With its unique architecture, “The Most Mysterious Village in China” confuses visitors, making it hard to find the way out.
“The Most Mysterious Village in China”
Baguai Jiakat Village, formerly known as Cao Long Village, is located 18 km west of Lantai City, Zhejiang Province, China.
According to historical records, this village is home to the 27th generation descendants of Zhuge Liang. It also served as the largest settlement for Zhuge Liang’s descendants during the mid to late Yuan Dynasty.
Baguai Jiakat Village.
Why is this Jiakat Village considered the first mysterious village in China? Below are the explanations.
Firstly, the vast majority of villagers are descendants of Zhuge Liang, the brilliant military strategist and chancellor during the Three Kingdoms period. In other words, most residents of the village either bear the Zhuge surname or are married to members of the Zhuge family. There are very few people who are not part of the Zhuge clan.
The first mysterious village in China.
According to statistics from the 7th Zhuge Liang Conference, there are approximately 16,000 descendants of Zhuge Liang in China, with a quarter (around 4,000 people) residing in Jiakat Village.
Aerial view of Baguai Jiakat Village.
Secondly, this village is also unique in its intricate and mysterious layout.
From above, the arrangement of houses and the winding alleys in the village perfectly match the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) diagram attributed to Zhuge Liang in history.
Paths in Baguai Jiakat Village.
The terrain of Jiakat Village is arranged with a low and flat center, surrounded by gradually rising land. Water flows from above and gathers in the central area, forming a pond known as Chung Chi Pond.
This pond is a unique feature of Jiakat Village and serves as the starting point for the Bagua formation. It is not large, but contains water and is surrounded by land, resembling the Taiji symbol of the Bagua diagram. Indeed, it is remarkable.
The central pond of Baguai Jiakat Village.
Taking the pond as a center, eight alleys extend in all directions, leading directly to eight mounds of earth outside the village.
The village also features many narrow alleys that connect horizontally, housing thousands of families and many ancient homes scattered throughout the pathways.
The alleys near the central pond start relatively straight before gradually bending and expanding outward. Additionally, there are many alleys connected vertically and horizontally, resembling a maze.
For hundreds of years, no one dared enter this village.
Visitors entering the alleys often find it very difficult to navigate and may even get lost. Furthermore, the tall walls obstruct visibility, making it impossible for outsiders to determine directions. The further they go, the easier it becomes to lose their way, unable to identify exits or dead ends.
Apart from serving as a means to deter thieves, the design of Jiakat village also prevents flooding. There is an underground drainage system situated in an inconspicuous area at the foot of the mountain. The underground drainage, made of limestone, has formed an underground river over many years. Thus, for the past 600 years, despite frequent heavy storms, Jiakat Village has remained dry.
Interestingly, the descendants of Zhuge Liang living here for hundreds of years were unaware of the miraculous nature of this layout until relevant records were discovered in an ancient book, at which point everyone became enlightened.
The design of Jiakat village helps prevent flooding.
A Fascinating Tourist Destination in the Land of Billion People
Jiakat Village is the largest gathering place for Zhuge Liang’s descendants, with most households in the village sharing the Zhuge surname. The entire village is a vast living cultural heritage, a model of complete preservation of ancient Chinese architecture. When visiting this mysterious village, you can easily find houses that are over a hundred years old.
The landscape of the village is diverse and beautiful, featuring rows of ancient houses and a traditional marketplace built around the pond. There are over 200 ancient houses and structures well-preserved from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including 18 large and small halls, four temples, and three stone arches.
Additionally, similar to the village’s basin layout, the people of Jiakat primarily utilize the siheyuan (courtyard house) building style, meaning four sides of the house are enclosed, leaving a large courtyard in the center. The front of the house is usually higher than the other sides, allowing rainwater to collect in the courtyard. The villagers refer to this as “pì shuǐ bù wài liú” (pure and prosperous water does not flow out), which brings good fortune and prosperity to families.
The entire village is a vast living cultural heritage.
Before passing away, Zhuge Liang left a legacy not to change the village’s status. Therefore, many houses here still retain the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Notably, after 600 years of history, Jiakat Village still has a temple dedicated to Zhuge Liang, attracting visitors.
Life in the ancient Baguai Jiakat Village is incredibly peaceful, with fresh air and lush scenery. This is the ideal space for tourists to relax after stressful working days. Many foreign tourists have come here to admire the natural beauty and experience the unique structure of the village.
