Jiangcun Father-Son Jinshi Memorial Arches

Jiangcun Father-Son Jinshi Memorial Arches

The Jiangcun Father-Son Jinshi Memorial Arches are a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Cihai defines a memorial archway as: “Also known as paifang. A commemorative structure in the form of a gate. Typically built from wood, brick, or stone, with inscriptions engraved on it. In ancient times, they were often erected in front of temples, tombs, ancestral halls, government offices, gardens, or at street intersections to promote feudal ethics and extol merits and virtues.” Clearly, memorial archways function to honor, commemorate, guide, or mark. Had time flowed backward 40 years, there would have been six grand archways standing proudly along the road from Jiangcun intersection to Shuikou. In the words of the elders in Jiangcun: “Juxiu Lake is like an inkstone, Xiangshan Pagoda is the brush, and the row of archways at the village entrance is the brush rest.” In addition, the concentration of archways, similar to those in Tangyue, was built in front of the Jiang Clan Ancestral Hall, spanning the old street with a group of six—an awe-inspiring sight for anyone who saw them.

The Father-Son Jinshi Memorial Arches are located on the old street of Jiangcun in Jingde County, the fortunate survivors among Jiangcun’s archways, spared largely due to the residential houses built right next to them. It is said that during the Cultural Revolution, some wanted to blow them up with dynamite but feared damaging nearby homes, so they resorted to burning instead, charring and cracking several stones, leaving the archways covered in soot and burn marks. Others say it was the flourishing literary culture of Jiangcun and the secret help of the God of Literature that saved the archways from destruction. The Father-Son Jinshi Memorial Arches stand on Jiangcun’s central axis, erected to honor the father-and-son jinshi (successful imperial examination candidates) of the 48th and 49th generations of the Jiang clan—Jiang Han and Jiang Wenmin. The father’s archway, also called the Jinshi Archway, was built in the early Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1488), standing 8 meters tall with a clear span of 3.3 meters between its two pillars. It is a two-pillar, three-story stone archway, with carvings of “double phoenixes” symbolizing the father and son serving as officials together, and depictions of qilins shining under the sun and lions playing with a pearl below. The entire stone archway remains largely intact.

The son’s archway, the Jiang Wenmin Jinshi Memorial Archway, was built in the 18th year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1505), also 8 meters tall with a 3.2-meter span between its two pillars. It is another two-pillar, three-story stone archway. One side of its crossbeam is inscribed with “Soaring to the Clouds,” while the other side reads “Glory of the Golden List,” with the “Imperial Favor” inscription shining above. Its carvings—including those of mythical ao fish—are nearly identical to the father’s archway, except for some damage to the southeast tile eaves on the second floor. It is said that historically Jiangcun had 18 memorial archways, including 16 “Imperial Edict” archways and 2 “Imperial Favor” archways. The large number of archways in Jiangcun reflects the wealth and prosperity of the clan, many of whom were merchants or officials, making it easier to raise funds for their construction. Displaying virtues such as “loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness” on the stone archways was only the surface; the deeper essence was the permeation of Confucian ethical ideology into people’s hearts. The abundance of exceptional individuals enriched architectural culture and gave rise to the memorial archway as a tangible symbol of Huizhou culture. In May 1998, the Jiangcun Father-Son Jinshi Memorial Arches were designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the Anhui Provincial Government.

Just imagine what a cultural landscape it would be if all those memorial archways from Jiangcun’s genealogies stood once again on the land of reality.

Specific location: Kantou Village, Jingde County