Sifang Stele

Sifang Stele

Sifang Stele is a cultural relic protection unit in Yixing City.

Sifang Stele, located in Xutian Village, Fangqiao Town, Yixing City, is the tomb stele of Xu ?feng’s wife, a Qing Dynasty scholar. In January 1985, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit by the Yixing County People’s Government.

Xu ?feng (1628–1684), courtesy name Shengqi, also known as Zhuxu Xingsanlezhai Gongsun, ?ting Laonong, and Mianyun Daoren, was skilled in poetry and prose and had remarkable talent but repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. He was known for his righteousness and integrity throughout his life, earning the respect and fear of his fellow villagers and clansmen. He amused himself with poetry and books and lived as a commoner all his life. His elder brother, Xu Jiefeng, courtesy name Mingqi, was a renowned poet of the early Qing Dynasty. He passed the imperial examination in 1658 during the Shunzhi reign and served as a judicial officer in Yongchang Prefecture, Yunnan. He once compiled the Yixing County Old Annals.

The Sifang Stele is made of bluestone and consists of three parts: the base, the body, and the top, with a total height of 2.86 meters. The base is square, measuring 1.10 meters on each side and 0.33 meters in height. The body is also square, with each side 0.60 meters long and a height of 1.67 meters. The top is in the shape of a four-sided gourd pavilion corner, standing 0.86 meters tall. The stele faces northeast, and the front of the body is inscribed with: “The Grave of Madam Wu, the Humble Wife of Shengqi Xu, the ?ting Laonong.” On both the east and west sides, there are cursive script poems inscribed in relief, one of which reads: “I laugh at my rootless life, having read countless books yet never achieving success. The bitterness and sweetness I know in my heart, too ashamed to share with others. Go back, go back, and find a cool place to dwell.” Another reads: “Alive, I rested in the Plum Blossom Academy; dead, I am buried by Fishing Pavilion. Free and unfettered everywhere, I’ve put aside all my sorrows. □□□□ I wander alone at the edge of the world.”

The reverse side of the stele bears Xu ?feng’s self-composed epitaph: “The ?ting Laonong, neither sage nor immortal, lives in humble poverty and remains hidden. I sing in my garden, able to farm and read, part scholar, part monk. Neither fawning nor arrogant, foolish yet wise. I amuse myself with poetry and wine, appearing wild and eccentric. Now enlightened, I mock and pity myself. May my descendants plow the southern fields by day, preserving our family legacy for generations to come.” (Excerpted from the Xu Family Genealogy). The texts, poems, and calligraphy on the stele were all composed and written by Xu ?feng, holding certain literary and artistic value.

Fangqiao Subdistrict: Fangqiao Subdistrict was liberated on March 28 (lunar calendar) in 1949. It was officially established as the People’s Government of Fangqiao Township by the Yixing County Military Control Committee. In October of the same year, the baojia system was abolished and replaced by the village group system, with Party branches set up at the township level. From June 1949 to 1955, the area underwent several changes including division into smaller townships, land reform, mutual aid groups, and the establishment of初级社 (primary cooperatives). In February 1956, the first round of township mergers took place, and it was renamed the People’s Committee of Fangqiao Township. In September 1958, the people's commune system was implemented, abolishing the township and village systems and establishing communes and brigades. This area then became part of Hubin Commune, with the former Fangqiao Brigade... More details about Fangqiao Subdistrict++