Memorial Temple of He Mijian

Memorial Temple of He Mijian

The Memorial Temple of He Mijian is a cultural heritage site protected at the Haishu District level.

The Memorial Temple of He Mijian is situated at No. 98 Liuting Street, Haishu District, Ningbo. It was constructed to commemorate He Zhizhang, a celebrated poet of the Tang Dynasty. In December 1981, it was declared a district-level cultural relic protection unit under Haishu. The current buildings were renovated in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1865). In the 14th year of the Shaoxing reign in the Song Dynasty (1144), the prefectural governor Mo Jiang set up the “Yilao Hall” on the site where He Zhizhang once studied, dedicated to the worship of both He Zhizhang and Li Bai. Over time, the site underwent multiple cycles of prosperity and decline, with additions made along the way, until the 19th year of the Zhi Zheng reign in the Yuan Dynasty (1359), when it was formally established as a dedicated temple. During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1398), the temple was relocated to its current site.

He Zhizhang (659–744), courtesy name Jizhen, was a native of Yongxing County (also known as Sushan), Kuaiji. He passed the imperial examination in the first year of the Zhenzai reign of the Tang Dynasty (695) and subsequently held various official positions, eventually attaining the rank of Director of the Imperial Library. In December of the second year of the Tianbao reign (743), he resigned from his post due to illness and returned to his hometown. He Zhizhang excelled both in literature and calligraphy, particularly in cursive and clerical scripts. Known for his open-minded and affable nature, he was an eloquent conversationalist. A lover of wine, he forged close friendships with such figures as Du Fu and Li Bai. In his later years, he became even more uninhibited, referring to himself as the “Madman of Siming” and also as the “External Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat.” He took pleasure in wandering the streets and alleys, often composing essays swiftly after getting slightly tipsy with a brush in hand—though unfortunately, very few of his original writings have survived.

The architectural layout of the temple is grand and well-preserved. As a memorial dedicated to a notable figure, it holds substantial physical reference value for the study of Ningbo’s local history, cultural development, and architectural evolution.

He Zhizhang (659–744), courtesy name Jizhen, art name “Madman of Siming,” was of Han ethnicity and a native of Yongxing (present-day Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province), Kuaiji Commandery, Yue Prefecture, Tang Dynasty. He Zhizhang’s poetry, especially his quatrains, was highly regarded. Aside from ritual hymns and court-commissioned poems, his landscape and lyrical works are noted for their unique style, freshness, and elegance. His two famous poems, “Occasional Verses on Returning Home,” are widely loved and have been passed down through the ages. Nineteen of his poems are preserved in the Complete Tang Poems.

In his early years, He Zhizhang moved to Shanyin (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). Even as a youth, he gained a reputation for his poetry and prose. In the first year of the Zhenzai reign of Empress Wu Zetian during the Tang Dynasty (695), he passed the imperial examination and was initially appointed as a Doctor of the Four Gates of the National Academy, later advancing to a… More details about He Zhizhang ++