A half hour's drive from Ninghai county in east China's Zhejiang province, the ancient town of Qiantong is wedged between two mountains. Recorded in the opening pages of a journal by Xu Xiake, the great Chinese travel writer and geographer in Ming Dynasty(1368–1644), Qiantong has become a popular destination for tourists today.

The village grew from a family clan surnamed Tong, whose ancestors moved there in 1228 AD. Now the village has about two thousand households, among which over ninety percent are descendents of the Tong family. Similar to many ancient townships in east China's Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, Qiantong presents an out-of-the-way atmosphere with its small population, remote location, time-honored large family residences and widespread family legends. What's unique about Qiantong is the combination of Chinese philosophy and science imbued in its architecture. [China.org.cn]