Former Residence of Wang Gao

Former Residence of Wang Gao

The Former Residence of Wang Gao is a cultural tourism attraction.

Wang Gao, as the “First Ancestor to Migrate South” of the Sanhua Hall’s Sancha Wang Clan, came to Suzhou, settled down, and established a long-lasting lineage. He is known as the “Ancestor Who Migrated South” of the Sanhua Hall Wang Clan. Suzhou now has a management committee for the Zhongsha Branch of the Sanhua Hall Wang Clan. The year 2017 marked the 1,000th anniversary of the death of Wang Dan, the founding ancestor of the Sanhua Hall. In the following year, Shenxian County, Shandong Province, held the 13th World Wang Clan Congress. Wang Clans from all over gathered at Qianxian Fort in Liaocheng, Shandong, to trace their roots. Wang Gao’s ancestral home was in Shenxian County, Daming Prefecture, Shandong. The Yan Yi Hall of the Wang Residence at Taiping Bridge in Suzhou has been restored as the Former Residence of Wang Gao, allowing the Wang Clan in Suzhou to also seek their roots in the Jiangnan water town.

The former sites of the “Sanhua Hall” in Suzhou: First, the “Ge Lao Ji” (Foundation of the Grand Tutor), which is the ruins of the residence of Wang Gao, now called the “Jing Tu An” (Pure Land Nunnery). It faces south and is located in Taiping Wangxiang Village, bordering Yangcheng Lake to the east, offering views of vast misty waters and swaying reed marshes. In front of the nunnery lies a waterway that leads directly to Yangcheng Lake. Known historically as the Digou (Reed Stream), the stream is spanned by the Phoenix Bridge, whose main structure consists largely of reddish-brown Wukang stone. The stone beams are inscribed with texts: on the west side it reads “Established by the Wang Clan of Taiyuan near the stream,” and on the east side “Phoenix Bridge built in the final years.” These are relics from the Song and Yuan dynasties, traditionally believed to have been built by Wang Gao during his retirement. With a history of over 800 years, it is now a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Second, the ruins of the Zhongsha Family Temple within the “Wang Clan Ancestral Hall,” in front of which stands an ancient ginkgo tree over 880 years old, several people could hug its trunk, and it remains lush and green to this day. It is now the site of Taiping Chan Temple. In ancient times, it served as the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall of Song Dynasty Grand Marshal Wang Gao, as well as the family temple of Wang Gao’s second son, Wang Duo. Third, the Yan Yi Hall of the Wang Residence at Taiping Bridge was the home of Wang Gao’s descendants and also the site of negotiations between Ye Fei and Hu Zhaohan in July 1939. Here, the New Fourth Army successfully incorporated Hu Zhaohan’s troops. Following the principle of restoring the building to its original appearance, the Yan Yi Hall has been renovated.

Nowadays, neither the “Jing Tu An” nor the “Taiping Chan Temple” can be relocated. After being restored, the Yan Yi Hall serves as a fitting site for the “Former Residence of Wang Gao.”

Source: People’s Government of Shenxian County