Wooden Memorial Archway of "Serving as Imperial Censor for Three Reigns"

Wooden Memorial Archway of "Serving as Imperial Censor for Three Reigns"

The "Serving as Imperial Censor for Three Reigns" Memorial Archway is located in Mapu Village, Nangang Township, in the southwestern part of the county, 27 kilometers from the county seat. It was first built in front of the county government office in the late Ming Dynasty, then relocated to Zhuangyuanzhou, and rebuilt in Mapu Village in the 27th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1847) in honor of Cao Rulan, an imperial censor. The archway is designed in the style of a gatehouse, constructed of wood, with twelve pillars, three stories, and three bays. It stands 8.50 meters high, 7.55 meters wide, and 5.80 meters long, and is coated entirely in vermilion paint. It features a hip-and-gable roof, with the central and side stories supported by multiple tiers of brackets. The roof is covered with clay tiles, with a treasure bottle at the center of the main ridge, dragon-headed fish ornaments (aoyu) at the ends, and relatively long hip ridges with dragon figures modeled on the four winged corners. Below the stories is an octagonal caisson ceiling decorated with painted figures and floral patterns. The central bay serves as a passageway, with solid panel doors, each painted with warrior door gods. The side bays have wooden panel walls at the front, connected to side brick walls and eight-shaped brick walls, all plastered with white lime, and each fitted with fixed long wooden benches. Inside the archway is a simple wooden structure with a lime-plastered tile roof. Suspended from the brackets are a vertical plaque inscribed with "Imperial Favor" and a horizontal plaque reading "Serving as Imperial Censor for Three Reigns." The main pillars are adorned with two pairs of wooden couplets, one of which reads: “The White Tiger’s noble legacy endures; the Black Tribunal’s aura is renewed.” Due to years of neglect, many of the archway’s components, including rafters and tiles, are damaged. On August 29, 1983, it was designated as a county-level cultural heritage site. Potential development projects include restoring the "Serving as Imperial Censor for Three Reigns" Archway, constructing roads, a photography studio, and leisure cabins.

Nangang Town: Nangang Town is located in the southern part of Shanggao County. It borders Yushui District of Xinyu and Fenyi County, with the provincial Shangfen Highway and the Wujing Expressway passing through the area. The town covers a total area of 117.3 square kilometers, governing 1 state-owned forest farm, 9 administrative villages, and 1 directly managed team. The total population is 17,806, with 4,818 households, and the cultivated land area is 19,650 mu, including 11,910 mu of paddy fields and 7,740 mu of dry land.

Nangang boasts abundant natural resources and outstanding people. The area features Mengshan Mountain, which rises 1,004 meters above sea level and is known as the "Roof of Shanggao," as well as being hailed as the "... Nangang Town Detailed Information++"

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units