Qixian Lane Gate

Qixian Lane Gate

Qixian Lane Gate is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

Qixian Lane Gate is located in Dongshan Town, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.

Legend has it that the village was once the retreat of Dongyuan Gong, one of the "Four White Beards of Shangshan" — reclusive scholars from the late Qin Dynasty. What remains today is only the Qixian Lane Gate, which marks the entrance to the lane where Dongyuan Gong frequently entered and exited while living in seclusion in the nearby hills. The gate stands at the northern end of the lane, spanning across it. It is constructed of brick and wood with a flush gable roof. The gate is one bay wide and four rafters deep. The surrounding edges are fitted with bluestone pressure plates, while the interior is paved with small bricks. There are four pillars, each resting on a flat bluestone base. The pillars are slightly spindle-shaped, with slightly curved tops, topped with dougong blocks. The four corners are carved with crabapple curves, and braced with bracket arms supporting the ridge purlin. In front of the pillars extends a single beam along with a “dingtou arch” that supports the eave purlin. Between the front and rear pillars, a moon beam and through-tenon connectors are used to link the structure. The top of the rear pillar holds a dougong block that supports the eave purlin. At the center of the moon beam’s shoulder sits a single-bracket bracket arm that helps bear the load. Beside the rear pillar is a door pivot; although the door itself is now missing, a sitting board is installed between the front and rear pillars for people to rest on. It is said that there was once a shrine to Dongyuan Gong in the village. The front facade of the gatehouse was inscribed with the bold regular-script characters “Dongyuan Gong Shrine,” while the horizontal plaque on the back read “Leader of Shangshan.”

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units