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Gualing Village
On the other hand, the brick carvings under the eaves of the
ancestral temples in Gualing Village are a pathetic sight, as the brick carving
figures and landscapes have all been changed and distorted beyond recognition.
These carvings are said to have been destroyed by the Japanese army who invaded
in 1941 as well as by the post-liberation Red Guard during the Cultural
Revolution.
**Damaged carvings not hard to repair
Located at the south end of the village, an ancestral temple by the name of
"Guazhou Primary School" has been emptied and the doors locked. On each side of
the temple, brick carving figures and landscapes were crafted in small brick
holes measuring only 20 centimeters in diameter. On the left side of the temple,
a 30-centimeter brick carving of a landscape with the letters "Tiantai Moutain"
can still be faintly seen, but the drawing was largely destroyed, leaving only a
dimly visible pine tree. The brick hole on the right side is decorated with a dragon
throne and sidesteps, along which stand brick carving figures of generals and
civil officials. Unfortunately, the heads of the figures are lost. According to
the chief of Xintang Cultural Station, the organization will work in cooperation
with the local government to restore the carvings to their original state, a
task that will not be difficult with the advanced technology
available.
Four-squared Watchtower
Other famous buildings located in Gualing Village include two watchtowers
rising high in the eastern and western ends of the village. The more unique of
the two is named "Ningyuan (peaceful and graceful) Watchtower". It is strange
because the upper part of it is bigger than the lower part and it is shaped like
a square, forming four angles in the upper part. It was built on top of a water
area, with the third and fourth floors equipped with square inverse-cone shaped
embrasure towers, in which holes for aiming cannons and scatter-guns were built
and observation windows can be found. Besides these features, the suspension
bridge outside and the huge well inside the watchtower have always been a target
for visitors' unrelenting admiration.
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