The Canghai She Ethnic Architectural Complex

The Canghai She Ethnic Architectural Complex

The Canghai She Ethnic Architectural Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The Canghai She Ethnic Architectural Complex is located in Canghai Village, Qingshui She Ethnic Township, Yong’an City, and dates back to the Qing Dynasty.

Description: It consists of Hualong Bridge, Longchang Archway, Longchang Block, and Longde Hall. Hualong Bridge is a wooden cantilever-beam covered bridge with a corridor, originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1736–1795) and renovated in the 1960s. It runs from north to south, with a bridge body that is 24.2 meters long and 6.6 meters wide, featuring an eight-bay corridor structure, each bay supported by four pillars and topped with a hip-and-gable roof. Longchang Archway was constructed in the fourth year of the Daoguang reign (1824), facing west with its back to the east. It includes a moon-shaped pool, gate tower, enclosing wall, open courtyard, lower hall, wing rooms, main hall, and side rooms, covering a total floor area of 690 square meters. The gate tower is three bays wide and three pillars deep; the lower hall is five bays wide and four pillars deep; the upper hall is five bays wide and seven pillars deep with a front porch. All feature post-and-lintel timber framing and gable-and-hip roofs. Longchang Block was built in the 28th year of the Daoguang reign (1848), also facing west. It comprises a gate tower, enclosing wall, open courtyard, lower hall, wing rooms, upper hall, bagua platform, side rooms, and enclosed residences, with a total construction area of 668 square meters. The gate tower is one bay wide and three pillars deep; the lower hall is five bays wide and four pillars deep; the upper hall is five bays wide and seven pillars deep with a front porch. All have post-and-lintel timber structures and gable-and-hip roofs. Longde Hall faces west and consists of a gate tower, enclosing wall, open courtyard, wing rooms, main hall, bagua platform, and side rooms, with a total built-up area of 587 square meters. The gate tower is three bays wide and three pillars deep; the lower hall is five bays wide and three pillars deep; the upper hall is five bays wide and seven pillars deep. All use post-and-lintel construction with gable-and-hip roofs. Between 1929 and 1934, the Red Army entered Qingshui twice. The Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Northern Expeditionary Advance Force, along with the Red Seventh and Red Ninth Armies that escorted them on their way north, passed through this area, leaving behind a large number of revolutionary slogans on the walls of the residential buildings.

In 2013, the Canghai She Ethnic Architectural Complex was designated as part of the eighth batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units by the People’s Government of Fujian Province.

Protected area: to the east up to the mountainside, to the west up to County Road 711, to the south up to the boundary with Qingshui She Ethnic Village, and to the north up to the boundary with Longwu Village

Canghai Village: Canghai She Ethnic Village is one of the nine ethnic minority villages in Qingshui She Ethnic Township. It is located in the southeastern part of Yong’an City, 46 kilometers from downtown Yong’an and 1 kilometer from the Qingshui town center. The village has a total population of 553 people, divided among 3 villager groups, with She ethnic people accounting for over 90% of the population. The average elevation is 700 meters, and the total area is 4,129 mu, including 560 mu of arable land and 2,956 mu of forestland, of which 251 mu are bamboo forests. The main sources of income for villagers include vegetable and tobacco farming, private transportation, and migrant work.

[Historical and Cultural Background] Canghai She Ethnic Village has a long history... Detailed information about Canghai Village++

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Fujian Province