Former Residence of Xishan

Former Residence of Xishan

The Former Residence of Xishan is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The Former Residence of Xishan is located in Xianyang Town, Pucheng County, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

This site is located on the main street of Xianyang Town, Pucheng County, and was the former home of the Southern Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar and Vice Grand Councilor (vice prime minister) Zhen Dexiu (courtesy name Xishan). The residence faces south and features a mixed brick-and-wood structure. It was originally built in the 14th year of the Jiading era (1221) of the Song Dynasty. In the 8th year of the Xianfeng era (1858) of the Qing Dynasty, it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 14th year of the Guangxu era (1888). It stretches 66 meters from north to south and 21 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 1,221.4 square meters, including a building area of 632.53 square meters and a courtyard area of 588.87 square meters. The property is enclosed by walls on all four sides, with drainage ditches along the outer sides of the east, west, and south walls. The central axis consists of a decorative wall, front courtyard, entrance hall, central patio, main hall, and rear courtyard. The main hall has three bays in width and four in depth. There are wing rooms and side gates on both sides. The upper lintels of the side gates are inscribed with characters such as “Luan Fei” (Flying Phoenix) and “Yu Yue” (Leaping Fish), rendered in intaglio regular script on brick plaques. The interior beams, pillars, brackets, and even the roof tiles are adorned with exquisite carvings. Both halls feature flush-gable roofs and a mixed post-and-lintel and beam-raising structural style. The front hall’s crossbeam bears a Qing Dynasty plaque inscribed with “Former Residence of Master Zhen Xishan,” bestowed by Lü Peifen. Renovations were carried out in 1982 and 1984, and the structure remains well-preserved. Approximately 200 meters south of the residence lies the Yixian Bridge, a four-pier, three-arch stone bridge measuring 49.5 meters in length, 6.73 meters in width, and 1.7 meters in height. Yixian Bridge is an affiliated cultural relic of the Former Residence of Xishan.

Zhen Dexiu was a prominent statesman in the later Southern Song Dynasty, serving as Vice Grand Councilor. A leading Neo-Confucian scholar in northern Fujian, he passed away at the age of 58 due to illness. Posthumously, he was awarded the title of Silver-Green Light and Honor Grand Master and honored with the posthumous name Wenzhong. In the 3rd year of the Jiashi era (1210) of the Song Dynasty, he was enshrined alongside Zhu Xi. In the 2nd year of the Zhengtong era (1437) of the Ming Dynasty, he was additionally venerated in the Confucius Temple, and in the 3rd year of the Chenghua era (1467), he was posthumously titled “Marquis of Pucheng.” In the 45th year of the Kangxi era (1706) of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor bestowed upon him a plaque inscribed with “Upholding Orthodox Learning.”

The Former Residence of Xishan has been designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site.

Xianyang Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Pucheng County. Established as Xianyang Town in 1942, it was reorganized as a township in 1949, converted into a commune in 1958, and reinstated as a town in 1984. Located in the central-northern part of the county, it is 14 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 238 square kilometers, it has a population of 33,000. The Shenshan Highway passes through here. The town administers 23 village committees: Xianyang, Xiannan, Guanjiu, Xiayang, Kenyan, Taiping, Zhangxi, Dianji, Sanyuan, Xunyuan, Liancun, Yuliang, Xiaobi, Zaotian, Xunling, Yangdun, Fuxia, Baishan, Baihang, Gaoyang, Shangyang, Shanjì, and Yongjian. Local enterprises include shoe manufacturing, paper production, bamboo and wood processing, food canning, construction... More details about Xianyang Town++