Che Jiu Village

Che Jiu Village is located 17 kilometers southeast of Yuyao city, at the southern end of Hemudu Town. The village boasts a rich cultural heritage. According to the Baoqing ‘Siming Zhi’ records, before the Song Dynasty, Che Jiu was one of the six major water-side markets in the old Cixi County, including Wenxi, Yuxi, Dayin, Huangmu, and Lanxi. On the first and sixth days of the lunar month, people from all surrounding areas would come to trade. Moreover, the name Che Jiu, which means ‘to park the chariots and stable the horses,’ is associated with King Goujian of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. It is said to be the place where King Goujian prepared his troops and endured hardships.

Passing through the highway tunnel in Che Jiu leads to Che Jiu Ao. Heading south and then west at Shijia, the front of the Paimentou Village is where the Western Heaven Peak is located. The famous tomb of the Southern Song Dynasty’s Prime Minister Shi Songzhi is situated here, facing west and east, with the tomb path south to the mountain and north to the stream, extending to Paimentou. In front of the tomb, there used to be a stone stele inscribed with ‘Western Heaven’s Bliss’ by Emperor Lizong of Song, and the remaining fragments are now preserved at the Kai Shou Temple site. Shijia is a village formed by the descendants of the Shi family who guarded the tomb, dating back more than seven hundred years.

---

Additionally, Che Jiu Li Ao, surrounded by the lush greenery of the Shi Li Hanxi, is known as the ‘Little Amazon of Eastern Zhejiang.’ The ‘Chan Yue Temple,’ said to have been built during the Five Dynasties, is located at the foot of this mountain. It seems that this place is not only rich in primitive forests. There is a poem that says, ‘Guests come from the mountains, in this season the forests are scattered in layers. A solitary stone stands in Song Ao, leisurely entering Chan Yue. The Wu family of the Three Kingdoms prospered, and the Five Dynasties continued the incense. Washing in the ponds, drinking from the Longquan, there is an old man in the room. It is not the peach blossoms of Yuanming that bloom, but the fragrance of bamboo and camphor, beauty is only serene and secluded. Leaving far behind, the mountains are intricately arranged, the temple is faintly visible, and the heart returns to what path?’. The opening hours and business status of the entire text are subject to the actual opening conditions on the day.

---