British man falls for ancient Jiangxi village, buys property

Edward Gawne and his Chinese fiancée work with a local expert to restore the house. [Photo/IC]

Edward Gawne, from the UK, came to work in Shanghai in 2011 where he met his now Chinese fiancée from Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi province. When the two travelled to Wuyuan county in 2015, Gawne fell in love with the beauty and local culture of the ancient Sixi village.

After consideration, Gawne and his fiancée decided to buy one of the oldest houses in the village and planned to move there. The 600 square-meter house was built more than 200 years ago and has been long-neglected.To restore the historical features of the house, Gawne invited some of the most renowned experts with the Hui-style architecture for the design and renovation.

The restore project is expected to cost more than 6 million yuan ($900,000). The couple plans to hold their wedding there when the restore project is completed next year.

Edward Gawne and his Chinese fiancée work in the field. [Photo/IC]