Memorial Temple of Zuo Zhongyi

Memorial Temple of Zuo Zhongyi

The Memorial Temple of Zuo Zhongyi is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Memorial Temple of Zuo Zhongyi is located on the campus of Tongcheng High School in downtown Tongcheng. Built during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, it is a dedicated memorial temple for Zuo Guangdou, commonly referred to as "Zuo Gong Ci." The current temple covers an area of 1,027.27 square meters and consists of three sections: the front hall, middle hall, and rear hall. All are wooden structures with a refined architectural style. Zuo Guangdou was a native of Tongcheng, Anhui. He passed the imperial examination in the 35th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty and served as the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. As an official, he was committed to national affairs, upheld justice, spoke bluntly, and had a commendable political reputation. In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, he was persecuted due to his opposition to the eunuch clique of Wei Zhongxian, was imprisoned, and eventually died in jail. After the accession of Emperor Chongzhen, his unjust case was redressed, and he was posthumously honored with the title "Zhongyi" (Loyal and Righteous).

The Memorial Temple of Zuo Zhongyi is connected to the Danjiao Hall. The temple was built by locals to commemorate Zuo Guangdou, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Ming Dynasty, while the Danjiao Hall was his former residence. Originally, the Memorial Temple of Zuo Zhongyi had three sections, featuring white walls, small tiles, large eaves, deeply recessed red doors, and paired stone door frames. Due to years of neglect, the front hall fell into disrepair, but in recent years, thanks to the protection and restoration efforts of cultural heritage authorities, its original appearance has been restored. All three sections—front, middle, and rear—are wooden structures. The middle section is the main hall, spanning three bays, with a seven-rafter beam structure plus front and rear auxiliary frames. The Danjiao Hall was originally an old-style, three-section building; its front gate tower was once destroyed but has since been restored. The middle and rear sections are well preserved. The middle section of the Danjiao Hall is the central hall, also called the "Danjiao Hall," with side rooms serving as upper chambers. The rear section is the residential area, built in the early years of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Both are key cultural relic protection sites.

Protected area: 5 meters beyond the foundation walls on the east, south, west, and north sides of the temple’s original site.

Construction control zone: 50 meters beyond the protected area on the east, south, west, and north sides.

Information source: Tongcheng Cultural Relics Bureau

Zuo Guangdou (1575–1625), courtesy name Gongzhi, also known as Yizhi, styled himself as Fugiu, was a native of Zhongyi Village, Hengbu Township (now Tongcheng). He passed the imperial examination in the 35th year of the Wanli reign (1607) during the Ming Dynasty.

His father, Zuo Chuying, known locally as Elder Zuo, had nine sons, with Zuo Guangdou being the fifth. Zuo Guangdou came from a poor family but was determined and ambitious from a young age.

In the 47th year of the Wanli reign, when Zuo Guangdou served as Left Censor-in-Chief, he inspected the capital and was outraged by the criminal activities of powerful gentry and corrupt officials. In one action, he confiscated over 70 counterfeit official seals and arrested more than 100 fake officials, restoring discipline and causing the corrupt officials to retreat in fear. ... More detailed information about Zuo Guangdou++