Chengkan Baolun Pavilion

Chengkan Baolun Pavilion

Chengkan is a treasure trove of ancient Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, and the ancient ancestral hall Baolun Pavilion in the village is undoubtedly a dazzling jewel in this collection.

The ancestral hall covers an area of over five mu, divided into front, middle, and rear sections, with five tiers of gables that rise progressively, giving it a majestic and imposing presence. The first section is the ceremonial gate, behind which lies an eight-zhang (approx. 26.6 meters) square courtyard flanked by corridors. The second section is the main hall, featuring six square stone pillars standing solemnly at the front, behind which are twenty-four large round wooden columns. The four central pillars in the hall are so thick that one person cannot encircle them. Overhead, beams and rafters overlap in a crisscross pattern, with the central winter melon-shaped beam being especially grand and dignified. A plaque inscribed with the four characters “Yi Lun You Xu” (Order of Rites and Principles) hangs in the hall, penned by the famous Ming Dynasty calligrapher Dong Qichang. Behind the tall plank doors and screen wall of the hall is another courtyard, beyond which lies the third section — the Baolun Pavilion.

The Baolun Pavilion is the finest part of the entire ancestral hall. It is said that Luo Yinghe, who oversaw the continued construction of the hall, served as an imperial censor and minister of the Dali Temple during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, earning the deep trust of Emperor Shenzong. Luo “built the pavilion as a token of enduring imperial grace,” hence the name “Baolun Pavilion.” Over time, the entire ancestral hall came to be commonly referred to as the “Baolun Pavilion.”

The Baolun Pavilion consists of three three-bay sections, plus stairwells at both ends, totaling eleven bays. A plaque inscribed with the name “Baolun Pavilion,” handwritten by Wu Shihong, hangs high under the eaves. The courtyard and building are separated by balustrades made of black stone from Yixian County, adorned with carved reliefs of flowers and geometric patterns. The railing posts of the three staircases are all topped with carved stone lions. Ten stone pillars at the foot of the steps curve gently inward, with dozens of round columns standing behind them, supporting the interwoven moon beams. The domed roof and upturned eaves, along with the cloud-patterned carvings between beams and columns, hollowed beam-end substitutes and pillar caps, and lotus-patterned bracket carvings, are dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful. The painted patterns on the beams are exquisite and vibrantly colored; despite being over 400 years old, they remain vivid and unfaded.

The Baolun Pavilion features clever structure, delicate carvings, and splendid painted artwork, embodying the essence of antiquity, elegance, grandeur, and beauty, and is hailed as a masterpiece of ancient Ming dynasty architecture.

On either side of the Baolun Pavilion are staircases leading upstairs. Climbing thirty wooden steps, you’ll find rows of neatly arranged round wooden columns upstairs, with the exposed roof trusses finished in polished blue bricks. In addition, it is the highest point in Chengkan Village, offering a distant view of the misty peaks of Huangshan’s Tiandu and Lianhua mountains.

With its ingenious structure, exquisite carvings, and magnificent painted decoration, the Baolun Pavilion combines antiquity, elegance, grandeur, and beauty in one, making it a unique gem among ancient Ming dynasty architecture.

Experts and professors from China's Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Culture, and many universities who visited and studied the site have concluded that: whether viewed in terms of the overall skyline of the village or the outlines of its individual buildings, Chengkan possesses the distinctive style of a cultural ancient village from the Ming and Qing periods. This holds significant value for the study of ancient architectural history, design, technology, and art, as well as for research into the rise of ancient Huizhou villages, clan systems, folk customs, and cultural arts.