Across China: Night watch and gong, dying tradition revived in ancient village
Source(s):
Xinhua News Agency
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It was near 11 p.m. on a cold winter night, and Lu Huizhong was at work patrolling narrow, winding alleys between traditional Chinese houses with a gong on one hand and a mallet in the other.
Lu, 63, sporadically hit the metal dish during his walk, reminding residents to take care of potential fire hazards before they go to sleep.
This is an ancient Chinese tradition that has lost its place as people have moved into concrete buildings with fire alarms and smoke detectors, but in Lu's village in eastern China's Anhui Province, the tradition lives on.
Xidi Village, boasting thousand-year-old Chinese houses in local Anhui style, is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Around 224 wooden houses make fire prevention a great priority.
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Wildfire and Bushfire
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China