Quyuan Archway

Quyuan Archway

Quyuan Archway is located to the east of Miaqiao in Xingguang Village, Shiqi Subdistrict, Haishu District, Ningbo. The archway faces south and is built along the river. It is surrounded by residential houses on its eastern, southern, and western sides, tucked away within the village. To the north, the terrain opens up, with the Nan Tang River—one of the three major ponds and rivers in Yinzhou—situated about 10 meters in front. The area is shaded by camphor and willow trees, with clear blue water rippling gently. This archway is a two-pillar, single-bay, single-story stone archway, standing 3.28 meters tall and 2.70 meters wide. The stone used for the archway comes from Xiaoxi stone quarried in Yinjiang, western Yinzhou District. The top of the archway now only retains a flat, rectangular slab. The stone pillars are square with slightly rounded corners, measuring 28×26 cm in cross-section, with the rounded edges being 4 cm wide, giving them a sturdy proportion. The pillar tops lack roll molding, and directly support the roof of the archway. The tops use a lintel beam that connects with the lower beam, forming a “T” shape in cross-section with the roof and lintel. Neither the lintel nor the lower beam extends beyond the pillars, and they are connected to the stone pillars using mortise-and-tenon joints. The lower beam is about 2.30 meters above the ground, and the lintel bears the two-character inscription “Quyuan” (Quyuan Archway) in the center. The upper inscription reads “Inscribed by Shen Jiutao, a local resident,” while the lower reads “Reconstructed in the 13th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, recorded by the community.” Though the inscriptions are somewhat faded, they remain faintly legible.

This archway is not recorded in any historical documents, and all surrounding ancient structures have disappeared. Nevertheless, it remains intact and stands proudly among the surrounding residential houses. In August 2007, it was designated as a Yinzhou District-level cultural heritage protection site, and after the 2016 administrative division adjustment of Ningbo, it was placed under the jurisdiction of Haishu District.