Memorial Hall of Sun Shu'ao

Memorial Hall of Sun Shu'ao

The Memorial Hall of Sun Shu'ao serves as a patriotic education base.

Located on the north bank of Anfeng Pond, 30 kilometers south of Shou County, the hall faces south and spans 3,000 square meters. It was constructed to honor Sun Shu'ao, the Chu prime minister, though the original construction date remains unclear. As recorded in the Commentary on the Water Classic, “the Shaopo River flows north past the memorial hall of Sun Shu'ao,” suggesting the temple was built no later than the Northern Wei Dynasty. It underwent multiple renovations during the Ming and Qing periods. The surviving structures include the main hall, the Huanqing Pavilion, and the Chongbao Gate. Inside and outside the hall, there are 19 stone tablets from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including inscriptions about the history of Anfeng Pond, diagrams of its irrigation system, a carved portrait of Sun Shu'ao, and his biography—valuable historical materials for studying Anfeng Pond.

The Sun Gong Temple is located by Anfeng Pond in Shou County, Anhui Province—a national historical and cultural city. Also known as the Chu Prime Minister Temple, Shaobei Temple, or Anfeng Pond Temple, it stands on the north bank of Anfeng Pond and was built to honor Sun Shu'ao for constructing Shaobei (Anfeng Pond). The exact founding date is uncertain. Anfeng Pond, often hailed as “the Number One Pond under Heaven,” was originally called Shaobei and was overseen by Sun Shu'ao, the Chu prime minister. To commemorate him, a temple was erected north of the pond, hence the name Sun Gong Temple.

Sun Shu'ao, surname Sun, given name Ao, courtesy name Shu'ao; his father, Sun Jia, served as Sima (military commander) of Chu but was killed by Dou Yuezhao. Sun Shu'ao took refuge in Mengze. Prime Minister Yu Qiu recommended his talent to King Zhuang of Chu, who appointed him as prime minister. Records in Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Model Officials state: “Sun Shu'ao was a commoner of Chu. Prime Minister Yu Qiu presented him to King Zhuang of Chu to take his own place. Within three months as prime minister, he governed with wisdom, harmonized the people, promoted virtue, eased laws yet maintained order, ensured officials were incorrupt, and prevented crime. In autumn and winter, he encouraged people to gather resources in the mountains; in spring and summer, they utilized water, each according to their needs, bringing joy to all.” To develop production, enrich the nation, and benefit the people, he selected the major grain-producing region of Shouchun. Leveraging the area’s geography—higher in the south and lower in the north, with abundant water sources—he constructed the Shaobei irrigation system, watering vast fields and rapidly revitalizing Chu’s economy, bringing prosperity to its people.

Legend says this initiative suited the national conditions and won widespread support. Locals reportedly built a temple by the pond early on to worship him. The Commentary on the Water Classic, under the entry for the Fei River, notes: “The river flows north past the temple of Sun Shu'ao,” confirming the Sun Gong Temple was built no later than the Northern Wei Dynasty. Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty wrote in his poem “Anfeng Magistrate Zhang Repairs Shaobei”: “The temple of the Chu prime minister still stands well.” In the Ming Dynasty, Wang Bangrui of Xuanyang Qiaolang wrote in “Passing Sun Shu'ao’s Temple”: “A hundred-li pond hosts a Chu temple standing tall; eternal seasonal rites stir deep thought. Tears shed on fallen stones are not mere ruins; his achievements like timely rain were no fleeting feat.” According to the Shouzhou Annals, in the 19th year of the Chenghua era (1483 AD), imperial censor Wei Zhang “renovated it extensively”; in the 22nd year of Chenghua (1486 AD), prefect Liu Gai “further restored it.” During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Yan Bo’er, the prefectural assistant, wrote in “Record of Sun Gong Temple” that the temple had “nine halls, corridors, and gates totaling 28 rooms, three monk quarters with nine rooms, and 57 windows and doors.” It also mentioned ancient cypresses shading the area. Visitors could admire Shaobei’s grandeur, pay homage to the legacy of the Chu prime minister, and rest amid courtyards, corridors, side rooms, trees, or windows—sheltered from wind, rain, heat, or cold. In the 58th year of the Qianlong era (1793 AD), Zhou Guanglin, prefect of Shouzhou, wrote in “Shaobei Chu Prime Minister Temple”: “The Chu prime minister’s temple, shaded by cypresses, stands serene; Shaobei’s clear waters ripple beneath blue mist. To know where his enduring legacy flows, listen to the autumn waters through thirty-six gates. A virtuous official’s path remains open through time; today’s attire echoes ancient dignity. Country folk wish to offer pond flowers, just as west winds ripen the rice.” Through multiple Qianlong-era renovations, a formal temple complex system took shape.

The main hall enshrines the statue of Sun Shu'ao, the Chu prime minister. The east side honors Huang Kezuan, prefect of Shouzhou in the Ming Dynasty, with a spirit tablet; the west side honors Yan Bo’er, prefectural assistant of Shouzhou in the Qing Dynasty, also with a spirit tablet. The east and west side rooms commemorate 48 officials from the Han to Qing dynasties who contributed to Shaobei’s development, with Wang Jing, governor of Lujiang in the Han Dynasty, and Deng Ai, governor of Yanzhou, among the foremost. The surviving structures include the main hall, the Huanqing Pavilion, the Chongbao Gate, and 19 stone tablets from the Ming and Qing periods. The three-bay main hall, situated at the rear, features a flush-gable roof, horse-head walls, front eaves, and a post-and-lintel beam frame. The Huanqing Pavilion, located in the middle section, is three bays wide and one bay deep, with a two-story, closely spaced eave design. Its walls have single-layer brick-carved corbel brackets supporting the eaves. The Chongbao Gate, at the front, also called the Stele Hall, is four bays wide, with the easternmost bay 3.3 meters wide and each subsequent bay decreasing in width from east to west. The gate is set in the second bay from the east, differing from the symmetrical gate placement in the main hall and Huanqing Pavilion, which are centered in their middle bays. Inside and outside the stele hall, 19 stone tablets collected from within the temple are embedded in the walls. These include records of Anfeng Pond renovations, boundary stones prohibiting its conversion to farmland, diagrams of Anfeng Pond, a carved stone portrait of Sun Shu'ao and his biography, and records of Sun Gong Temple renovations. Among them, the Ming Dynasty stone diagram of the pond shows its location, water sources, sluice gates, and irrigation overview, holding significant value in the history of hydraulic science. The cursive-script “Record of Anfeng Pond Renovation” inscribed by Liang in the 40th year of Qianlong (1775 AD) is also a favorite among visitors.

Ruled Chu for Three Years, Making King Zhuang a Hegemon – Sun Shu'ao

Sun Shu'ao (circa 630–593 BC), of the Wei clan, given name Ao, courtesy name Shu'ao, was a native of Yingdu, Chu. He was a statesman, military strategist, and hydraulic engineer of his time. During the reign of King Zhuang of Chu, he served as prime minister (equivalent to chancellor). According to the Jingmen Direct-Controlled Prefecture Annals, Sun Shu'ao lived in Baituli, Jingmen (later renamed Sunjia Mountain, at the border of Jingmen and Jingzhou).

When Sun Shu'ao was appointed prime minister, officials and commoners from across the state came to congratulate him. An old commoner arrived late and solemnly advised him that the higher one’s status, the more one should care for the people, and the greater one’s position, the more humble one should be... More details about Sun Shu'ao ++