Wenchangli Cultural Tourism Scenic Area

Wenchangli Cultural Tourism Scenic Area

Wenchangli Cultural Tourism Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Wenchangli, located outside the old urban area of Fuzhou, houses one national-level cultural heritage site (Yulong Wanshou Palace) and 26 municipal-level cultural heritage sites. Among them, the most representative are Yulong Wanshou Palace (Fuzhou Guild Hall), Wenchang Bridge, Zhengjue Temple, the Catholic Church, and Xiaoyi Bridge. Meanwhile, the Gan-style residences, characterized by traditional Jiangyou architecture, are scattered throughout every corner of Wenchangli.

The name "Wenchangli" originates from the mid-Tang Dynasty when the Fuzhou government built a water-retaining dam on the Fuchun River section east of the city. After the dam was completed, according to ancient astrology: "Wenchang lies in the Dipper and to the north, presiding over Fuzhou." The dam was aligned with the Wenchang star, foretelling the flourishing of culture in Fuzhou, hence it was named “Wenchang Weir,” also known as “Qianjin Pi.” The Northern Song Dynasty continued the Tang system of rural administrative divisions, with the area east of the Fuchun River belonging to Gangdongxiang. Since this area had the Wenchang Weir, the nearby region was named “Wenchangli,” a name that has endured for a thousand years. Subsequently, place names related to "Wenchang," such as Wenchang Bridge, Wenchang Gate, Wenchang Hall, Wenchang Tower, Wenchang Pavilion, and Wenchang Veranda—representing a series of Gan-style buildings embodying the Linchuan cultural characteristics—emerged one after another.

In the mid-Tang Dynasty, to eliminate water hazards and irrigate farmland, the Fuzhou government mobilized the public to build a water-retaining dam on the Fuchun River section between Niejia and Yangjia islets east of the city. After the dam was completed, according to ancient astrology, "Wenchang lies in the Dipper and to the north, presiding over Fuzhou." The dam was aligned with the Wenchang star, foretelling the flourishing of culture in Fuzhou, hence it was named “Wenchang Weir,” also known as “Qianjin Pi.”

After the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty, the rulers continued the Tang system of rural administrative divisions. The outskirts of Linchuan County (i.e., the Fuzhou prefectural city) were divided into four xiang (wards): Gangdongxiang, Waixiangxiang, Wainanxiang, and Waibei xiāng. The area east of the Fuchun River belonged to Gangdongxiang. Since this area had the Wenchang Weir, the nearby region was named “Wenchangli.”

The name Wenchangli continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty. In the early years of the Republic of China, with the abolition of the grassroots rural administrative system, Wenchangli was renamed Dongwai Town.

In May 1949, Fuzhou was liberated, and Linchuan County’s Dongwai Town was changed to Linchuan City’s Dongwai District. In 1950, it belonged to the 4th District, Streets 7 to 10, of Fuzhou City (Town). In 1954, Streets 7 and 8 were merged into Qiaodong Subdistrict Office of Fuzhou Town, while Streets 9 and 10 were merged into Hedongwan Subdistrict Office. In 1956, the two offices were merged into Qiaodong Subdistrict Office. In 1958, Yangzhou Advanced Cooperative of Xiaqiao Township, Linchuan County, was incorporated into Qiaodong Subdistrict Office, which was then renamed Qiaodong Commune of Fuzhou Town. In 1966, it was renamed Dongfeng Commune, and in 1967, it was merged with Jinglu Road Commune to form Weidong Commune. The original Qiaodong Commune was reassigned to Residents' Management Areas 5 to 9 of Weidong Commune, while the three agricultural brigades of Xiangyang, Dongfeng, and Qianjin were transferred to Hongyuqiao Commune. In April 1954, Linchuan County carried out democratic reforms on the waterways and established the People's Government of the Waterfront District at Taiping Street in Wenchangli, overseeing vessels at the ports of Fuzhou, Wenzi, and Shangdun. In January 1956, the People's Government of the Waterfront District was renamed the Waterfront Suboffice. In April 1962, the Waterfront Suboffice was abolished. In July 1962, the Water and Land Transport Commune, referred to as the Water Commune, was added, mainly managing boat-related affairs. In October 1968, the Water Commune was abolished, and the authority to manage boat people was transferred to Dongfeng Commune of Fuzhou City. In 1979, Fuzhou City abolished the commune system, separating Qiaodong from Jinglu Road, and restored the name Qiaodong Subdistrict Office, governing five neighborhood committees (Lingzhishan, Rudongyuan, Guojiawan, Hengjie, and Taipingjie) and two agricultural brigades (Dongfeng and Qianjin). In February 1995, Fuzhou City and Linchuan County were merged into Linchuan City of Fuzhou Region, and Qiaodong Subdistrict Office of Fuzhou City was renamed Qiaodong Subdistrict Office of Linchuan City.

In October 2000, Fuzhou Region was abolished and the city of Fuzhou was established. Qiaodong Subdistrict Office of Linchuan City was renamed Qiaodong Subdistrict Office of Linchuan District. In December 2001, Yangzhou Town and Qiaodong Subdistrict Office were merged to establish Wenchang Subdistrict Office of Linchuan District. It governs five community resident committees (Taipingjie, Yangzhou, Hedongwan, Dongxiangcang, and Lingzhishan), 132 resident groups, and six village committees (Yaoping, Qianjin, Yangzhou, Qinguang, Xihu, and Fuji), with 44 villager groups. To this day, Wenchangli is part of Wenchang Subdistrict Office, including four community resident committees—Wenchangli, Dongxiangcang, Lingzhishan, and Qianjin—as well as parts of Xiaqiao Village.

Yulong Wanshou Palace

Yulong Wanshou Palace is located east of Wenchang Bridge in Fuzhou, facing southwest. It is 80 meters long and about 54 meters wide, covering an area of 4,320 square meters, and consists of a front, middle, and rear section. The front section includes a theater building (stage), front hall, and side rooms; the rear section is a three-story pavilion; and the middle section is the main hall. The main hall is further divided into left, middle, and right sections: the left is the Fire God Temple, the right is Wenxing Nunnery, and the middle is the Xu Xian Shrine (also called Jingyang Shrine).

In 2006, Yulong Wanshou Palace was listed as a key cultural heritage site of Jiangxi Province.

In 2011, Yulong Wanshou Palace was listed as a national key cultural heritage site. It is the only “national-level protected” cultural relic in the downtown area of Fuzhou and an outstanding representation of ancient architecture within “Linchuan Culture.”

St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Fuzhou St. Joseph’s Cathedral is located on Lingzhishan Road, east of Wenchang Bridge, Linchuan District. Construction began in 1908 and was completed in 1918. The entire cathedral covers an area of 3,850 square meters, with a floor area of 2,109 square meters. It is one of the largest cathedrals in China and a key open cathedral in the province. In 1995, it was included in the large-format pictorial “China Religious Culture” published by the State Administration for Religious Affairs.

The Fuchun River Qianjin Pi

The Qianjin Pi, located at the confluence of the Fuchun River and the Gan River upstream of Fuzhou City, is an ancient water conservancy project in Fuzhou. Built during the mid-Tang Dynasty, it has a history of over 1,200 years and has been known by names such as Huapi, Tuchenpi, and Lengquanpi. The existing Qianjin Pi was rebuilt during the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty, stretching approximately 1,100 meters in length with a top width of over 10 meters. It is a weir dam constructed from bluestone.

Local authorities state that the Ming Dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu once composed “Ode to the Golden Dyke” for it and compiled the “Qianjin Di Zhi” (Record of the Qianjin Dyke), detailing the construction process. However, these materials have been lost and await further research.

It is introduced that the Qianjin Pi is a large-scale enclosed-area water conservancy project in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, featuring multiple functions such as irrigation, water transport, drainage, and flood control. Its current irrigation area covers 22,000 mu.

Today, the time-worn Qianjin Pi still stands by the Fuchun River. During the flood season, about one-third of the floodwater is diverted through the Gan River, while two-thirds returns to the Fuchun River, continuing to play a crucial role in the urban flood prevention of Fuzhou City.

In 2017, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, listed the Qianjin Pi ruins as a municipal-level cultural heritage site. In 2019, at the 3rd World Irrigation Forum and the 70th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, the Qianjin Pi of Fuzhou, Jiangxi, was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list and awarded a plaque.