Learn something about Chengkan

Chengkan (famous destination for affordable China travel packages) was originally laid out by a local fengshui master, who designed the village in accordance with the theory of the bagua or ‘eight trigrams’ described in the Yi Jing or Book of Changes, one of the oldest known Chinese classical texts. The eight mountains surrounding the village correspond to the eight directions on the circular ‘Trigram Chart’, and the s-shape Longxi River passing through the village was seen to represent the boundary between the well-known black and white Yin and Yang fish symbol in the center of the chart. Therefore the fengshui practitioner decided that the village should laid out in accordance to this chart in order to bring health and prosperity to all who lived there. Nothing was left to chance; even the village’s town temples were placed on the eyes of the fish for added symbolism.

The village layout has stayed roughly the same throughout 1800 years history, integrating different architectural styles from different time periods into its original design. However, following the award of the UNESCO World Heritage Status to several other villages in the region in 2000, Chengkan has underdone a fair amount of refurbishment in preparation for the arrival of tourists.

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