Guimen Genglou

Guimen Genglou

Located on Guimen Mountain, 35 kilometers southwest of Shengzhou City. Guimen Mountain was formerly known as Lumen Mountain, but was renamed Guimen after Zhu Xi inscribed the two characters "Guimen" here. The Guimen Genglou complex consists of two parts: the Genglou to the east and the Lumen Academy to the west. The academy was founded by the Southern Song scholar Lü Guishu, and the renowned Neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi once lectured here. The north gate bears Zhu Xi’s inscription of the characters "Guimen." The Genglou was built by Lü Guishu’s son, Lü Zuxi. The current structures were renovated in the third year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1798). Nearby, there is also the Meishu Inscription, which was written by Zhu Xi during his visit to Lü Guishu. It is a municipal-level cultural heritage site.

To enter the Genglou, you can climb up from the southern side of the mountain. It is a quadrangle-style two-story building facing south with its back to the north. The lower level has a stone foundation, a central courtyard, and arched gateways on the north and south sides that served as passageways for travelers in the past. The south gate is labeled “Ancient Lumen Gate,” while the north gate bears the inscription “Guimen” in characters as large as a dou (a traditional measurement), written by Zhu Xi. Later, Zhao Ruirong, a calligrapher from western Wuyue, inscribed the phrases “Separating the Dust” and “Returning Clouds” on the northern sides of the south and north gateways, respectively. The upper floor features rooms facing each other with connecting corridors. From the upper level, looking north, you can see a dam locking in a flat lake, with green mountains and clear waters creating a picturesque scene, offering a full view of the scenic beauty of Nanshan Lake.

After walking through the gate tunnel, we eagerly climbed up to the building—this was our first time seeing the true appearance of the Genglou. The entire Genglou is essentially a quadrangle courtyard with connected eaves and corridors. “The building on the east side is the Genglou, and the one opposite on the west is the academy. This is the famous Lumen Academy,” explained Teacher Zheng. The academy was established by Lü Guishu of the Southern Song Dynasty, while the Genglou was built by his son, Lü Zuxi. “The academy was for local children to study in, and it was very prestigious historically, equivalent to today’s Tsinghua or Peking University.”

Whether it’s the academy to the west or the Genglou to the east, the structure of the houses in the entire quadrangle is largely the same. I remember the academy had four bays, while the others only had three. There is relatively little carving here, giving an overall impression of simplicity. Also located on the stone foundation, at the far eastern end of the Genglou, is a separately built house. According to the construction workers present, this is called the Zhongyi Shrine, which once housed the spirit tablets of 21 ancestors. As for their identities, the workers said they were “people who contributed to the academy,” but the expert accompanying us thought they might be ancestors of the Lü family. Between the shrine and the tower is an ancient well of unknown name, shaped like a regular rectangle, built of stone, and about 3 meters deep. The water in the well is shallow, making it look hollow—as hollow as the houses here, and as hollow as the time that has passed.

The existing Genglou was renovated in the third year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1798 AD), and locals commonly refer to the building and the gateway tunnel together as the Lou Dong. In reality, the east part is the Genglou, and the west is the Lumen Academy. The Lumen Academy was founded by the Southern Song Neo-Confucianist Lü Daqi. Daqi, whose courtesy name was Guishu, was originally from Shouchun, Anhui. In his youth, he studied under the renowned scholar Yang Shi along with his nephew Lü Zuxi (known among scholars as Mr. Donglai). Lü Guishu once served as professor in Wuzhou, imperial censor, and judicial officer in Henan Prefecture. Because he married into the Guo family of Shengzhou and admired the beautiful scenery of Lumen Mountain and water, he relocated from Wuzhou to Lumen, built a villa in Baise Villa, and established the Lumen Academy to educate the local youth. The Genglou was built by Lü Guishu’s son, Lü Zuxi, who once served as pacification commissioner of Huainan. He trained troops and cared for soldiers with clear authority and trustworthiness, achieving notable political results. However, due to conflicts with the powerful minister Han Tuozhou, he fell out of favor. At that time, society was unstable, and to protect the region, Zuxi organized militia for defense, built the Genglou and a military training ground. The open area in front of the Genglou today was the “military training ground” where Lü Zuxi gathered militias for drills. Wang Yuguo from Shanyin wrote a poem about the Genglou: “Bamboo clappers echo deep into the night, mingling with the Genglou drums. Cool winds sweep through early autumn, making one forget the lingering heat of summer. Two armies face off at the fortresses, as if inspecting solemn troops.”

Address: Guimen Mountain, 35 kilometers southwest of Shengzhou City, Shaoxing

Type: Historical Architecture

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

Free admission

Guimen Township: The former Guimen Township and Linan Township have been merged to form the new Guimen Township. After the administrative division adjustment, Guimen Township covers an area of 138.08 square kilometers, with a population of 22,505, and governs 24 administrative villages. The township government is located at No. 12, Guimen Village (the former site of the Guimen Township government).

Guimen Township is located in the southwestern part of Shengzhou City, bordering Linan to the east, Jiangshan to the south, Dongyang to the west, and Changle to the north. The township has 33 administrative villages, 3,811 households, and a population of 10,861, covering a total area of 68.6 square kilometers. The arable land area is 7,848 mu, and tea plantations cover 5,718 mu... More detailed information about Guimen Township ++

Nanshan Scenic Area

Nanshan Lake National Forest Park

Tianxingtan

Puji Temple

Gold and Silver Waterfalls

Wanghu Pavilion

Fangyou Bridge

Nanshan Lake Lion Rock

Shaded Stone Path

Mandarin Duck Pond

Fengtan Lake

Meishu Piled Jewels

Taizi Lake

Prince Hall

Nine Dragons Beach

Green Bay Fishing

Qiansi Pool Waterfall

Lucky Stone