Luqiu Scholar’s Archway

Luqiu Scholar’s Archway

Luqiu Scholar’s Archway (referred to by villagers as Scholar’s Gate) is located at the front end of the central axis in the heart of Luqiu Village, Jintian Township, in the southern part of Anfu County, Jiangxi Province. Ten meters south of the archway, there used to be a Qing Dynasty Qianlong-era brick-and-stone structure called “Yizi Gate” and horse tethering stones. In front of the “Yizi Gate,” a plaza was established, with three-tiered stone steps along its southern edge. In front of the steps lies the village’s ancient carriage and horse path, which extends to the south where three ponds are aligned side by side (Sanjiang Pond, Central Pond, and Triangle Pond). To the north of the archway is a vertical ancient street, 8 meters wide and 80 meters long, with the Zidui Ancestral Hall at its northernmost end. The hall was built during the Ming Dynasty’s Chenghua era (1929), burned down, and was rebuilt in the 1970s as the village committee auditorium. On the east and west sides of the archway, residential houses are lined up. Since the Ming Dynasty, the architectural layout of the village has formed a settlement cluster marked by the archway.

The Scholar’s Archway is a pure wooden structure with four pillars, three bays, and three stories. It is 11.756 meters wide, 5.92 meters deep, and 8.245 meters high. Below the foundation, wooden piles are used as ground anchors. The ground supports twelve large fir roundwood pillars, which rest on stone bases. The upper parts include crescent beams and flat lintels, with the tops of the pillars reaching the central purlins of the eave stories, connected to the bracket sets of the eaves. The second story is symmetrical on both sides, while the third story features four tiers of bracket sets on the crossbeams, all topped with a gable-and-hip roof covered with green tiles. The central lintel of the first-floor middle gate hangs a plaque inscribed with “Shike Jiadai” (House of Merit Through Generations), originally bestowed by Peng Hua, former Vice Tutor to the Crown Prince, Minister of Personnel, concurrently Academician of the Hanlin Academy, and relative by marriage. On either side hang plaques reading “Enter Filial Piety” and “Exit Brotherhood.” The center of the second floor is inlaid with a wooden plaque inscribed with “Scholar,” with “Jiewu” (Following in Glory) and “Lianbi” (Linked Virtue) on the left and right respectively. The rooftop center features a gourd-shaped finial, with mythical beast ornaments (chiwen) on either side. The inserted beam cloud heads are mostly wrapped in wooden squares and carved with delicate floral patterns. The central bay of the gate has wooden doors that can be closed, while the side bays are partitioned with wooden screens, painted on either side with images of civil and military officials.

This archway is an extremely rare, well-preserved, and clearly dated complete wooden structure in Jiangxi. Its construction incorporates various craftsmanship techniques such as carving, painting, inlaying, hanging, wrapping, and assembling. Additionally, it bears a plaque inscribed by Peng Hua, a prominent official of the Ming Dynasty, Vice Tutor to the Crown Prince, Minister of Personnel, concurrently Academician of the Hanlin Academy. The archway encompasses multiple functions, including the display of scholarly honors, commendation of education, presentation of local customs, directional signage, commemoration of celebrations, and safety measures. It provides valuable physical evidence for the study of Ming Dynasty Confucianism, folklore, village culture, and official interactions in the Jiangyou region.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units