Wang Xichan Memorial Hall (Wang Xichan Tomb and Ancestral Hall)

Wang Xichan Memorial Hall (Wang Xichan Tomb and Ancestral Hall)

Wang Xichan Memorial Hall (Wang Xichan Tomb and Ancestral Hall) is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Wang Xichan Memorial Hall (Wang Xichan Tomb and Ancestral Hall) is located on Xixu in Zhenze Town, Wujiang District, Suzhou City (near present-day Zhenze Middle School), where lush trees thrive and the surroundings are solemn and serene. The Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong-era “Zhenze County Annals” records: “Recluse Wang Xichan resided in Xixu of Shidu Town.” The tomb was built in the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1683), the year following Wang Xichan’s passing. Gu Yanwu wrote a poem with the lines “White clouds fill the river and sky, where is the noble recluse now?”, hence the tombstone is inscribed as “Tomb of the Noble Recluse Mr. Wang Xiaowan.”

In the 7th year of the Daoguang reign (1827), local residents renovated the site and erected a new tombstone inscribed “Tomb of Mr. Wang Xiaowan,” featuring raised regular script characters. The stone measures 108 cm in height, 36 cm in width, and 13 cm in thickness, and is made of granite.

In the spring of the 14th year of the Daoguang reign, with the sponsorship of Lin Zexu, then governor of Jiangsu, the tomb was further restored and a tomb gate was added. The lintel of the gate was inscribed with “Heroic Sage of the Southern Realm.” A perimeter wall was also constructed, with the burial mound standing 1.3 meters high and the tomb’s diameter measuring 4.8 meters. Several dozen trees were planted around the tomb. In front of the tomb stands a stone tablet inscribed in raised regular script with “Tomb of Mr. Wang Xiaowan.”

In the 17th year of the Daoguang reign (1837), local residents initiated the construction of the Wangxian Ancestral Hall (now called Wang Xichan Ancestral Hall) east of the tomb. It features a flush-gable roof style, with three bays facing south. During the Xianfeng Gengshen era (1860), it was destroyed in war. In the 14th year of the Guangxu reign (1888), local resident Wang Xuxiang and others obtained approval to renovate it and planted trees. It was burned again by Japanese troops during the occupation and was restored after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Its coffered ceiling features exquisitely carved floral patterns and opera scenes, remarkably delicate and magnificent. To the east of the ancestral hall gate, over Zhuanghe (a local river), there was once a small wooden bridge known as Xiaowan Bridge, which was rebuilt as a stone beam bridge in the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929). On the west bank of the bridge stand two ancient beech trees, three hundred years old, with broad canopies, lush foliage, and a majestic, weathered beauty.

In 1982, Wang Xichan’s tomb was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province. In 1998, the 370th anniversary of Wang Xichan’s birth, the city and town governments invested over two hundred thousand yuan to comprehensively restore the tomb, ancestral hall, and bridge, and established the Wang Xichan Memorial Hall. On November 23 of that year, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese Astronomical Society, and other departments jointly held the “Academic Symposium Commemorating the 370th Anniversary of Wang Xichan’s Birth” in Wujiang City, and the memorial hall was officially opened to the public.

Wang Xichan (1628–1682), courtesy name Yinxu, also known as Xiaowan, with other aliases including Yubu and Tianyitongsheng, was a native of Zhenze Town, Wujiang. He was an astronomer of the Qing Dynasty. As a youth, he extensively studied a wide range of literature, particularly excelling in the field of calendrical astronomy. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he attempted suicide by drowning to preserve his loyalty but was rescued. From then on, he wore the attire of the Ming Dynasty, refused to use Qing currency, and devoted himself to astronomical research. Whenever the night sky was clear, Wang Xichan would lie on the roof observing celestial phenomena all night long. Addressing the factional disputes between Chinese and Western calendrical systems at the time, he advocated verifying errors in traditional Chinese methods and retaining their valid aspects, while adopting strengths from Western theories and discarding their weaknesses. He authored “Xiaowan’s New Method,” accurately calculating solar eclipses, … More details about Wang Xichan ++

Zhenze Town: This water town of Jiangnan—Zhenze—is located in the southwestern part of Wujiang District, Jiangsu Province, bordering Zhejiang Province. Historically known as the “Head of Wu and Tail of Yue,” it lies 90 kilometers east of Shanghai and 54 kilometers north of Suzhou. Both National Highway 318 and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal run through the area, offering highly convenient land and water transportation. The town covers a total area of 57 square kilometers, with the town proper spanning 3.93 square kilometers, nearly 40,000 mu of arable land, and a total population of over 50,000. Infrastructure is well-developed, including one 220kV and one 110kV substation, a 25,000-ton surface water plant, mobile communication towers, and more... More details about Zhenze Town ++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units

Zhenze Ancient Town

Zhenze Park

Shijian Hall

Zhenze Wenchang Pavilion

Zhenze Ciyun Buddhist Temple

Jiangsu Agricultural Machinery Museum