Shi'en Archway

Shi'en Archway

Shi'en Archway is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Built in the 24th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1545), it is located at the former site north of Desing Bridge at the intersection of Yongming Road in Cicheng.

In the Jiajing year of Yisi (1945), imperial censor Gao Qiu erected this archway in honor of the successful imperial examination candidates Zhou Xiang, Zhou Wenjin, and Zhou Hao, naming it Shi'en Archway.

Zhou Xiang, courtesy name Pengju, entered the Imperial Academy as a tribute student and became a Jinshi in the 13th year of the Zhengtong reign (1448). He was selected as an imperial censor of the Jiangxi Circuit, earning a reputation for his outstanding integrity.

Zhou Hao, courtesy name Cujing, was Zhou Xiang’s great-great-grandson. His father, Zhou Wenjin, was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations in the 8th year of the Zhengde reign (1513) and served as magistrate of Guangshan County (now part of Runyang, Henan). Zhou Hao passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi in the 11th year of the Jiajing reign (1532), later serving as an official in the Ministry of Revenue.

This archway has three bays, with a total width of 7.96 meters. The central bay is 3.8 meters wide, while the side bays are each 2.08 meters wide. The central pillar stands 5.92 meters high, and the side pillars are 4.46 meters high. The structure is made of stone in both bluish and reddish colors, though the bluish stone is better preserved. The pillars have small octagonal cross-sections and feature high-relief and openwork carving techniques, showcasing skilled craftsmanship, fine details, strong three-dimensionality, and lifelike designs. The archway is adorned with carvings such as the Red Phoenix Facing the Sun, Twin Lions Playing with a Silken Ball, Twin Dragons Chasing a Pearl, Phoenixes among Peonies, Cranes in the Clouds, and Qilins amid Scroll Grass. Among the existing memorial archways in Cicheng, this one boasts the finest carvings and holds significant importance for the study of stone architectural components. In May 1986, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.