Tengqiao Archway Cluster

Tengqiao Archway Cluster

Tengqiao Archway Cluster (including the Huangzuo Archway, Zengdong Archway, and Houyuan Filial Piety Archway)

The Huangzuo Archway was first built in the 20th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1592). It has a history of over 410 years. According to the Tongzhi edition of the “Linchuan County Annals,” Huangzuo, styled Zhenqing, was a successful imperial examination candidate (jinshi) of the Ming Dynasty. In the year 1588 (the Wuzi year of Wanli), due to

a major famine, Huangzuo resolutely donated a thousand dan of grain to relieve the people’s suffering. As a result, he was commended by the emperor, granted the title of “Assistant to the Nation,” and was bestowed an archway in his honor as a memorial.

The Huangzuo Archway is pavilion-style, with bracket sets (dougong) on its eaves, and is constructed from rough-hewn stone. It features four pillars, three gates, and four tiers. The pillars are square and made of rough-hewn stone, standing 6.2 meters tall and 4.3 meters wide. The top tier is inlaid with a stone plaque carved with dragons and inscribed with the imperial edict “Sacred Decree” and “Imperially Commissioned.” The second tier bears the inscription “Shangyi Archway” (Archway of Righteousness) on the front and the characters “Filial Piety” on the back. The third tier is engraved with large intaglio characters reading “Commendation of the Meritorious Official Huangzuo” along with a “Biography of Huangzuo,”

detailing Huangzuo’s life and the construction date of the archway. The calligraphy is clear and the strokes bold. On the lower part of the archway, the middle two stone pillars are carved with four stone lions, which are particularly precious. The lions sit back-to-back, lifelike and majestic. Other decorations include openwork patterns and various human figures.

The archway is adorned with carvings and paintings of dragons, phoenixes, lions, tigers, leopards, deer, horses, cranes, turtles, magpies, swallows, carp, peonies, lotuses, daffodils, hibiscus, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and pine trees—animals and plants regarded by the folk as symbols of good fortune and prosperity. These auspicious elements are combined into various patterns that vividly showcase the customs and culture of Fuzhou during the Ming Dynasty, making it a masterpiece of carving art.

The Scholar-Archway, also known as the “Zengdong Archway,” is located in Zengjia Village, Lanxi, Tengqiao Town, Linchuan, Jiangxi. Built in the 13th year of the Chongzhen era, it was erected to honor the Zeng family for producing more than ten pillars of the nation. Seven tiers high and magnificent in scale, the archway is flanked on both sides by three massive stone pillars arranged in a triangular formation. In total, there are four two-meter-tall stone-carved lions positioned at the front and back of the archway. The entire structure is inlaid with massive stones, featuring intricately carved human figures and birds and beasts in various forms. The first tier of the archway is inlaid with a huge stone plaque measuring six meters in length and one meter in width, inscribed with the eight large characters “Father, Son, Brothers, and Uncle-Nephew All Serve at Court.” This archway reflects the glory the Zeng family enjoyed at the time.

The Filial Piety Archway is situated in a field east of the village. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, it resembles a giant shackle—mysterious, weathered, and tinged with a touch of desolation. Built in the 13th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1833), it was commissioned by Emperor Daoguang to commend the chastity of Madam Zeng, wife of Huang Xinglong from the village. The archway is a memorial archway-style structure, half red stone and half bluish stone, with four pillars and three bays in a “sky-piercing” design. The archway’s plaque and pillars are inscribed with texts commemorating its construction. At the top, there is a plaque inscribed with the words “Sacred Decree” and the characters “Filial Piety.” The archway is decorated with a variety of ever-changing floral, bird, insect, and fish patterns, giving it an exquisite and radiant appearance. It also bears the names and official titles of multiple contemporary officials from the capital and local regions.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units