Yangzhou Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall

Yangzhou Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall

Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall

On the west wall of the courtyard north of the Heavenly King Hall at Daming Temple, there is an octagonal arched doorway inlaid with a brick plaque inscribed with “Former Abode of Immortals.” Upon entering from south to north, three structures stand in sequence: Pingshan Hall, Gulin Hall, and the Memorial Shrine of Ouyang Wenzhonggong. This site now houses memorial halls dedicated to two “literary governors,” Ouyang Xiu and Su Dongpo.

Pingshan Hall was built in the eighth year of the Qingli era during the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, Ouyang Xiu, who had been repeatedly demoted, was transferred from Chuzhou to serve as the prefect of Yangzhou. Discovering this serene and classic spot, he constructed Pingshan Hall as a place for lectures and banquets. Leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, the mountains of southern Jiangnan seem to rise just before one’s eyes. The name “Pingshan Hall” (“Hall of Level Mountains”) is derived from the phrase “distant mountains come to align with this hall.” After its completion, Ouyang Xiu planted flowers and trees all around, and the willows he personally planted were later referred to as “Governor Ouyang’s Willows.” In his spare time from official duties, Ouyang immersed himself in nature, poetry, and wine, leaving behind many famous literary works. The plaques and couplets in Pingshan Hall, such as “Sitting Among Flowers, Carrying the Moon” and “Elegance Lingers On,” are tied to interesting legends among literati. The original structure underwent cycles of destruction and renovation over dynasties, and the current version was reconstructed in the ninth year of the Tongzhi era by Yan Yunyi, the Salt Transport Commissioner.

In the fifth year of the Guangxu era during the Qing Dynasty, Ouyang Zhengyong, the Salt Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai, gathered over 5,000 taels of silver from his clan to rebuild the Memorial Shrine of Ouyang Wenzhonggong using nanmu wood. In the center of the main hall hangs a plaque inscribed with “Legacy of the Six-One School.” On the center of the north wall of the shrine is a carved stone portrait of Ouyang Xiu. This portrait was skillfully crafted to utilize light refraction, making the beard appear “white from afar and black up close.” From any angle, Ouyang’s eyes seem to silently meet the gaze of the viewer, and both feet also face the observer—creating a uniquely striking effect that is considered a masterpiece. During the Cultural Revolution, the abbot of Daming Temple coated the stone portrait with lime and wrote Mao Zedong quotations over it to protect it from destruction. Thanks to this measure, the carved portrait of Ouyang Xiu remains vividly lifelike to this day.

Although Ouyang Xiu served as the prefect of Yangzhou for only one year, his policies of benevolent governance and love for the people, his reforms to simplify criminal punishment and relax prison conditions, and especially his integrity in refusing a “surplus tribute” of 100,000 coins from wealthy locals, left a deep and lasting impression on the people of Yangzhou.

In 2015, Daming Temple established the Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall within the Ouyang Ancestral Shrine. The two side rooms of the hall display photos depicting events from Ouyang Xiu’s life, expressing the people of Yangzhou’s remembrance and reverence for this “literary governor.”