Chengjitang

Chengjitang

Chengjitang is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Chengjitang is located in Houzhai Subdistrict, Yiwu City, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

Chengjitang is the “descendant hall” of Shenxiutang. It is understood that Chengjitang was initially built by Fu Anyi, son of the owner of Shenxiutang, during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1843) and was completed in the Xianfeng era, featuring a total of 36 rooms. It has a history of over a hundred years. Chengjitang is a typical quadrangle courtyard. Stepping into the yard, you’ll see elders enjoying the shade, elderly dogs resting, and women drying grain, forming a serene yet lively scene.

Among the several doors of Chengjitang, two are inscribed with poems: one door features lines from Su Shi’s poem “Crabapple Blossoms”: “Lest the flowers sleep in the deep of night, / I light the candle high to shed their light.” Nearby, there are also a few flower branches that appear to be crabapple blossoms; another door is engraved with the verse “In the late year, amidst icy eaves and snow, / Suddenly one sees the world turn prosperous,” accompanied by an engraving of plum blossoms. On another white wall, a poem titled “Village Life Rhyme” is written: “How good is village life, how good indeed, / With bamboo fences, thatched roofs, and a clear stream nearby. / Surrounded by mountains in a secluded place free from dust, / In quiet days one hears birds singing…” It reveals how villagers, amid their busy farming lives, do not forget tranquility and leisure.

In Chengjitang hangs a plaque inscribed with “Four Generations of Classical Scholars,” bearing the names Bincai, Anyi, Dingyuan, and Tongli. It is said that these were all learned individuals of the earlier times.

The main gate of Chengjitang is engraved with eight characters: “Fragrance drifts over Ma Ridge, Auspiciousness connects Dragon Stream.” The splendid surroundings have, to some extent, contributed to the family’s glory.

Chengjitang is well-preserved and relatively large in scale. In January 2005, it was listed as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit of Yiwu.

The beams in the main hall of Chengjitang are finely carved with phoenixes, cranes, fish, and more, which remain relatively well-preserved to this day. However, the heads of many figures carved on the doors and windows have gone missing.

On January 13, 2017, the People's Government of Zhejiang Province announced it as part of the seventh batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Protected Area: Includes the Chengjitang structure itself, extending 3 meters southward to the outer edge of the road, and 1 meter outward along the outer eaves walls to the east, west, and north. The area covers approximately 1,847 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: Extends beyond the protected area—south to Huanxi, east to the outer edge of the cement road along the exteriors of the houses of Fu Gongfei, Fu Zhikuan, Fu Zhibao, Wang Yuecheng, and Fu Zhufu; north to the outer edge of the cement road outside the northern eaves walls of the households of Fu Zhufu, Wang Xinshan, and Zhang Xianqiu; west to the outer edge of the cement road along the exteriors of the households of Fu Shufa, Fu Zhinan, Fu Zhimei, and Fu Zhiliang, including the western pond, forming an enclosed zone. The area covers 6,404 square meters.

Houzhai Subdistrict: Houzhai Subdistrict is located in the northwest of Yiwu City, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. It borders Dachen Town to the north, Suxi Town and Choucheng Subdistrict to the east, Chengxi Subdistrict to the south, and the border with Pujiang County to the northwest. Its geographical coordinates are 29°22′5″ N latitude and 12°23′2″ E longitude. The subdistrict government is stationed at Yongning Neighborhood Committee, 8 kilometers from the center of Yiwu City, adjacent to Yiwu Civil Aviation Airport. The Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway, Provincial Highway 03, and the Hangzhou–Jinhua–Quzhou Expressway run north to south through the area, with the new railway passenger station located in Houzhai. The total area is 67.88 square kilometers, governing 49 administrative villages and 11 neighborhood committees, with a total population of... More detailed information about Houzhai Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units