Group of Stone Mills in Ninghai

Group of Stone Mills in Ninghai

The Group of Stone Mills in Ninghai is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Group of Stone Mills in Ninghai consists of 7 sites with a total of 10 mills (units), spanning from the Ming Dynasty to the Republican Era. They are located in Xitou Village, Changjie Town; Siquanwang Village, Chayuan Township; Xujia Mountain Village; Lingxia Village, Shenquan Town; Likongyang Village, Liyang Town; Dong’ao Village, Yishi Town; and Meizhitian Village, Yuexi Township, all in Ninghai County, Ningbo City. Among them, there are four mills in Xitou Village, and one each in the other villages. On March 26, 2012, the People’s Government of Ninghai County announced that the Xitou Stone Mill, Xujia Mountain Stone Mill, Lingxia Stone Mill, and Likongyang Stone Mill were included in the sixth batch of county-level cultural relic protection units of Ninghai County. On January 13, 2017, the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province announced the Group of Stone Mills in Ninghai as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

1. Xitou Stone Mill Cluster

Park Stone Mill

Old School Stone Mill

Temple of the God Stone Mill

Temple-Front Stone Mill

In Xitou Village, Changjie, there are 4 mill bases. Except for one cylindrical roller, the rest are large-wheel mills. The large stone mill has a grinding disc circumference of 17.27 meters, a groove depth of 0.18 meters, a wheel diameter of 1.66 meters, and can grind 300–400 jin of grain at a time; the small mill has a grinding disc circumference of 3.5 meters, a groove depth of 0.13 meters, a wheel diameter of 1.63 meters, and can grind 200 jin of grain at a time.

2. Siquanwang Stone Mill

The Siquanwang Stone Mill base is located outside the eastern gable wall of the ancestral hall in Siquanwang Village, Chayuan Township. There are two mill wheels, one large and one small. A large “Wang” character is found on the small wheel, with 14 rows of smaller characters radiating below it. The left and right columns respectively read “Qianlong Jiyou” (“Qianlong Year of Jiyou”) and “Nian Si” (“Year 24”), while the other 12 columns each have an odd and even number facing each other, with the names of Wang family members carved in between. Each name is associated with a number above and below, leading some to speculate that these numbers and names may represent a usage schedule for the mill by different Wang family members.

3. Xujia Mountain Stone Mill

The Xujia Mountain Stone Mill is located in Xujia Mountain Natural Village, Xumin Administrative Village, Chayuan Township, Ninghai County. It consists of a grinding trough and a mill wheel. The grinding trough has a diameter of 5.13 meters and the wheel a diameter of 1.28 meters. The area is overgrown with weeds and the mill is currently abandoned. The wheel shows slight damage to its edges due to age and human factors.

4. Lingxia Stone Mill

The Lingxia Stone Mill is located in Lingxia Village, Shenquan Town. Made from local volcanic rock and crafted during the Qing Dynasty, it features a unique design. The entire grinding disc and trough are carved from a single massive bluestone slab, with a diameter of 3.2 meters. It is undecorated, with a central raised, bun-shaped section, a gently sloping grinding path, a large grinding surface, sloped side walls, and an opening to facilitate sweeping out rice flour and grains. The roller is short and columnar, with a roller diameter of 0.63 meters and a height of 0.4 meters.

5. Likongyang Stone Mill

The Likongyang Stone Mill stands next to a bamboo grove in Likongyang Village. It consists of a mill wheel and trough made of red stone. The wheel is large, with a diameter of 1.6 meters, the thinnest part being 0.02 meters and the thickest 0.08 meters, weighing about 350 kilograms. The trough has an outer diameter of 5.6 meters and an inner diameter of 4.6 meters. Restored in recent years to match the appearance of the ancient village, it is now fully restored. The Likongyang Stone Mill is relatively well-preserved overall and was an important agricultural tool in rural areas of the past, holding certain cultural relic value.

6. Dong’ao Stone Mill

The Dong’ao Stone Mill in Yishi Town is located at the village entrance, on the left side of the Da Xi (Big Stream). Both the mill wheel and trough are intact, but the grinding disc stone slab is missing. The grinding trough has a diameter of 5.2 meters, and the wheel a diameter of 1.75 meters. Currently, the inner stone slabs of the trough are missing, with cement applied around the edges, giving it certain historical value.

7. Meizhitian Stone Mill

At the entrance of Shangtian Village in Meizhitian, there is a stone mill. After restoration, both the wheel and disc are intact. The grinding trough has a diameter of 5.24 meters, and the wheel a diameter of 1.56 meters. The wheel is inscribed with the year “Minguo Jiwei Nian Tian Lunyou” (“Republican Year of Jiwei, Tian Lunyou”) and the names of donors such as “Jin Songyun One Pillar” and “Lü Bu Jin Half Pillar.”

Source: Cultural Relics Office of Ninghai County

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province