kilometers from the country town. The asphalt road has been recently built and is in good condition. The scenery along the way to the village is beautiful-green mountains and red-earth hills create an eye-appealing contrast. Along the road are rice field and the Wujiang River that is shaded by green trees.
Liukeng Village has no hotel for tourists, but the hostel in the county town is inexpensive and provides shower facilities and decent rooms.
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