THE LINGNAN LOCAL FLAVOUR

THE LINGNAN LOCAL FLAVOUR

Combined with the deep-rooted clan culture, Lion dancing and fl ora boards, and the tradition of respecting both culture and ritual, classic Lingnan architecture such as Wall Sculpture, Oyster Wall, the Overhang, and the watchtower, existed in big and small towns in the Lingnan area. All those traditions became part of a unique cultural atmosphere here, and a living fossil of the Lingnan local fl avour.

Text by Lan Xiaojian Translations by Tao Wenjia&Yishan Photos by CFP

A town is an organic whole of its economics, culture, life and customs. Old towns in Lingnan both share common characters of all Chinese old towns, and have their own particular Lingnan fl avour.

As early as the Tang dynasty, small towns were established in Guangdong. Some have been lost to history, but others still exist today. Rongqi, Guizhou, and Sanshui Qingqi in Shunde all have a history of more than 1300 years. In the Song Dynasty, offi cially there were 15 towns in Guangdong.

Ancient architecture, historical streets and a unique space and environment, especially the traditions that make those towns distant from modern culture, formed the outstanding Lingnan folk culture. The Wok Yee Uk housing is the most typical house in Guangdong. Scholars in Guangdong studied such housing and concluded that buildings in this shape not only are fi re-resistance and has great ventilation so they are appropriate for the Lingnan weather, which is humid and hot. In the folk culture, such housing also has a specially meaning of richness and prosperity. Towns are not only places to live together, but also platforms to pass on their culture. A good way to tell if a village has profound history is to see the number and quality of its ancestral halls. The Lingnan people treat their ancestor seriously, so they devote much to their ancestral halls. Ceremonies are held in these halls for big festivals. Sharing a meal and even pork together is also a signifi cant custom for strengthening bonds among people in the same clan.The Lingnan ancestral halls are very serious about Fengshui and structure. You should fi rst fi nd a place that can gather “Qi”, and choose a location that is facing the water and have a hill behind it. The structure of the building needs to be symmetrical. The halls should be magnifi cent, and gardens elegant. The best representative is the Chen ancestral hall.

In addition, we can also witness a blend of foreign cultural elements in such ancient towns. It is very rare in other ancient towns in China. For instance, the Wu ancestral Hall of the Xinhua Village, Zhaoqing has patterns of western architecture on its main ridge. The Shi ancestral hall in Pingfeng used reinforced cements. Its appearance has a baroque style. The Kaiping watchtower and the town of Chikan were mostly built by overseas Chinese people. So they bear western styles and ideas.

It is clear that as physical evidence of the communication between the Chinese culture and the West, towns in Lingnan have long since been infl uenced by foreign cultures.

岭南乡土

墙雕、蚝墙、骑楼、碉楼，经典的岭南建筑，连同浓厚的乡村氏族文化、舞狮飘色民俗，尊文重礼传统，留存于岭南大大小小的古老乡镇之中，成为岭南乡土文化的﹃活化石﹄。

乡镇，是一方经济、文化、生活、习俗的有机整体。岭南古乡镇既有中国古乡镇的共性，又有岭南文化的鲜明特质。

早在唐代，广东便出现一批小城镇，例如，顺德的容奇、桂洲，三水青岐镇等，都有1300多年的历史。到了宋代，广东境内建制镇便有15个。

这些古建民居、历史街道以及空间环境，尤其是与现代文明隔离所保留的传统特色，共同构成了岭南乡土文化的独特个性。比如广府典型代表的镬耳屋不但防火和通风性能良好，适合常年高温湿热的岭南，而且蕴含富贵吉祥、丰衣足食的意义。

向来重视氏族文化、祖先传统的岭南人，特别重视祠堂的修建，一些大的节日都会在祠堂举行庆典，吃围餐、分猪肉等也是为维系氏族团结稳定而形成的习俗。岭南的宗祠建筑非常讲究风水和格局，择宅宜在聚“气”之地，选址需要“坐山面水”。布局需纵横规整，严谨对称，厅堂宏伟，庭院优雅。其中的代表有陈家祠等。

岭南古乡镇文化交融的景观十分明显，这在中国其他地方并不常见。比如肇庆封开的杏花伍氏大屋，其正脊上有西洋建筑模型图案，江门的开平碉楼、赤坎古镇多是华侨返乡修建，带着鲜明的西方别墅风格和建筑理念，颇具艺术价值。

可见，作为中西文化交汇的物证，岭南的乡镇很早就受到外来文化的影响。……