Zhuge Octagonal Diagram Village

It is situated in Lanxi city at Jinhua in mid-west of Zhejiang Province, 18 kilometers away from the downtown area. Up till now, about 4000 descendants of Zhuge Liang resided in the village, becoming the largest habitation for his descendants across the country. According to the historical recordation, the village was designed by Zhuge Dashi, 27th descendants of Zhuge Liang, following the design of Octagonal Diagram. This layout was used because Zhuge Liang once applied the theory of Octagonal Diagram to military formation, which was very effective in defeating enemies.

The whole village is centered by the Bell Pond. Eight lanes radiate outward from it, and form inner Octagonal Diagram. Eight hills encircle the village, representing outer Diagram. The bulk of the architecture is in Ming and Qing styles. The well-preserved folk houses and halls come to more than 200. Though the diagram weathered hundreds of years, it has still remained the layout as it used to be. In 1996, it was listed as the key cultural relic site under state protection.

The scenic area is mainly composed of Minister Ancestral Hall, Dagong Hall, Bell Pond, Tianyi Hall and so on. Things that concern geology, ecology, landscape science and aesthetics now has been integrated into this ancient village, which is a good destination for you to explore the secrets of the ancient China and have a sightseeing tour. I believe that you will be shocked by the wisdom of the ancient Chinese people.