Anqing Dashige

Anqing Dashige

Anqing Dashige is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Dashige is located in the second section of the Dashige architectural complex within Yingjiang Temple. It is a municipal-level key cultural relic protection unit in Anqing. This Western-style building from the Republican era has two floors, features a prominent entrance, and boasts a unique structure.

In the 16th year of the Shunzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1659), Ma Gang, the magistrate of Huaining County, built four structures from south to north along the west side of Yingjiang Temple: Sìyí Pavilion, Ciyun Pavilion, and Guǎngsì Hall. The Guǎngsì Hall was the original Dashige. In the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918), Zhou Xuexi, then Minister of Finance, renovated Yingjiang Temple at the behest of his mother. With leftover funds, he built the new Dashige on the west side of the Guǎngsì Hall.

The southern end of Dashige Lane is situated on San Kongqiao Street along the East Riverside Road. Ascending the cement path step by step, you’ll reach the elevated northern end where Dashige is located. The cement used in those days, referred to by locals as "foreign ash," was a rare material. The fact that this lane was paved with cement speaks to its high status at the time. A small path perpendicular to the cement road is paved with bluestone slabs. The narrowest part of the lane, as you head west, is so tight that only one person can pass through. Walking to the end of this “one-person alley” and turning north leads to a row of low, tile-roofed houses all built against the wall — these are temple properties. Locals commonly refer to them as “Shíbājiā (ga).” If you walk past Shíbājiā, you’ll arrive at the temple’s back lotus pond and monks’ pavilion behind Yingjiang Temple — today known as the Yingjiang Temple Back Garden.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Anqing