Edward Gawne （R) and his wife. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
When Edward Gawne went house hunting in an east China village, locals didn't understand why the British man from London wanted to buy such a "dingy and damp" old fixer-upper.
Gawne, 31, bought a centuries-old house in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province with his wife, 32-year-old Selina Liao Minxin, where they plan to run a family inn, pub, restaurant, and hold their wedding ceremony.
"Here we can see green trees make shade and a flowing stream beneath little bridges. It is impossible not to fall in love with the lost pleasures of bird songs, long grass and the wild flowers that bloom in Wuyuan," said Gawne.
Gawne, who previously worked in Shanghai, met Liao in 2013, and the pair soon fell in love.
"Working hard jobs in marketing in Shanghai for a few years can take its toll, and many of us dream of more than we find in the depths of Microsoft Office and monthly financial reporting," Gawne said.
The pair turned in their resignations in 2015 and went to Liao's hometown of Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi, where Gawne wanted to learn more about Chinese culture and language.
They travelled a lot and Gawne was drawn to the old buildings in Wuyuan.
Known to the Chinese as the "most beautiful village," Wuyuan boasts more than 4,000 ancient houses, most of which are in the Huizhou style with gray tiles and white walls.
"It's a pity if those exquisite old houses disappear," Gawne said. After discussion, the couple decided to buy one.
Finding a house was not easy.
They first went to some leasing agents, but soon discovered that the agents didn't sell the kind of old houses they wanted. They had to knock on doors and ask villagers in person.
"We visited more than 100 houses, but failed to find one," Liao said. "Many villagers lack awareness of preservation and the houses are mostly left with serious damage."
Finally, Jin Liang, Communist Party chief of Yancun village, helped them find one.
The house, named "Jinzhicheng Hall," was originally an inn for merchants more than 200 years ago. It was expanded around 150 years ago to include 14 bedrooms, a formal hall and a yard for animals, according to Gawne. It covers 600 square meters in total.
"This house has seen the rise and fall of the Qing empire, and the Nationalists, Communists and modernity all flow past its front door," Gawne said.
At one point the house was home to a wealthy woman who took in orphans at the turn of the 20th century. More recently, it acted as an office for the village commune. Quotations from Chairman Mao's Little Red Book, meant to encourage the workers, still adorn the walls.
A ceremony was held after the couple formally acquired the house. They lit candles and burned incense. "Alcohol was scattered on the northern, southern, eastern and western ends. Jin, leading the previous owners, apologized to their ancestors for selling the house and asked them to watch over the new owner," Gawne said.
They also used firecrackers to expel evil and burned fake money to appease the ancestors.
"We have preserved all the original early Qing dynasty architecture, wood, carvings and stone," Gawne said of the renovation.
"We are preserving the grandeur, elegance, beauty and stories of our house and the families who came before us, but bringing in soft beds, soundproofing, cold white wine, air conditioning, modern bathrooms and good WiFi," he added.
They plan to operate a family inn in the house. "We have a welcoming bar with just a hint of English country pub, and a light airy restaurant for enjoying local and Western food," he said.
"Our dream is to once again bring smiles, warmth, visitors and laughter to a house which has been a labor of love for many generations of Wuyuan village life," he added.
Gawne's story sparked discussion among web users, many of whom praised the couple for helping protect old Chinese buildings. "It is a shame that we need foreigners to renovate and preserve the house for us," said one microblogger nicknamed "Min Ning" on Sina Weibo. Some others called for better awareness among Chinese in protecting cultural relics.
Gawne told Xinhua that the house will undergo restoration until May 2017. Following the renovation, they want to hold their Chinese wedding ceremony in the house.
