The Daobashi Stone Memorial Archway

The Daobashi Stone Memorial Archway

The Daobashi Stone Memorial Archway is a cultural relic protection unit of Anqing City.

Located at No. 61–63 Daobashi Pedestrian Street, facing east-west and standing right by the street. Originally a white marble memorial archway with four pillars and three gates, the front of the arch bore the inscription “Yellow Gate Censor,” while the back was inscribed with “Blue Lock Counselor.” The archway featured bas-relief carvings depicting historical figures and stories, surrounded by cloud-and-dragon patterns. The upper parts of the central pillars were carved with lattice window designs; the base was carved with four upside-down crouching stone lions, with curly manes, round eyes, open mouths, and outstretched claws, creating vivid imagery. In the third year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1853), the stone-carved human heads were destroyed. During the Cultural Revolution, the stone lions were smashed, and most of the archway was demolished. Today, only the southern section of the archway’s pillars remains, measuring 2.35 meters in width, with carved lattice windows, cloud-dragons, and human figures on the lintel. In 1986, a cement replica of the archway was built at the western entrance of Daobashi Street.