Taishun Kucun Village | The sun is blazing, the village is dilapidated, but it's cool

It's both an 'echo of the Tang and Song dynasties' and a 'hidden stone village'; who wouldn't want to take a look at Kucun with such slogans? As the most ancient and best-preserved historical village in Taishun, the over 1200-year-old Kucun is brimming with a sense of story. Cobblestones cover the entire village; stone houses, stone walls, stone gates, and stone roads give Kucun an unbreakable sense of solidity. Speaking of the heart of craftsmanship, our ancestors had it in abundance. Take a closer look at these cobblestone constructions, seamlessly joined without any trace of adhesive, each stone as if it naturally belongs in its place. Such masonry skills are not only exquisite but also full of creativity. The wooden structures in the village are mostly plain wood, which has a natural beauty that seems uncarved amidst the forest. The most fascinating aspect is the design of the hanging fish on these buildings, a striking highlight on the simple and natural wooden structures. Tang Dynasty's Bao Quan was the founding ancestor of Kucun. Eighty years after the village was established, the imperial advisor Wu Qi also came to live in seclusion. From then on, the Bao and Wu families became the two major clans of Kucun. For thousands of years, they have passed on the tradition of farming and scholarship, which has led to Kucun, despite being hidden in the mountains, producing many talents. The village history records that during the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song periods, there were 82 jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from Taishun County. There are many attractions in the village, but my favorite is actually the village history museum. It's rare to see such a detailed exhibition in an ancient village, even including some small popular science exhibits on ancient architecture, which shows a lot of sincerity. Today's Kucun, like most ancient villages in Zhejiang, looks dilapidated at first glance, with many ancient buildings becoming almost dangerous. Most of the time, the village is sparsely populated, with only some remaining original residents and sporadically open shops. Especially on the day I visited, it was too hot, and the intense sunlight made everything seem hot and broken. But when you walk in the shadow of the stone walls and stone houses, a sudden coolness hits you. Perhaps these stones, older than the village itself, want every visitor to Kucun to stay for a moment and listen carefully to the stories of Kucun.