The central pond
The heart of the village.
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An old village once called Gaolong that took the name of the Zhuge family in the Ming dynasty, as most of its people bear it: they trace their descent to Zhuge Liang, the famous third-century chancellor of the state of Shu, and by one count a quarter of his surviving descendants live here. It became a national heritage site in 1996 and holds relics some seven hundred years old. It is known as the «Bagua Village» because a descendant of Zhuge Liang laid out its houses and lanes in the Southern Song on the pattern of the ancient Chinese «eight trigrams» around a pond at its heart, so its winding lanes feel like a maze to first-time visitors. Visitors wander among houses with white walls and black roofs, carved gateways and broad timber halls, with the houses reflected in still ponds. Tickets start at about CNY 89, and it is open from 7.30 am to 5 pm from April to October and 8 am to 4.30 pm the rest of the year, closed on Lunar New Year's Eve, per visitor guides.
The heart of the village.
Like a maze.
And carved gateways.
Zhuge town, Lanxi, north-west of Jinhua city, Zhejiang
Choices are few in the village, so bring food and look in Jinhua or Yiwu, home to many Arab and Muslim traders, for halal restaurants.