Wengfeng Ancient Architectural Complex

Wengfeng Ancient Architectural Complex

The Wengfeng Ancient Architectural Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The Wengfeng Ancient Architectural Complex is located in Wengfeng Village, Hubei Town, Jiaocheng District, Ningde City, dating from the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era.

Overview: It consists of the Chen Jujai Ancestral Hall, the Former Residence of Huang Lizhen, the Huan Shui Palace, and the Former Site of the Min Dong Red Army Stone Hall Training Command. The Chen Jujai Ancestral Hall was renovated multiple times during the Ming and Qing dynasties and now exhibits Qing-style architecture. The hall primarily enshrines the Neo-Confucian scholar Chen Pu, covering an area of 292.6 square meters. It features a single-courtyard layout with a gate inscribed “Ancestral Hall of Mr. Chen Jujai.” The main hall has five bays with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof. The Former Residence of Huang Lizhen was built between 1821 and 1861 during the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing Dynasty, serving as the dwelling place of Huang Lizhen, a renowned military general who guarded Taiwan. The residence includes a gate pavilion, courtyard, main building, front and rear corridors, and side rooms, covering an area of 335.2 square meters. The main building has three bays, with a front corridor featuring a coiled-shuttered hip-roofed structure and post-and-lintel wooden framing. The Huan Shui Palace was a sacred site where the thirty-six villages of ancient Shitang jointly worshipped the Goddess Chen Jinggu. Established during the Song and Yuan dynasties, it was rebuilt in 1744 during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty along with a stage, consisting of a gate hall, stage, and main hall, covering an area of about 380.5 square meters. The main hall has three bays with a mixed post-and-lintel and through-tenon wooden frame, featuring an octagonal caisson ceiling at the center and a single-eave gable-and-hip roof. The Former Site of the Min Dong Red Army Stone Hall Training Command is a late Qing residential structure, comprising a main gate, front courtyard, main entrance, gate hall, front courtyard and side rooms, main hall, rear courtyard, rear building, left and right wing rooms, and backyard, covering an area of 858.2 square meters. From the winter of 1937 to January 1938, the Min Dong Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army trained here before heading north to resist the Japanese invasion, with its command headquarters stationed at this site.

Protected Area: An extension of 20 meters outward around each individual structure.

In 2018, the Wengfeng Ancient Architectural Complex was announced by the Fujian Provincial People’s Government as part of the ninth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites.

Wengfeng Village: Located in the western part of Jiaocheng District, Ningde City, Wengfeng Village faces Zhanqi Peak to the south, the “Laughing Lion” Peak to the north, and the peaks of Bijia Mountain, Wenbi Peak, and Yan Shi Mountain to the east. To the west is the General’s Peak, while the northeastern area is rugged with abundant rock formations, making the entire region resemble a grand stone hall. Additionally, there is a mountain named Shitangshan to the north, hence the village was historically called Shitang. Later, due to the fame of Chen Pu, who was born in Shitang (now Wengfeng Village) during the transition from the Song to the Yuan Dynasty, locals also referred to him as Mr. Shitang. Shitang was once known as Yuanzhou during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and it wasn’t until the 32nd year of the Republican era that it was renamed Wengfeng Village. The name Shitang has a history spanning over a thousand years... Detailed Information on Wengfeng Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites