The Zhu Family ancestral hall built in the Qing Dynasty remains in good condition. (China Daily/Ju Chuanjiang)

If you go

Zhujiayu Village is located in the county-level city of Zhangqiu, about 45 km to the east of Jinan, capital of Shandong province.

High-speed trains to Jinan from Beijing and Shanghai run every couple of hours. It can be reached from Beijing in a little over two hours and from Shanghai in 3.5 hours. From Jinan downtown, take bus line K301 or a taxi.

Driving from Jinan and Zibo of Shandong province along national highway 309 to the village will take about one hour.

Entrance ticket to the old village is 20 yuan ($3.20). The opening time is from 8 am to 6 pm.

You'd better set aside about four hours for your trip and it's more fun to have lunch in family restaurants run by local farmers.

The best time to visit is from April to October when the leaves change color and springs gush out from mountains.

By Ju Chuanjiang and Wang Qian (China Daily)