Site of the Wang Xitong Uprising

Site of the Wang Xitong Uprising

The Site of the Wang Xitong Uprising is a cultural relics protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Site of the Wang Xitong Uprising is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. It is located at No. 20 Taoyuan South Road in Ninghai County, originally the Temple to the City God, first built during the Guangde era (763–764) of the Tang Dynasty. In the third year of the Longxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1164), Magistrate Xue Kang rebuilt it, but it collapsed and was abandoned in the Yuan Dynasty. In the third year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1370), the temple was reestablished with new regulations, and the existing structures were renovated in the 24th year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1819). Further repairs were carried out during the Guangxu era and the Republican period.

In 1983, the county government allocated funds to renovate the gatehouse, enclosing wall, Five Phoenix Tower, Treasury Hall, and General Tribunal Hall. In 1990, the county government provided additional funding to repair the stage and the Rear Palace.

The main building complex consists of four courtyards, aligned along a central north–south axis in sequence from south to north: screen wall, Five Phoenix Tower, stage, covered walkway, main hall, and Rear Palace. Supporting structures include the gatehouse, General Tribunal Hall, Ghost King Hall, east and west side galleries, and Treasury Hall, covering a total floor area of 1,244 square meters. This is one of the larger ancient architectural complexes in Ninghai County today. The Five Phoenix Tower features a rolled-canopy roof. The beams of the covered walkway are adorned with exquisite carvings. The ceiling of the stage has a coiled spiral caisson design, and the bracket sets on the crossbeams feature layered upward-curving "ruyi" brackets. The dragon-and-phoenix decorations on the rooftop are vividly sculpted. On the gable-and-hip roof, newly modeled figures such as the “Tile General” and the “Roof Number One Scholar” are displayed. The chiwei (mythical beast) devouring the roof ridge and the soaring upturned eaves lend an imposing, lofty grandeur to the structure. The main hall has a gable-and-hip roof and combines post-and-lintel and beam-frame construction. The materials used are sturdy, and the bracket sets, block supports, curved beams, and inserted crossbeams all exhibit a robust beauty. Several carved wooden decorative elements on the pillars today remain remarkably lifelike.

On the twelfth day of the eighth lunar month in the 29th year of the Guangxu era (September 13, 1903), Wang Xitong, a scholar and leader of the "Tiger-Taming Society" from Dali Village in northern Ninghai, shocked Zhejiang by initiating an anti-foreign-religion struggle. He led nearly ten thousand followers to storm into the county town, setting up the uprising headquarters in this temple. They burned down the church and executed Father Zhu Guoguang and a group of notoriously evil missionaries and society leaders, delivering a heavy blow to imperialist aggression disguised under the cloak of religion. To educate future generations, the deeds of the Wang Xitong Uprising are displayed in the covered walkway.

Location

Zhongda Street, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province