Location and territory
Gaoqian Ancient Village is located to the south of Baita Basin in Xianju County, with geographical coordinates 120°E, 28°N. It is 330 kilometers from Hangzhou in the north and 120 kilometers from Taizhou in the east. It is the first village in Baita Town, a town center of provincial level, and is about one kilometer from its administrative center. It is well served by the Zhuji-yongkang Expressway to the east and. The Taizhou-Jinhua Expressway and Provincial Road 35 to the north and boasts fine scenic locations at Shenxianju and Jingxing Rock to the south, and Baishui Creek to the west. Gaoqian was originally divided into two administrative villages, Shangwu and Xiawu. In 2013, after the status of administrative village was abolished, they were reunited as one village, with an area of 2.5 square kilometers. It now comprises 19 village corporations, 1,050 households, 3,300 people, 1,700 mu of arable land and more than 5,000 mu of mountains and forest. The provincial-level beauty spot Shenxianju Xiyan Temple is directly to the south of Houren Village, where the Wu family still lives. Guocang Cave is the tenth notable cave of Chinese Taoism listed in the “Ci Yuan”. The area abounds in timber, bamboo, tea and oil tea. Xianju Sanhuang chicken, - and local handicrafts are well known specialities, across China and even internationally.
Topography
The topography of Gaoqian Village is generally high in the southwest and low in the northeast, high in the south and low in the north. This landscape has been formed by the intersections of Kuocang Mountain, Dapan Mountain and the Yongan Creek water system. Dapan Mountain rises up at the northwest edge of Baita Basin, sloping gradually from southwest to northeast. To the east is an open plain, and to the south it is faced by Jingxing Rock and Yingzui Mountain (locally known as Jiguan Mountain) and the Shenxianju scenic area, which is locally known as Shamaoyan(纱帽岩) because here the shape of the mountain looks like a black gauze cap (as worn by someone in an official position). To the north, the Daban Mountain Range is shaped like a pen rack, so the villagers call it Bijia (笔架) Mountain. Gaoqian Creek, also known as Baishui Creek, is located in the west, and its course streams down from Shiqi Dukeng(十七都坑) and Jingxing Rock mountains. Yongan Creek flows from the southwest to the northeast, passing through the western part of Baita Town, and coming within two km of the northwest side of Gaoqian Village before moving off to the northeast.
Climate Characteristics
Gaoqian Village has the pleasant climate of a subtropical monsoon zone. The annual average temperature is 18.3℃, the average temperature in January is 5.6℃ and the average temperature in July is 28.5℃. The annual frost-free period is about 240 days. Rainfall is abundant, with an average precipitation of about 2,000 mm over past years, with a bimodal distribution, the front peak being plum rain and the rear peak being autumn rain. The main peak of Dapan Mountain, Qingmei (1,314 meters above sea level), towers over the surrounding countryside, just northwest of Gaoqian Village, helping to block the cold northwest wind in winter. The dominant wind in Gaoqian Village is a northeast easterly wind, with four distinct seasons.
Distribution of water system
The topography of Gaoqian Village is generally high in the southwest and low in the northeast. Three water pits filled from Gaoqian Creek flow from the south to the north through the village. There are also three artificial canals lying west to east at the south, middle and north of the village. Inside the village channels, rivers and ponds are networked with each other. The roads follow the water flow. “A river, a pond, a well and a weir” constitutes the traditional village water environment system, which situates the ancient village of Gaoqian within a clear, horizontal and vertical, grid of water distribution, providing irrigation for farmland and water for domestic use.
Transportation
Gaoqian Village has benefitted from an effective transportation system, with the ancient street of Potan to the west, linking Danzhu Township to the south, Guanlu Township to the north, and Tian Shi to the east. Gaoqian Village is only 2 kilometers away from Yongan Creek, which was the main water transportation route for moving coastal government salt and sea cargo to Jinhua and Lishui in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The wharf is on the east side of the ancient street of Potan in Potan Township, and about six kilometers from Gaoqian Villiage. Goods -were transported to Potan by boat and then by land to Jinyun along the ancient road of Cangling, which is convenient for both land and water transportation. To the southeast, there is another ancient road leading to Wenzhou and Huangyan at Shiqi Duokeng. To the north, it goes to Dongyang and Yongkang from Changgangling, Dageng Villiage and Guanlu Township. To the west, it connects with the interior of Jinhua from Banqiao through the ancient road of Xiekengling. To the south it provides a route to Wenzhou and other places.
Natural Resources
The natural basin within which Gaoqian Village is located has a large area of flat and fertile farmland with an area of about 2.5 square kilometers of arable land totaling 1,703 mu, favorable levels of sunshine, and all-year-round access to mountain water for irrigation. An extended area of protected forest to the east of the village with large ancient trees stands as protection from typhoons in Summer and Autumn. To the south of the village, rich vegetation and dense mountain forests, with a total area of 4,798 mu of mountain forests, provided villagers in the past with material and resources for construction and firewood and all favorable conditions for life and business. These favorable natural geographical conditions have been very important in ensuring that the Wu family has been able to flourish in this place.
Gaoqian village has a well-developed water system and abundant water sources, especially underground water sources. The village water conservancy system is constituted by the two artificial rivers (Dayuan river, Yuelu river), two ancient canals (upper weir canal, lower weir canal), a new canal from Shangye to Yangjing and from Juao to Qianyangjing, the Liangtan reservoir, the Youcen reservoir, Qixing pond and Shisikou pond as well as over 100 ancient wells. According to older inhabitants, at many times of severe drought in the past, well water in Qaoqian village remained available.
In addition, there are many ancient and famous trees in Gaoqian Village. For example, there is a bitter quercus tree 50 meters to west of Gaoqian Primary School, which is about 500 years old. It is 18 meters high with a circumference of 5 meters at the base of the main trunk. The canopy covers 200 square meters. There are also two camphor trees of a similar size, both about 300 years old and with a canopy covering 400 square meters. Two maple trees, which are about 100 years old, are located at the triangle-shape pier to the north of the village. To the west of the highway toll station, there is another ancient camphor tree, planted in a place called “Yuan Zhu Pine” (the tree has long been cut down). According to an 80-year-old village resident who has practical knowledge of growing the species, the life span of a camphor tree rarely exceeds 80 years, typically growing to a maximum circumference of about 4 meters and a height of around 20 meters, with a canopy generally covering about 400 square meters.