Ancient villages worth visiting in Jinan: PartⅠ

Sandefan Village

Located at the foot of Jinping Mountain, Sandefan village enjoys splendid natural environment and scenery, with the forest coverage rate exceeding 95 percent. The village can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC).

There are numerous historic and cultural relics in the village, including three from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), more than 40 colorful murals painted during the reign of Emperor Xuantong of the Qing Dynasty, 16 ancient tablets, three temples, and two old bridges built in the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming dynasties.

A kind of traditional folk performance – xinzi ("standing on a wick" in Chinese) – is held in the village every Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of lunar year. Xinzi performances, originated in the Ming Dynasty and evolved from shaking a traditional Chinese-style sedan chair, are used to expel evil spirits and pray for good fortune. Xinzi was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in June 2008.

The village, to advocate ethics and good behavior, set up the first rural Confucian classroom in the province.

Location: Wenzu town, Zhangqiu district, Jinan, Shandong province