Village with a difference

[Photo by Zhu Liya/Yu Xianmin/China Daily]

It used to be the residence of Luo Xiaohua (1516-1565), a renowned ink maker, whose work is preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The buildings are a magnificent representation of the Hui style, an influential school of culture.

Now the building houses the Yijing Museum, and tourists can experience Yijing culture there while enjoying the beauty of its original brick and wood carvings.

Yanyi Hall is a three-story house. Its design has a unique feature in that the ceilings of the ground and first floors have three layers－wood, sand and stone－to combat fire.

So if the wood catches fire, sand helps extinguish the blaze, and if it is not enough, the stone bricks prevent the fire from spreading.

Luckily, the system has not had to be used.