Hall of Double Imperial Mandates

Hall of Double Imperial Mandates

The Hall of Double Imperial Mandates is a cultural relic protection unit of Fujian Province.

The Hall of Double Imperial Mandates was built in the first year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1628 AD) by the descendants of Ye Xianggao to commemorate his two terms as Chief Grand Secretary.

The entire memorial archway is constructed from uniform dark bluish granite and imitates a wooden pavilion-style structure with double eaves and a four-sloped roof. It stands 10.07 meters tall, spans approximately 11 meters across four pillars and three bays, and is about 3 meters deep with three pillars and two bays. The gate of the archway spans the street, with a large moon beam serving as the lintel. Both sides of the beam are adorned with shallow relief carvings of mythical turtle heads, peonies, and double phoenixes. Below the beam are openwork bracket arms carved with divine turtles that support the structure. Above the beam are blue stone-carved lattice screens, featuring three sets of double-sided hollow carvings depicting human figures. The central set portrays playing the zither and chess; the carvings include both monks and laypeople, young and old, each with distinct expressions, clearly detailed robes, shoes, and facial hair. Above the lattice screen is an imperial plaque listing the official titles bestowed upon Ye Xianggao, his father Chao Rong, grandfather Guang Bin, and great-grandfather Shi Yan across four generations. It contains 21 lines of text with six characters per line, plus an 8-character inscription, totaling 134 characters. The plaque is supported by a cap beam on both sides, which also feature shallow relief carvings. Above the beam is a horizontal plaque inscribed with four seal-style characters: “Hall of Double Imperial Mandates.” The top floor of the archway is one bay wide and two bays deep. At its center stands a plaque inscribed with the characters “Imperial Favor,” surrounded by intricately carved flying dragons. On either side of the plaque are sets of brackets supporting the main crossbeam. At the center of the roof’s ridge sits a gourd-shaped finial, while the ends feature divine turtles holding up the ridge, their tails flipping upward. The side bays are slightly lower than the central bay. The pillars stand on stone platforms 0.33 meters high. Moon beams are still used between the pillars, with both sides featuring shallow relief carvings of turtle heads, supported below by hollow-carved bracket arms. The lower level is two bays deep. Between the pillars are blue stone hollow carvings serving as partitions, dividing the space into front and back sections. The carvings depict fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars. The front and rear eaves also feature blue stone hollow carvings serving as doors, illustrating historical tales such as “Su Wu Herding Sheep,” “Yang Zhen Refusing Gold,” and “Recording History Truthfully.” The tops of the pillars use bracket blocks, and the spaces between them mimic wooden structures with components such as cap blocks, base beams, and through beams. All three bays have overhanging eaves, matching the height of the central plaque. The upper level is only half as wide as the side bays and one bay deep, with a slight inward taper. It uses six pillars standing atop the roof of the lower level. The tops of the pillars use bracket blocks and stacked brackets, supporting the cap beam, whose ends are carved into three cloud scrolls. Below the beam is a bow-shaped beam, and the central pillar on the gable side uses double-layered bracket sets, extending out to support the eaves. All three sides have overhanging eaves, matching the full height of the archway. The roof ridge is inserted into the pillars at one end and carved with upward-curving cloud motifs at the other.

The “Hall of Double Imperial Mandates” has been well-preserved. In October 1985, it was listed among the second batch of key cultural relic protection units of Fujian Province, and in 1986, the provincial government erected a protective monument.

Yuping Subdistrict: Located in the city center of Fuqing, Yuping Subdistrict is the seat of the Fuqing Municipal People’s Government. It was officially established in December 2006. As the commercial and financial hub of Fuqing, Yuping Subdistrict is a convergence point for the city’s people, goods, and capital. It integrates culture, entertainment, education, residential-commercial areas, and industrial trade. Covering an area of 7.3 square kilometers, it has a total population of about 150,000, including 61,000 registered residents. The subdistrict governs 14 communities and 1 village. There are currently 24 grassroots Party organizations, including 5 community Party committees, with a total of 1,462 Party members.

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