Pavilion at the Hometown of Yanzi

Pavilion at the Hometown of Yanzi

The Pavilion at the Hometown of Yanzi is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Pavilion at the Hometown of Yanzi

Commonly known as Shili Pavilion, it was originally located on the east bank of Yuanhe Pond in Mocheng, about 5 kilometers south of the city. In the early years of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, County Magistrate Chen ■ (with “荀” above and “大” below) erected the Monument to the Hometown of Yanzi. In the 38th year of Qianlong (1773), the pavilion was built. County Magistrate Liu Yuan inscribed the couplet: “The town venerates a famed historical site; the southeast nurtures a great sage.” In 1994, the pavilion was relocated to the riverside green belt between Renmin Bridge and Yuanhe Bridge in the urban area. It is built of granite, square-shaped, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, approximately 4 meters high and 3 meters wide and deep. The pavilion pillars are engraved with the couplet written by Liu Yuan. Inside the pavilion stands a bluestone stele inscribed with six large characters: “Hometown of the Sage Yanzi,” alongside smaller characters reading: “Erected in the summer month of the Year Yichou of Qianlong (1745) by Chen ■■, County Magistrate of Changshu, a Presented Scholar from Southern Yunnan.” It was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Changshu City in November 1982.

Yan Yan (506–443 BC), surname Yan, given name Yan, courtesy name Ziyu, also known as “Yanyou” or “Shushi,” was a native of Wu during the late Spring and Autumn period and came from Changshu. He was renowned alongside Zixia and Zizhang as one of Confucius’s distinguished disciples and one of the “Ten Wise Disciples of Confucius.” He once served as the magistrate of Wucheng (a county magistrate). Yan Yan’s Confucian thoughts have been highly regarded throughout the dynasties. Zhang Qiyang, a Hanlin academician of the Yuan Dynasty, remarked: “In the twilight years of the Zhou dynasty, when feudal states vied for supremacy and personal gain was esteemed, it was the people of Wu who uniquely embraced the Way of the Duke of Zhou, traveled north to study in the Central Plains, and became eminent disciples of Confucius.” Yan Yan, originally named You Gaoxuan, was an arts and crafts artist who pursued further studies in Shanghai in 2007... More details about Yan Yan ++