Former Residence of Wang Anshi in Nanjing

Former Residence of Wang Anshi in Nanjing

The former residence of Wang Anshi in Nanjing is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing.

Former Residence of Wang Anshi in Nanjing

The former residence of Wang Anshi in Nanjing is located at Banshan Pavilion near Qingxi Road, within the current site of the Nanjing Naval Command College. During the Ming Dynasty, Liangshan Estate was incorporated into the imperial palace restricted area. In the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, Governor-General Tao Shu of the Two Jiangs rebuilt Banshan Temple on the site of the former Liangshan Estate. It was destroyed during the Xianfeng era, rebuilt in the ninth year of the Tongzhi era (1870), and renovated again during the Xuantong era.

Wang Anshi (1020–1086) was born in Jiangxi but had a deep connection with Jinling (modern-day Nanjing). After spending his youth in Jinling, he returned twice to observe ancestral mourning rites and served as prefect three times, living in the city for a total of 20 years. He was buried at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain after his death.

In 1076, shortly after becoming Prime Minister for the second time at the age of 56, Wang Anshi had a dispute with the conservative faction. In October of that year, he requested to resign from his position, and Emperor Zhezong granted his wish, giving him the title of “Judicial Commissioner of Jiangning Prefecture.” After returning to Jinling, Wang never reported to the government office. In June of the following year, he resigned from office and built this residence for himself at Baita, located along the route from the eastern gate of the city to Zhongshan Mountain. Since the main pond was seven li from the eastern gate of Jiangning City and also seven li from the main peak of Zhongshan Mountain — a place midway along the journey — he named the residence Banshan Garden (Halfway Garden). Within the garden, Wang Anshi befriended many refined and lofty individuals, including Mi Fu, Li Gonglin, Ouyang Xiu, and Su Dongpo. On one occasion, when Su Dongpo passed by Jinling by boat, Wang Anshi specially rode a donkey and wore coarse clothes to welcome him at the riverbank. Su Dongpo, not wearing his formal headwear, bowed respectfully and said, “Today I pay my respects to the Grand Chancellor in informal attire.” Wang Anshi laughed and replied, “Surely etiquette was not made for people like us!” Soon after, the two discussed Buddhism, composed poetry, and Wang Anshi even invited Su Dongpo to tour Zhongshan Mountain together, each composing poems to commemorate the trip. This shows that although they held differing political views, their personal friendship and literary bond were very strong. Wang Anshi’s writings were incisive and profound, establishing a unique style of his own, and he was one of the “Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties.” His poetry was also “quite distinctive, fundamentally rooted in classical elegance, free from ostentation, and can be described as pure and sincere.” According to rough statistics, he wrote around 300 poems and verses related to Nanjing.

In 1084, Wang Anshi suffered a serious illness, and Emperor Shenzong sent imperial physicians to treat him in Jiangning Prefecture. After recovering, he requested permission from the emperor to convert his residence into a Buddhist temple. Emperor Shenzong bestowed upon it the name “Baoning Temple,” also known as Banshan Temple.

Wang Anshi (December 18, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu, art name Banshan, posthumous title Wen, ennobled as Duke of Jing, was also commonly referred to as Wang Jinggong. A native of Linchuan in the Northern Song Dynasty (today’s Shangchi Village, Dongxiang County, Jiangxi Province), he was an outstanding statesman, literary figure, philosopher, and reformer in Chinese history. He served as Prime Minister of the Northern Song Empire and leader of the New Party. Ouyang Xiu praised Wang Anshi: “Three thousand poems of literary grace from the Hanlin Academy, two hundred years of prose from the Ministry of Personnel. In old age, I still take pride in my aspirations — who among the later generations can rival you?” His surviving works include “Collected Works of Wang Linchuan” and “Supplement to the Collected Works of Linchuan.” He was also skilled in poetry and ci poetry, with his most famous works widely circulated... More details about Wang Anshi ++