Former Residence of Master Yuanying

Former Residence of Master Yuanying

The former residence of Master Yuanying is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The former residence of Master Yuanying is located in Duanshang Village, Pinghu Town, Gutian County, dating back to the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era.

Description: It consists of the residence, a private school, and a schoolhouse. The residence is where Master Yuanying was born and spent his childhood, the private school is where he studied as a child, and the schoolhouse was funded and established by the master for his hometown. The residence was originally built during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1628–1644), with the existing structure being from the Qing Dynasty. It is a two-story building facing south, with a width of five bays and covering an area of about 150 square meters. It features a post-and-lintel wooden frame and a flush-gable roof. The private school is a two-courtyard complex covering 360 square meters, consisting of a porch, front courtyard, side courtyards (with side yards) on both sides, main house, rear courtyard, and side wing rooms on both sides, as well as a rear house. All buildings are two stories high, with the main house featuring three bays and two stories, and gabled side walls. The schoolhouse was funded and built by Master Yuanying in the 1940s for his hometown. It is a two-story earthen structure with rammed earth walls, covering an area of about 400 square meters. Internally, it has seven bays in width and three in depth, with a triangular truss structure and a hip-and-gable roof. Master Yuanying was a leading figure in the Buddhist Association of China during the Republican era and in the early years of the People’s Republic.

In 2018, the former residence of Master Yuanying was designated as part of the ninth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People’s Government of Fujian Province.

Protected area: An extension of 20 meters outward from the outer edges of the residence, private school, and schoolhouse buildings.

Duanshang Village: Located in the northeastern part of Pinghu Town, Duanshang Village is 10 kilometers from the town center. The village covers a total area of 20,586 mu, including 1,658 mu of arable land and 7,300 mu of forest land. It includes three natural villages—Duanshang, Zhe Shan, and Ji Ding—and has 12 villager groups, with a population of 261 households totaling 1,058 people and 28 villager representatives. The village has one Party branch, with 43 current Party members, including 2 probationary members. The village’s two committees consist of six members—three from the Party branch and three from the village committee. The main industries are edible mushroom cultivation, rice farming, and fruit growing. The primary sources of income for villagers are… Detailed information about Duanshang Village++

Further reading:

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