Luxiang ancient village, located on Dongshan Mountain by the bank of Taihu Lake in Suzhou, is known as the most ancient village of Taihu Lake. The village is the best of its kind in preserving the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, boasting tall archways, folk houses, and mansions amid a large orange garden.
The history of Luxiang dates back to the reign of Emperor Zhao Gou (1127-1162) of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). According to historical records, during the runaway of Zhao Gou, Generals Wang, Ye, Jiang, and Zhang settled their families here after witnessing the beauty of the Dongshan Mountain standing among Taihu Lake. Amidst the serene atmosphere, they established a village with six alleys. Notably, “six” is pronounced similarly to “Lu” in the Suzhou dialect, and thus the village earned its name – Luxiang.
Among the six alleys, Jiang Family alley is the most legendary. As its name suggests, most of the residents in this alley are surnamed Jiang. It’s said that the ancestor of Jiang family is the competent general of Yue Fei, a famous national hero in the history of China. When Yue Fei was murdered, the army of Yue family was dismissed and the general went back to his hometown living by planting fruits and trading. Once successful, the general built a Yufei Hall to commemorate the great hero Yue Fei.
The village is also the hometown of Wang Ao (1450-1524), a prime minister during Ming Dynasty. With many officers and merchants born in the Wang family, hundreds of mansions and halls were built and still remained today.
In recent years, the village’s undamaged scenery and historic interests are drawing more and more tourists, students and historians.