Bao Gai Village Pailou House in Hengnan, Hunan

The Hanlin Academy in the center of the Pailou House was built during the Jiajing period at the request of Hanlin Grand Academician Liao Daonan (whose ancestral home was Bao Gai). Its main gate opens in an "eight-character" shape, and above it are 99 exquisitely carved wooden plum blossom reliefs. Below hangs a plaque bestowed by Emperor Kangxi with the inscription "Inheriting Ancestral Blessings Through Generations". In front of the main gate, replicas of the Forbidden Street and the General's Review Platform were built. Inside the Yutang (Jade Hall), the first, second, and third sections are all grand halls. The main beams in the halls are made of large, naturally curved wood, the column bases are carved from white marble, solemn and elegant, the clay sculptures painted with gold and colors are lifelike, gold plaques and silver screens are arranged in sequence, and stone carvings and jade carvings sparkle brilliantly. The morning bell rings, opening the vermilion doors, waking the butterflies from their quiet dreams, and calling the swallows under the eaves to peck - the grand hall is also one of the Eight Ancient Scenes of Bao Gai, "Yutang Morning Bell". Directly behind the Pailou House, there was originally a magnificent and imposing seven-story Baojia Tower. According to historical records, in the late Northern Song Dynasty, Liao Hanyi, the Prefect of Hengzhou, passed through Bao Gai, saw the pleasant landscape and the land resembling an open lotus, and built a house to settle down. During a time of military upheaval, he built the seven-story Baojia Tower, which was known as "The First Scene of Hengzhou, The First Tower for Protecting the Home". Because the area was rich in natural treasures, it was later called Bao Gai Tower (Bao Gai Town was named after this). The tower was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but the site is still recognizable.