Planning, Protection and Construction of Ancient Villages in Jiangxi under the Background of New Urbanization: Taking the Water Management System of Mingkou Village in Leping City, Jiangxi Province as an Example

College of City Construction, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China

Abstract Urbanization is an inevitable trend of economic development. It is an important indicator that reflects the industrialization and modernization of a country. In the long-term urbanization process in China, due to the excessive emphasis on the status of the city and one-sided emphasis on urban development, a serious of urban diseases such as population congestion and environmental damage have been caused. Meanwhile, neglected rural areas have exposed social problems such as aging and hollowing out, making the urban-rural dual structure more prominent. Currently, China’s economic and social development has reached a new stage, and the realization of urban-rural integration is a major measure to comprehensively develop the national economy and social undertakings. Vigorously developing the rural areas and revitalizing the countryside has become a national policy. Traditional ancient villages are treasures in the vast rural areas. They should be more protected and developed to eliminate the urban-rural gap, thereby passing down and carrying forward the essence of traditional culture and enhancing China’s national confidence and cultural confidence. Focusing on the protection and planning of ancient villages, combined with the current policy background of new urbanization, based on field research on Mingkou Village, Leping City, Jiangxi Province, protective development strategies are put forward for ancient villages and their water management from the perspective of water management in ancient villages to arouse people’s attention to the protection of ancient villages.

Key words New urbanization, Ancient village, Mingkou Village, Water management system, Planning and protection

1 Introduction

Urbanization is a natural historical process accompanied by the development of industrialization, the accumulation of non-agricultural industries in cities and towns, and the concentration of rural populations into cities and towns. It is an objective trend in the development of human society, and is an important symbol of national modernization[1]. As of March 2018, China’s urbanization rate had reached 58.5%[2]. In the early stages of industrialization, China had implemented the traditional urbanization path. The drawback of the traditional urbanization path is the excessive pursuit of urban expansion and neglect of human development, resulting in waste and uneven distribution of resources, and further leading to gap between the rich and the poor and the formulation of urban-rural dual structure[3]. Due to economic differences between regions, a large number of agricultural populations have gradually moved away from the low-productivity rural areas and into the developed areas. Excessive labor outflow has not only brought great challenges to city’s transportation, public security, housing,etc., but also led to aging of populations remained in villages. Some of the villages have been even hollowed. Different from the previous urbanization concept, new urbanization concept takes "urban-rural coordination, urban-rural integration, production-rural interaction, economic and intensive, ecological and livable and harmonious development" as the basic characteristics, emphasizing the inherent quality of urbanization construction[4]. New urbanization needs to break the previous urban-rural dualism. It actively and comprehensive changes the weak position of rural areas in the past and develops the economy to make farmers rich, rather than continuing the old way of sacrificing the countryside to develop the city. In March 2014, Xinhua News Agency issued theNationalNewUrbanizationPlan(2014-2020), which emphasizes industrial support for agriculture and urban support for rural areas. In December 2013, the Central Urbanization Work Conference was held. General Secretary Xi Jinping asked that the new type of urbanization should let the residents see the mountains, see the water, and remember the homesickness. Traditional villages are important material carriers of "homesickness", and protecting and developing traditional villages is a necessary prerequisite for the inheritance of homesickness. However, in the wave of modernization, the living conditions of traditional villages are worrying. Many of them are gradually being destroyed by eroded, and even eventually disappeared. It is imperative to study the protection and construction of ancient villages. But each ancient village is a complete settlement, with its complexity and its own characteristics, so its protection should also be multi-dimensional and targeted. This article focuses on the water management in ancient villages and explores the protection, planning and construction of ancient villages under the background of urbanization.

2 Related concept and related policies of ancient villages

2.1 Definition of traditional villagesVillage is the abbreviation of rural settlements. It is a spatial unit composed of agricultural people who live, colonize, and reproduce in a fixed area with a clear edge[5]. The village is a historical thing. As history evolves, some villages have developed into cities, some villages have gradually disappeared, and some villages have survived. The remained villages retain the original architectural traditions, historical context and the composition of the environmental space, called as "traditional villages" or "old villages"[6]. As a "museum" and "living fossil" of China’s rural history, culture and natural heritage, traditional villages are not only the regional carrier of local culture, and they have also been accumulated with rich history and traditional culture. This is a concrete embodiment of the cultural diversity of the Chinese nation.

2.2 Status of traditional villagesAccording to relevant statistics, as time goes by, there are as many as 300 natural villages that disappeared every day, including a large number of ancient villages[7]. In recent years, China has paid more attention to the protection of traditional villages. Relevant policies and documents have been issued one after another. On April 25, 2014, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued theGuidingOpinionsonEffectivelyStrengtheningtheProtectionofTraditionalChineseVillages[8]. On December 12 of the same year, Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, presided over the biweekly forum of the CPPCC. The theme is the protection of traditional villages in the process of urbanization. In December 2016, in order to better implement the central decision-making, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced the fourth batch of Chinese traditional villages. A total of 1 598 villages have been added to the list of traditional Chinese villages. So far, 4 153 villages have been selected in China[9]. Among them, there are 175 national-level traditional villages in Jiangxi Province, accounting for 4.21% of the traditional villages in China[10]. Mingkou Village, researched in this article, was selected in the second batch of Chinese traditional villages in 2013, suggesting that it has important cultural value and protection significance.

2.3 Limitations of current domestic research on traditional village protectionDeep historical accumulation has made traditional villages rich in natural landscapes and cultural heritage that other types of villages cannot match. They are worth research and protection. According to relevant literature, the protection of traditional villages by domestic scholars in the context of new urbanization began in 2012. Shu Qiwenetal. have published relevant papers on strengthening the protection of ancient villages, and the importance of the protection of ancient buildings, landscapes and folk culture in ancient villages was reviewed. In 2014, Ye Dingmin and Wen Jingang analyzed the components of the environmental landscape of Furong Ancient Village of Nanxi River and discussed the overall protection strategy of "nature-ancient village-people". In 2017, Tang Hongya put forward the cultural heritage centered on "people" taking the protection and renovation of Huizhou ancient villages as an example. Compared to the study of the style, landscape and cultural protection of ancient villages, there is less information on the water system inside and outside the ancient villages. This article mainly explores the wisdom of water management in Mingkou Village, Jiangxi Province in order to provide a theoretical and practical reference for the protection of traditional villages in the context of new urbanization.

3 Water management system of Mingkou Village

3.1 Overview of the villageMingkou Village is located in Mingkou Town, Leping City, Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province. It is in the town area of Mingkou Town, 44 km away from Leping City, with a jurisdiction area of 28.2 km2. Mingkou Village was named after its location at the entrance of Ming Creek into Le’an River. Since Xu Zhirou moved from She County, Anhui Province in the Tianyou years of Tang Dynasty, Mingkou Village has had a history of more than 1 100 years. There are many surnames in the village. Among them, "Xu surname" is the mahor surname of Mingkou Village.

3.2 Water management system of the village

3.2.1External landscape environment and overall layout of the village. Mingkou Village is located in the hilly area. The terrain in the village is high in the east and low in the west, relatively flat in the north and south, and the whole village is 1 250 m long from east to west and 750 m wide from north to south. Mingkou Village has a subtropical monsoon climate with abundant rainfall, so the water system is more developed. The external environment of the village is "three sides surrounded by mountains and one facing the water". The northern mountains are continuous, the southern low hills are undulating, and the western hills are winding. The village has Guanzhuang River in the east and Changle River in the southeast, which merges into the Le’an River in the south of the village and then go to the west, conforming to the feng shui layout of "negative yin-yang hold, fronting water and with hills on the back". Le’an River is one of the main waterways for old Huizhou entering into Raozhou and Poyang Lake (Fig.1).

3.2.2Village, street, alley and pier environment. With the unique geographical advantages and developed waterway transportation, Mingkou becomes the first town of Le’an Rier to enter Leping. The village’s ancestors built 12 trade piers on the north bank of Le’an River to meet the needs of the former commercial town. At the end of each pier, 12 north-south main roads from the village to the piers are built. The buildings in the village are arranged along the sides of the roads, forming a unique spatial layout like a comb (Fig.2). In order to pray for safeness and good weather for crops, a land temple is built in front of each of the 12 piers. Today, the remained land temples are still full of incense, fully reflecting the local customs and folk culture (Fig.2).

3.2.3Water management system inside the village. In addition to rationally selecting an external environment that is consisted with traditional feng shui for the village base, the ancestors of Mingkou Village are also full of ecological wisdom for the internal water management system of the ancient village. The ancestor of the fourth generation, Xu Ting is proficient in geography and feng shui. In order to form an advantage in the feng shui level relative to the upstream Dai Village and the downsream Liufang Village, he took the "synergy" spell and gradually planned the village into a boat shape to resolve people and things that were unfavorable to them. Shang Village in the east is the bow of the boat, and its terrain is slightly higher than the stern of Xia Village in the west. There is an artificial water well at the end of the village, as the blink of the boat. On the axis from the bow to the stern, there are thirteen ponds in series, just like the cabins (there are currently nine reservoirs). The thirteen ponds are connected and distributed in a stripe shape. The layout and road planning of the entire village is conducted around the thirteen ponds (Fig.3). The water source of the ponds is rainwater, and the rainfall in Mingkou is abundant, ensuring that the pond will not dry up for many years. On rainy days, the rainwater is poured into the 13 ponds in the village and finally flows into the largest Tianchi in front of the Xu’s Ancestral Hall, and the overflowing water is discharged to the fields in the western part of the village and the Le’an River through the artificial ditches. This practice follows the feng shui theory of the ancients "water flowing eastward and houses facing south to gather wealth and happiness". In addition to the beautiful feng shui meaning, the ponds are the source of irrigation and fire protection. At the same time, they also provide waterfront space for the villagers to relax and maintain their emotions.

Note: a. Aerial view of Mingkou Village (self-photographed by the authors); b. Base of Mingkou Village (drawn by Xu’s twenty-fifth generation); c. Base of Mingkou Village (drawn by Xu’s twenty-seventh generation).

Fig.1 Basic situations of Mingkou Village

Note: a. Schematic diagram of streets, lanes and piers in Mingkou Village (self-photographed by the authors); b. Trail to pier (self-photographed by the authors); c. Pier in Mingkou Village (self-photographed by the authors); d. Land temple at a pier in Mingkou Village (self-photographed by the authors).

Fig.2 Streets, lanes and piers in Mingkou Village

Fig.3 Major ponds in Mingkou Village

3.2.4Internal and external drainage systems of ancient buildings in the village. With the unique advantages in waterway transportation and trade piers in Mingkou Village, the ancestors had become rich in trade, so they had made great efforts to build largely, leaving a large number of ancient buildings in the Ming and Qing dynasties for future generation. There are more than 60 ancestral halls and four-bedroom and eight-part public houses. In particular, Xu’s Ancestral Hall (i.e. Gaoyang Temple) and Shanyi Ancestral Hall have been listed as municipal cultural relics protection units (Fig.4). The drainage system of these ancient buildings is also very distinctive, mainly embodies in the internal drainage system of the patios. The ancestral halls and ancient dwellings in the village are mostly combined centered on patios, forming one or multi-entrance square courtyards. The surrounding roof above the patios is inclined to the interior of the building. Around the ground below the patios, open ditches of the type of "returning the water of the four sides into the courtyard" are dug. Rainwater collects into the patios through the inwardly-facing roof, meaning "the fertilizer does not flow outside the field" (Fig.4b, Fig.4c). Rainwater inside the building’s patios is then drained through the open ditches or blind ditches to the exterior of the buildings and finally flows into the ponds in the village. The three layers of water in Yongle River, ponds and patios connect to each other, forming a complete water system in the ancient village and forming a stable, safe and ecological water environment for the long-term success of the ancient village. Thus, Mingkou Village has become a famous ancient village (Fig.4d).

Note: a. Xu’s Ancestral Hall (Gaoyang Temple) in Mingkou Village; b. Patio of Gaoyang Temple in Mingkou Village; c. Patio of a dwelling in Mingkou Village; d. Schematic diagram of the water system inside and outside Mingkou Village.

Fig.4 Internal and external drainage system of ancient buildings in the village

4 Implications

Through the above research and analysis of the water system in Mingkou Village, it can be clearly seen that the planning and utilization of water in Mingkou Village is full of ancestral wisdom. It embodies the ancient simple ecological water management thought, and has certain reference significance for the future protection planning and development of ancient villages, and even current urban water and waterscape planning.

4.1 In the protection and construction of ancient villages, attention should be paid to adapting to local conditions, respecting nature and highlighting characteristicsEach traditional ancient village is a special complete settlement with its own characteristics. The protection of ancient villages should first be carefully investigated and rigorously analyzed to explore the characteristics of its resources, environment, culture,etc. and inherit and carry forward the essence of traditional culture contained in its characteristics. The ancestors once warned us natural existence is the foundation, and future utilization needs to be adapted to local conditions. The location and layout of Mingkou Village has also paid attention to ecology. It is surrounded by mountains at three sides and fronted by water at the remaining one. The village conforms to nature, adapts to local conditions, builds on the mountain and lives in the waterfront. The superior natural geographical external conditions provide a solid material foundation for continuation of the village for centuries.

4.2 In the protection and construction of ancient villages, attention should be paid to creating a livable living environmentThe protection of traditional ancient villages is not only the protection of ancient buildings, ancient lanes, ancient wells, ancient ponds,etc. on the material level, but to protect the villagers living here. Improving people’s living environment is the core of protection. Creating a beautiful living environment and displaying the role of the environment is not only inseparable from the material foundation. Moreover, we must carefully use material elements to create a pleasant space environment. The shaping of the beautiful waterfront space is an effective way and means to create a pleasant environment. Since ancient times, people have had deep feelings about water. Confucius said: "smart people love water, humane people love mountains; smart people love activities, humane people are quiet, and smart people are happy, humane people have longevity". On the banks of the Le’an River, at the piers, and on the shores of the ponds, old people playing chess, children playing, and women’s laundry are everyday scenes, and the waterfront space has become an indispensable place for the daily life of the villagers. Simultaneously, heat is removed by water evaporation, creating a cooler environment for the villagers. Moreover, water can adsorb some of the dust in the air and purify it, thereby providing fresh and healthy air. This shows that the existence of water is beneficial to the improvement of people’s living environment from both spiritual and material levels.

4.3 In the protection and construction of ancient villages, attention should be paid to the combination of man and natureWith the advancement of science, people’s ability to transform nature has been greatly enhanced. It is manifested in the overconfidence of the transformation behavior and the contempt for the natural original ecosystem. The powerful transformation capability does provide the human body with the material basis for survival, and has spawned many super cities. However, under the glory and the splendid scenery, the cities also expose many problems, such as waterlogging. The sea watching mode of cities on rainy days is generally caused by two factors. First of all, there are problems with the drainage system of urban municipal facilities, possible in the aspects of capacity, maintenance, management,etc. Secondly, urban design relies much on artificial systems, ignoring the role of natural water bodies. Even in the process of urban development and expansion, natural water bodies have been landfilled, making cities lose their self-regulating function. Once the artificial system is paralyzed, the urban waterlogging will inevitably appear. Therefore, in the protection and construction of ancient villages, we must pay attention to natural ecosystems. The artificial system needs to be combined with nature, and they need back up each other to better serve people’ production and life. Just like the three-layer water body of Mingkou Village, nature and manpower work together and stably for hundreds of years, playing an active role in flood control and fire prevention in the village.

5 Conclusions

Undoubtedly, urbanization is the only way for modern development and social civilization. But urbanization cannot be equated with de-villagization. The city is a concept relative to the countryside, and the two are relatively existential. If in the process of urbanization, the countryside is eliminated, urbanization will also lose its value. As a manifestation of the cultural diversity of the Chinese nation, traditional villages must be protected. Promoting urbanization must not be at the expense of dissolving rural civilization and sacrificing cultural heritage. It is not enough to just protect the ancient villages. Instead, it is even more important to inherit and develop the traditional ancient villages in China. The development of traditional villages should follow the principle of equal emphasis on development and protection. They should not be overexploited or let defeated. The characteristics of each village should be fully explored to draw on the traditional essence. We must formulate a comprehensive plan for the protection and development of each traditional village, and adopt protective development measures in a gradual and orderly manner to restore the prosperity and glory of the ancient village, integrating tradition and modernity to achieve real rural revitalization and show the beauty of countryside in the new era.