The Houlong Ancient Architectural Complex

The Houlong Ancient Architectural Complex

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

The Houlong Ancient Architectural Complex is located in Houlong Village, Pingshan Township, Pingnan County, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Description: It consists of four ancient structures: the Longjin Bridge, the Baizhou Yilie Memorial Archway, the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall, and the Huiguang Temple. The Longjin Bridge is a wooden arch-covered bridge, built in the 27th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1847). It is 33.5 meters long, runs east-west, has an arch span of 23 meters, and features a bridge house with thirteen bays and a gable-and-hip roof. The bridge deck is paved with cobblestones, and the nearby Tianhou Palace serves as an affiliated cultural relic. The “Baizhou Yilie” stone memorial archway was built in the 10th year of the Daoguang reign (1830), faces south, stands 5 meters tall, and is a two-pillar, single-bay, three-story structure with a gourd-shaped finial. At its center is an imperial edict plaque, with inscriptions on the horizontal board reading “Baizhou Yilie,” and commendatory texts on either side. The architrave is adorned with exquisitely carved patterns. The Zhang Family Ancestral Hall was rebuilt in the 6th year of the Jiaqing reign (1802) and renovated again in the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign (1873). It faces south and features, along its central axis, a stage, an atrium, and a main hall, covering a total area of 382.8 square meters. The main hall has three bays and a mixed post-and-lintel and bracket-arm wooden structure, topped with a flush gable roof. The Huiguang Temple underwent renovations in the 47th year of the Wanli reign (1619), the 16th year of the Chongzhen reign (1643), and various points during the Qing Dynasty. Its main structures, including the main hall, retain architectural features from the Ming Dynasty. Existing sections include the entrance hall, atrium, and main hall, covering an area of 551 square meters. The main hall has a flush gable roof, three bays, and a post-and-lintel bracket-arm wooden structure. Elements such as the golden pillars, hanging pillars, short columns, beams, and brackets are uniformly shaped and well-proportioned.

Protected Area: Longjin Bridge: Extends 20 meters outward from both ends of the bridge, and 50 meters outward upstream and downstream. Baizhou Yilie Memorial Archway: Extends 20 meters outward in all directions. Zhang Family Ancestral Hall and Huiguang Temple: Extend 10 meters outward from the surrounding walls of the buildings.

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

Houlong Village: Houlong Village... More information about Houlong Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Sites in Fujian Province