The Cheng Family Ancient Residence – Imperial Edict Stele and Yiguan Bridge

The Cheng Family Ancient Residence – Imperial Edict Stele and Yiguan Bridge

The Cheng Family Ancient Residence – Imperial Edict Stele and Yiguan Bridge are located in Aodi Village, Linjiang Town, Lucheng District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province.

The Imperial Edict Stele is situated in the central part of Aodi Village, Lucheng District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The outer pavilion of the Imperial Edict Stele was originally built with a brick-and-wood structure, facing southeast to northwest. It has now been reconstructed with cement in 1996, featuring a hexagonal pyramidal roof. The Imperial Edict Stele in Aodi Village largely retains its original appearance. It is made of bluestone, with a round top and square base on the front facade. The upper center of the front side bears the two characters “Imperial Edict” (圣旨), below which are inscribed “In Commemoration of Cheng Yi’s Righteous Deeds” (旌表程奕/尚义之石) and the names of those who erected the stele, all carved in traditional Chinese regular script. The back features an inscription titled “Record on the Rear Side of the Cheng Yi Righteousness Commemorative Stele” (旌表程奕尚义碑阴记), engraved in intaglio regular script across 22 columns, documenting Cheng Yi’s acts of righteousness and the origin of the stele. The base of the stele is a Sumeru pedestal made of bluestone. Cheng Yi was born in the Gengzi year (1420) during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty and passed away on the 22nd day of the fifth month in the Gengxu year (1490) of the Hongzhi reign. His righteous act of aiding the poor in the 16th year of the Chenghua reign (1480) became a celebrated tale among local people around Xixi. After his death, many notable figures wrote biographies and eulogies in his honor, which have been passed down through generations.

The Yiguan Bridge is located 3 meters west of the Imperial Edict Stele. It was built in the 5th year of the Zhengde reign (1510) by Cheng Xi and Cheng Zhi, the two sons of Cheng Yi. This is a three-span granite beam bridge, stretching from east to west over Yitou Stream. The bridge piers are made of granite, with stone pillars arranged horizontally on both sides and inserted slightly into the stream with a slight inward tilt. A short horizontal beam is placed in the middle of each stone pillar, with a short vertical pillar positioned at the exact center on both the upper and lower sides of the short beam — the lower pillar is inserted into the stream, while the upper pillar, together with the side pillars, supports a horizontal cap beam. The bridge deck consists of five horizontally laid granite slabs on top of the cap beam. The Yiguan Bridge in Aodi Village features a simple and rustic design, was built relatively early, and was constructed by the two sons of Cheng Yi (who were both honored as Yiguan, or ‘Righteous Officials’). Its proximity to the Imperial Edict Stele gives it significant historical value.

The Cheng Family Ancient Residence (including Yiguan Bridge, Imperial Edict Stele, and Cheng Yi’s Tomb) was designated as part of the fifth batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units by the Wenzhou Municipal People’s Government in August 2005.

Protection Level: Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit

Period: Ming Dynasty

Category: Ancient Architecture

Protected Area: To the east, the boundary is 15 meters outward from the eastern end stone of Yiguan Bridge; to the west, 5 meters outward from the western end stone of Yiguan Bridge; to the south and north, 10 meters outward from the central line of Yiguan Bridge.

Construction Control Zone: To the east and west, 30 meters outward from the eastern and western end stones of Yiguan Bridge respectively; to the south and north, 50 meters outward from the central line of Yiguan Bridge.