The Caijiapan Ancient Architectural Complex

The Caijiapan Ancient Architectural Complex

The Caijiapan Ancient Architectural Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Anhui Province.

The Caijiapan Ancient Architectural Complex is located in Caifan Group, Jin Ying Village, Tangquan Township, Taihu County, Anqing City, Anhui Province. Constructed from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty to the late Qing and early Republican period, it comprises over 650 rooms, covering a built-up area of more than 14,600 square meters. It is an ancient architectural complex inhabited solely by the Yin clan. The complex is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with its main structures facing southeast from the northwest. It is divided into three tiers: ordinary residences, main halls, and ancestral halls. The ordinary residences are all two-story earthen structures with brick walls, featuring relatively simple interior and exterior decorations. Residences on different levels form a unified whole, interconnected by lanes, and are encircled by a small river lined with bluestone embankments.

The current residential population is 389, across 98 households, predominantly surnamed Yin; there are over 600 rooms of various sizes, with a total floor area of more than 13,800 square meters. There are eight representative ancient buildings that are relatively well-preserved. The residences are surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the main structures facing southeast from the northwest. They are divided into three tiers: ordinary residences, main halls, and ancestral halls. The ordinary residences are all two-story earthen structures with brick walls, featuring relatively simple interior and exterior decorations. Residences on different levels form a unified whole, interconnected by lanes, and are encircled by a small river lined with bluestone embankments. The main halls and ancestral halls feature grey-brick walls, small tiles, and horse-head walls, giving them a simple and elegant outward appearance. Their interiors are supported by pillars and beams made from locally sourced, hard, and rot-resistant chinquapin wood. These Huizhou-style artistic buildings, along with the ancient ordinary residences, together form the Caijiapan Ancient Residential Architectural Complex. Its grand scale and substantial size give it extremely high cultural relic value and historical research significance.

1. Lower Hall: Originally built in the 28th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1689), it has three sections in a row, featuring a courtyard and dozens of wing rooms, as well as a small stone entrance gate, all well-preserved.

2. Middle Hall: A Qing Dynasty structure, renovated in the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign (1870). It includes a courtyard and wing rooms. Its main gate lintel features four wooden round ornaments, symbols of ancient academic or official honors.

3. Upper Hall: Originally named Liulong Hall, it was first built in the 56th year of the Qianlong reign (1791). This hall is relatively large, with eight existing wooden pillars in the main room, a courtyard, and wing rooms, all well-preserved.

4. Chengxi Residence: Built by Yin Chengxi (1655–1680) in the 18th year of the Kangxi reign (1679). It features a beam-and-column structure with diagonal wooden braces.

5. Weijia Residence: Built in the 2nd year of the Yongzheng reign (1724). Weijia was an ancestor common to the residents of both the Middle Hall and Upper Hall, hence this residence serves as the central structure for the entire residential compound. Its architecture is rustic, featuring enclosed firewalls, intricately carved beams, and exquisitely crafted diagonal braces. The walls are adorned with ink paintings and poetry: “A stretch of apricot blossoms ten miles red, the top scholar returns swift as a flying steed.”

6. Yuchun Residence: Built by Yin Yuchun (1795–1851), the third-generation descendant of Weijia. The building is simple and elegant, featuring a wooden gated fence, and is well-preserved.

7. Yin Jichen’s Former Residence: Built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. Yin Jichen, also known as Liangbi or Mengyan, achieved the status of a provincial examination graduate (Juren) in the 28th year of Guangxu (1902) and was appointed to the Grand Council as a military secretary by imperial decree in the 30th year (1904). In the 33rd year of Guangxu, he passed the metropolitan exam and was appointed as a Grand Secretariat scribe. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, he held positions such as county magistrate, head of the military law department, commander of the Xiangyang garrison, and president of the Taihu County Finance Committee. This building is a classic example of Huizhou-style architecture, featuring a courtyard, wing rooms, horse-head walls, and an eight-character gate, all well-preserved.

8. Yin Clan Ancestral Hall: Originally built in the 7th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1802 AD). The plaque above the main gate, inscribed stone pillars, and couplets are all well-preserved.

In March 2009, the Taihu County People's Government listed it as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. In June 2012, it was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit by the Anhui Provincial People's Government.

Protected Area: The main bodies of the various ancient architectural complexes and ancestral halls.

Construction Control Zone: A 15-meter buffer zone surrounding the protected area.

Jin Ying Village: Located in Tangquan Township, Taihu County, Jin Ying Village sits by the shore of Huating Lake, in the northeast corner of the township, bordering Shipai Town to the east. The village has 446 households, a farming population of 1,576, 19 villager groups, 4 administrative groups, 2 party branches under the general branch, 4 party cells, 55 party members, 2 single-teacher schools with 47 students and 4 teachers, 2 hired village workers, and a village clinic staffed by 3 medics.

The village covers a total land area of 12,000 mu, including 868 mu of paddy fields, 245 mu of dry land, and 9,800 mu of mountainous land. It has 220 mu of forest farms and 1... (detailed information on Jin Ying Village continued)

Further Reading:

· The Fifth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Anqing City