Feng Yue Painted Archway

Feng Yue Painted Archway

Feng Yue Painted Archway is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangbei District.

Feng Yue Painted Archway

Feng Yue Painted Archway was the former residence of Feng Yue, Minister of Justice in Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era, bestowed upon him by Emperor Wanli. All beams, columns, lintels, headers, and bracket arms of the archway are adorned with pastel-colored designs featuring "peacock and peony," "crane," and "lotus leaves." Some bracket pillars also feature openwork carvings of dragons, phoenixes, qilins, lingzhi mushrooms, and ruyi symbols. In front of the gate stands a screen wall, and there used to be a pair of stone lions.

Judging from its architectural style and structural features, this archway is an authentic relic from the Ming Dynasty, preserving valuable historical information on the composition, color usage, and painting techniques of high-end civil architecture in southern China during the mid-to-late Ming period. It is one of the few surviving examples of Ming-era painted architecture in southern China.

In June 2003, the Cicheng Ancient County Development Co., Ltd. invested 300,000 yuan in renovation costs and carried out a comprehensive year-long restoration of the archway in strict accordance with the principle of “restoring as it was” under the Cultural Relics Protection Law. This effort played a crucial role in preserving the long-neglected structure.

Thanks to this restoration, a series of structural issues such as water leakage, termite damage, building tilt, and component decay were largely resolved. However, after enduring over four hundred years of weathering, the painted decorations on the main architectural components have significantly faded, and no better preservation methods or measures have yet been found. Additionally, the surrounding environment of this cultural relic protection unit has not yet been well coordinated or protected.

Feng Yue (1495–1581), courtesy name Wangzhi, art name Zhenxin, was a native of Cixi County, Zhejiang. He passed the imperial examination in the fifth year of the Jiajing era (1526) and held positions including Assistant Minister of Works, Vice Minister, Provincial Administration Commissioner of Jiangxi, Inspector General of Huguang, and Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs in Huguang, Sichuan, and Guizhou under the Ministry of War. Later, he rose to the position of Minister of Justice in Nanjing. He passed away in 1581 at the age of 87. His works include “Xu Xing Manuscript.”

… Feng Yue’s detailed information++

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