Shengping Rentang Archway in Minhou

Shengping Rentang Archway in Minhou

The Shengping Rentang Archway is a cultural relic protection unit of Minhou County.

Shengping Rentang Archway in Minhou

Located in Fandou Lingji Temple, Fangdou, Qingkou Town, Minhou County, it was built in the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1860). The structure is a two-story stone gateway with square pillars, three entrances, and a hip-and-gable roof. The pillars, beams, brackets, and ridge decorations are all joined with mortise-and-tenon joints, showcasing a well-balanced and precise construction. The bluestone components feature relief and openwork carvings of various figures, birds, animals, and flowers. The entire archway stands 5.8 meters tall and is 5.2 meters wide. The central plaque reads “Shengping Rentang” (Longevity in Peaceful Times), with inscriptions on the sides stating: “In the tenth year of Xianfeng, the Ministry of Rites petitioned the emperor to approve the construction of this archway for” and “Lin Yuqi, a centenarian from Min County, aged 103.”

The four pillars of the archway are inscribed on both sides with four pairs of poetic couplets: “Divine virtue nourishes the body, granting boundless longevity; family surrounds the knees, joyfully pointing to years of celebration,” “The Emperor honors the aged with annual provisions; the elder rejoices at the imperial decree displayed at the honored lane,” “Born in an age of prosperity, often strolling in the benevolent longevity garden with cane and shoes; reaching great old age, leisurely chatting of peaceful times from dawn to dusk,” and “Pine years pass four seasons, yet the face remains youthful; elm years reach seventy, the antique visage truly admirable.” The verses are profound, and the calligraphy exquisite. The carvings combine relief, openwork, and round sculpture techniques to depict patterns such as “Jiang Ziya Fishing,” “Guo Ziyi Celebrating Longevity,” and “Queen Mother Riding a Phoenix,” along with floral designs. The craftsmanship is delicate, bold, and rustic, making it a precious example of Qing Dynasty stone carving art.

Designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Minhou County in 2003.

Qingkou Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Minhou County. One of the city’s vegetable production bases. Established as Qingkou Commune in 1983, restructured as a township in 1984, and upgraded to a town in 1992. Located in the southeastern part of the county, it is 37.5 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 137 square kilometers with a population of 73,000, it is traversed by National Highway 324. The town administers the communities and villages of Jingshang, Qianyang, Yangcuo, Huyu, Cunli, Hushan, Nongguang, Zhuangtou, Qingkou, Tuanyuan, Wenhua, Qingxiu, Hongqi, Shengqi, Xingfu, Qingpuli, Qingpuling, Hongyi, Honger, Hongsan, Hongsi, Jishan, Houfu, Lianfeng, Fuzhu, Meiling, Chuanwei, Changlou, Qianjie, Houjie, Fang... Detailed information about Qingkou Town++