Former Site of the Fan Clan Charitable Estate

Former Site of the Fan Clan Charitable Estate

The Former Site of the Fan Clan Charitable Estate is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

The Fan Clan Charitable Estate, located at No. 32 Fanzhuangqian, Renmin Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, is now occupied by Suzhou Jingfan Middle School. The estate retains the former worship hall dedicated to commemorating Lord Fan Zhongyan, which was the main structure of the original Temple to Lord Fan Zhongyan. The worship hall features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, faces south, is seven bays wide (24 meters) and 12 meters deep, with a height of about 9 meters, making it quite grand in scale. Although this hall was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, the flat-beam framework and blue stone column bases with inverted-bowl capitals still reflect Ming Dynasty construction techniques, and traces of Suzhou-style polychrome painting can still be discerned.

The Fan Clan Charitable Estate originally had other structures such as the Suihan Hall and Songfeng Pavilion. In the tenth year of the Xianchun era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1274), Prefect Qian Shuoyou built the Temple to Lord Fan Zhongyan to the east of the charitable estate. In the sixth year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1346), Regional Administrator Wu Bingyi converted the temple into the Wenzheng Academy, which underwent multiple renovations afterward. In the tenth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1860), most of the charitable estate and the academy were destroyed, and although they were rebuilt in the fifth year of the Tongzhi era (1866), the original appearance could not be restored.

In modern times, the site has successively served as the location for Chongfan School, Jingfan Middle School, No. 8 Junior High School, No. 22 Middle School, and again Jingfan Middle School. Over the years, it has been gradually reconstructed into modern school buildings, leaving only the former worship hall dedicated to commemorating Lord Fan Zhongyan, which was the main structure of the original Temple to Lord Fan Zhongyan. The worship hall features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, faces south, is seven bays wide (24 meters) and 12 meters deep, with a height of about 9 meters, making it quite grand in scale. Although this hall was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, the flat-beam framework and blue stone column bases with inverted-bowl capitals still reflect Ming Dynasty construction techniques, and traces of Suzhou-style polychrome painting can still be discerned. A major renovation was carried out in 1985. In addition, to the east of the current main gate along the alley, there remains a stone-framed gate with a brick plaque inscribed with the four characters “有唐故址” (Ancient Tang Site), which is also a remnant of the Fan Clan Charitable Estate.

Originally, there was also a finely carved and constructed four-pillar, three-bay, five-story stone memorial archway in front of the Fan Clan Charitable Estate. Standing about 8 meters tall, it was built in the forty-fourth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1565) and underwent repairs in the thirty-fourth year of the Kangxi era (1695) and the twenty-fourth year of the Jiaqing era (1819). The horizontal inscribed board reads “世济忠直” (Benefiting Generations with Loyalty and Integrity), and the beams are carved with the famous words of Fan Zhongyan: “先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐” (To worry before the world worries, and to rejoice after the world rejoices), hence it was commonly known as the “Worry Before Joy” Archway. It was listed as a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province in 1957, underwent reinforcement and repair by the Suzhou Cultural Relics Preservation Committee in 1963, but unfortunately was deliberately demolished in the summer of 1966. In 1989, to commemorate the millennial birth anniversary of Lord Fan Zhongyan, a replica of the “Worry Before Joy” stone archway was erected in front of the Zhonglie Temple to Lord Fan Zhongyan at Tianping.

The Fan Clan Charitable Estate is the earliest family charitable estate and non-religious civil philanthropic organization in Chinese history, holding significant historical and social value.

It was listed as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1963. In March 2019, it was announced by the provincial government as part of the eighth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units