Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

CHINA’s cultural vitality is best appreciated when visiting the provinces like the ancient Lu-family mansion (Chinese - Lu Zhai) at No. 2, Luzhai Street, in Dongyang, a county-level city in Jinhua, East China’s Zhejiang Province.

In the historical Lu-family mansion, a huge red chandelier-like pearl lamp lantern is lit up on such an auspicious occasion like the Lunar New Year.  

The mansion, currently houses 330 families living outside the historical complex and was designated a national-level cultural relic in 1988 as the government is committed to conserving it.

The Pearl Lamp

China has the longest continuous history with its own writing scripts based on its strong united family institution units that made up the Chinese nation when others like the Indus, Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Persian, Inca etc., faded into history books to tell of their great achievements.

The Lunar New Year is one of China’s festive holidays that is recognised or observed in many countries.

Though the festival varies by country, it is dominated by themes of reunion and hope for unity, peace, and harmony.

Forging social security is the prerequisite for development, development is the driving force of national security, and civilization is the soil for development and security. 

A scene inside the house compound.

In the 33.33-hectare mansion with its great geomancy layout and buildings are renowned for their brick, stone, wood carvings and colourful paintings was built by the Lu  ancestors, who settled there in the early Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

The architectural value of the Lu-family mansion is reflected in its nine successive halls, similar to the Forbidden City, and its exquisite wood carving craftsmanship.

The treasure of the residence, the pearl lamp, is said to weigh about 120kg. It is difficult to replicate.

China’s 2024 Government Work Report underlined the need to “boost people-to-people exchanges with other countries and strengthen China’s capacity for international communication.”

Broader, deeper people-to-people exchanges are the key when it comes to global inter-civilisational exchanges and mutual learning.

In that spirit of international learning dialogue and exchanges, 33 BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) countries media professionals were treated to a guided tour of the Lu-family mansion residence to appreciate the values of unity and education as represented by this household’s achievements with its descendants still thriving in China.

In the Lu-family household, every family member’s major scholarly or promotional achievement or addition was marked by the erection of a commemorative arch or extension of the complex’s premises. 

There were illustration of how festive occasions like the Lunar New Year were celebrated with decorative lanterns, etc., with themes of reunion and hope of harmony and peace expressed in carvings, art, culture practices and building architectural layouts.

A look at some of the wood carvings.

It is not only a mansion for the family’s material life, but also a display of the traditional culture.

Its perfect structure represents the height of architecture and decor and reflects the essence of Confucianism, which advocates courtesy, respect for hierarchical privacy and harmony.

The historical site is a major historical and cultural site under China’s national-level protection. 

The Lu-family mansion is also one of 20 to have survived in the country.

Although constructed between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, the mansion follows an architectural style of the region that originated in the seventh century.

The residence has more than 40 classical gardens, academies, temples, and 26 memorial archways and is the largest and most well-preserved ancient building complex from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) in the Jiangnan region, south of the Yangtze River.

Last year marked the 2nd anniversary of the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI), which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023 to build respect for the diversity of civilizations and tap into the profound significance of their histories and cultures in the contemporary world and GCI continues contributing Chinese wisdom to all humanity, sharing success, and common prosperity.

Celebrating the Lunar or Chinese New Year is the event for uniting the family unit in China’s social structure.

With the annual event comes the rites and cultural observance that builds harmony, cohesion and respect for family elders and education cultivation that enables understanding and spirit of altruism that continues such practices through the centuries.

This year marks the Year of the Wooden Snake.

The date of the Lunar New Year depends on the phase of the moon and varies from year to year. Each year in the lunar calendar is named one of the 12 animals sign in the Chinese zodiac, derived from ancient Chinese folklore. 

Repeating on a rotating basis, these animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

Spring Festival is celebrated in China including Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong; Lunar New Year is also celebrated in South Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and places with Chinese populations.