Xinguang Ancient Village | A rural ancient manor built by a wealthy family from the Pujiang region

The ancient architectural complex of Xinguang Village, also known as Lingyan Ancient Manor, is located beside Provincial Road 210. Coming from Tonglu, one can pass through Lüci, Maoping Village, Shishe Village, Xishan Bridge, Maling and other scenic spots. Initially thought to be just a stop along the way, the actual visit reveals that the scale and preservation of the buildings are surprisingly impressive. The manor's architecture includes Qiming Residence, Yi Valley Hall, Runde Hall, Dunmu Hall, Lingyan Academy, servant quarters, grinding rooms, study rooms, practice rooms, etiquette rooms, treasury rooms, horse stables, Mingzhe Garden, Guifang Pavilion, and nearly 20 other existing traditional ancient buildings, forming a complex with a total area of about 15,000 square meters. Its overall architectural scale is grand, with clear functions and orderly layout. Xinguang Village has thus been listed as one of the first batch of traditional villages in the country, reflecting the important value of its architecture. Lingyan Ancient Manor was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1738 AD) by Zhu Kebin, a wealthy man from Pujiang. Zhu Kebin, also known as Lingyan, was born in 1697. He started his business in Hangzhou and other places in 1735, dealing in timber, tea, and indigo dyes. After more than twenty years of prosperity, he became extremely wealthy, known as 'Zhu Millionaire', owning thirty-six manors, seventy-two ports, and the mountain forests from Maling to Lüci. After making his fortune, Zhu Kebin built the 'Lingyan Ancient Manor' next to his hometown Qianxi Creek, and also contributed to bridge construction, road paving, funding education, rewarding the excellent and aiding the poor, and disaster relief. From Zhu Kebin's life story, one can glimpse the significant influence of the gentry class on rural construction in the past. Yi Valley Hall is the central building of the manor, but the largest single building is the adjacent Runde Hall, also colloquially known as 'Twenty-nine Rooms'. As the name suggests, the building consists of 29 rooms. 'Twenty-nine Rooms' has now been developed into a cultural and creative market space. Although the products sold there seem mostly simple, it is quite interesting to see an old house in the countryside developed into an ancient street business. In summary, as one of the stops on the trip to Pujiang, Lingyan Ancient Manor (navigate to Xinguang Ancient Village) is well worth a visit. There is no admission fee, but it is slightly regrettable that some buildings are not open for visitors.