Yishi Shangshu Archway and Hu Bingheng Residence

Yishi Shangshu Archway and Hu Bingheng Residence

The Yishi Shangshu Archway and Hu Bingheng Residence are listed as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Era: Ming to Qing Dynasty

Location: Longchuan Village, Yingzhou Township, Jixi County, Xuancheng City, Anhui Province

The Yishi Shangshu Archway and Hu Bingheng Residence are located in Longchuan Village, Yingzhou Township, Jixi County. Constructed during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522–1566), they have undergone multiple renovations over the centuries.

The Yishi Shangshu Archway is a stone structure designed to resemble wood, featuring three bays, four pillars, and five stories. It stands 10 meters tall and 9 meters wide, and was built in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign (1562) in honor of Hu Fu (1454–1522), Minister of Revenue in the Ming Dynasty, and Hu Zongxian (1512–1565), Minister of War. Its main structure consists of four central pillars, four horizontal beams, and seven lintels, with a drumstone on each of the north and south sides.

The stone roof is in the hip-and-gable style, carved from tea garden stone, with bracket sets supporting the eaves and a pair of mythical ao fish atop the ridge. At the center of the main story is a plaque inscribed with “Enrong” (Imperial Honor), while the flower boards on the south and north sides are engraved with “Yishi Shangshu” (Generations of Ministers) and “Yishi Gongbao” (Generations of Imperial Guardians), respectively, both calligraphed by Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty. The entire archway is well-preserved with exquisite carvings.

The Hu Bingheng Residence, belonging to a Huizhou merchant, faces south and is three bays wide, covering an area of 180 square meters. Built during the Qing Dynasty, it has two courtyards — a front hall and rear chambers — with a brick-and-wood structure, a flush gable roof, and horse-head walls all around, representing a typical traditional Huizhou residential dwelling. Upon entering the gate, you’ll find a square courtyard; the front hall is three bays wide and deep, with a gable-and-hip roof shaped like a herringbone. Passing through the screen wall leads to the rear chamber, a two-story building. To the right of the residence are the kitchen, yard, and an ancient well. The whole building remains intact, with exquisitely carved wooden components and doors/windows.

The Yishi Shangshu Archway boasts elegant structural proportions and exceptional craftsmanship. The Hu Bingheng Residence exemplifies the typical features of traditional Huizhou dwellings, with simple yet refined decorations. Together, they are important historical and cultural landmarks in Longchuan Village, forming, along with the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall, tangible evidence of the Hu family’s blend of scholarly and commercial pursuits, literary refinement, and governance.

(1) Yishi Shangshu Archway.

Protected Area: 3 meters east and west beyond the base of the archway, 12 meters south, and up to the north bank of Longchuan Stream to the north.

Construction Control Zone: 300 meters east, south, west, and north beyond the protected area.

(2) Hu Bingheng Residence.

Protected Area: 20 meters east, west, and north beyond the gable wall of the building, and 40 meters to the south.

Construction Control Zone: 50 meters east, south, west, and north beyond the protected area.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level