On September 8, in Zhuge Village, Lanxi City, workers were repairing three ancient buildings constructed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This construction team is composed of local civil artisans in Zhuge Village, who are now responsible for repairing the ancient village buildings.

Zhuge Village is the largest settlement of Zhuge Liang’s1 descendants, with a history of more than 600 years. It has preserved a large number of ancient houses from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Experts and scholars call it “a model of the traditional ancient village south of the Yangtze River”, and it was honored as a national key site of cultural protection and famous historical and cultural village in Lanxi City.

In 2001, Zhuge Village launched a large-scale renovation project and invested more than 10 million RMB to restore the ancient street Shangtang, demolish all newly-established houses, repair ancient buildings, and restore the pond. Through the restoration, the ancient street has been completely renewed, and guesthouses and shops have been introduced, which attract many tourists and bring revenue to the village. In 2020, the per capita disposable income of villagers in Zhuge Village reached 46610 RMB, and the collective economic income of the village reached 25 million RMB, effectively showing the prosperity this project has brought to Zhuge Village. (By Yu Meina, translated by Wei Han, edited by Mariam Ayad)