Eighty kilometres east of Jǐ’nán is one of Shāndōng’s oldest hamlets. Zhūjiāyù’s intact structures mostly date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, and many have been recently spruced up to serve as movie and soap-opera sets, but strolling the stone-paved streets is still a journey back in time.
Zhūjiāyù and its bucolic panoramas of rolling hills can be explored in an easy day trip. You can wander on your own, though there are official, Chinese-speaking guides (¥60) and eager long-time residents (¥30) ready to show you around. Posted maps are in English.
Ongoing updates have added a parking lot and official tourist centre, where you buy your ticket and, behind the centre, access the main gate. In a bid to get kids' attention away from their mobile phones, there is also a half-hour, immersive movie experience loosely based on the harrowing journeys of Shāndōng natives seeking opportunity.
Follow the Ming-dynasty, double-track ancient road (双轨古道; shuāngguǐ gǔdào ) to the Qing-dynasty Wénchāng Pavilion (文昌阁; Wénchāng Gé), an arched gate topped by a single-roofed shrine where teachers would take new pupils to make offerings to Confucius before their first lesson. On your left is Shānyīn Primary School (山阴小学; Shānyīn Xiǎoxué), a series of halls and courtyards with exhibits on local life.
Walk on to see the many ancestral temples, including the Zhu Family Ancestral Hall (朱氏家祠; Zhūshì Jiācí), packed mudbrick homesteads, and quaint, arched shíqiáo (stone bridges). The Kāngxī Overpass (康熙双桥; Kāngxī Shuāng Qiáo) is one of the earliest examples in the world of such a traffic structure and dates from 1671. A further 30-minute climb past the last drystone walls of the village will take you to the gleaming white Kuíxīng Pavilion (魁星楼; Kuíxīng Lóu) crowning the hill.
The humble restaurants in the village cook up excellent fare from local ingredients. At Lǎo Yī Mín Restaurant , about 100m past the large Mao portrait, the genial owners take their dog hunting for wild rabbit (¥40 per jīn ) and forage for fresh mushrooms and greens in the hills.
If you want to stay overnight, look for flags posting '农家乐' (nóngjiālè ; a guesthouse or homestay). The basic but clean Gǔcūn Inn is set in a courtyard home with a spirit wall decorated with cranes and peacocks. The friendly owners also cook up meals (mains ¥15 to ¥38; English menu) using their garden-grown ingredients. Pass under the Kāngxī Overpass and take the low road at the split, then follow the bend to the left.
To get here from Jǐ’nán, catch bus K301 (¥14, 1½ hours, 7am to 6.30pm) to the Jìshī Xuéyuàn (技师学院) stop in front of a large technical college. From there catch bus 9 (¥1) to the large white gate marking the village drop-off. It’s another 2km walk (locals offer lifts) to the tourist centre. Taxis from the college will go the whole way for ¥15. Returning to Jǐ’nán, reverse the process or flag down a bus across from the white gate on the main road. Buses back after 5pm are rare.
