Ancient Architectural Complex of Rongshan Cross Street

Ancient Architectural Complex of Rongshan Cross Street

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Rongshan Cross Street is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangxi Province.

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Rongshan Cross Street (including Dengke Mansion, Rishengchuan Residence, Rulin Mansion, Zhoushima Mansion, Waihan Mansion, and Huiliuzhuang Residential Buildings) is located in Xinjie Village, Rongshan Township, Linchuan District, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province. These ancient structures date back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

The complex features around twenty brick, wood, and stone residential buildings built by the local Wu family, forming a crisscrossing network that stretches nearly one kilometer — hence the name “Cross Street.” This ancient street spans nearly three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers) in length, lined with old houses on both sides. These residences, built with brick and wood, have tall walls, wide gates, and elaborately carved beams and painted rafters. The street itself is only 1.5 meters wide, giving it a narrow and secluded atmosphere. Each building is adorned with stone carvings of animal totems and four-character horizontal plaques featuring calligraphy. Most of the structures consist of two main halls and one central room, flanked by wing rooms.

The Ming and Qing-era ancient buildings in the village are densely arranged, grand in scale, and feature regular yet varied structures. Particularly notable are the rich varieties of carvings, with exquisitely crafted window and door lattices. Floral patterns, auspicious birds and beasts, and historical figures are rendered vividly on the ancient buildings, making them outstanding treasures of Ming and Qing residential carving art.

The historic residence “Jijiewuling” (Foundation Reaching Wuling) is a three-courtyard, three-hall compound, featuring gate plaques and ancestral tablets inscribed with “Dengke Mansion” (Mansion of Scholarly Success) and “Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher.” The inner courtyard is spacious, the halls are bright and airy, the doors and windows are adorned with carved patterns and gilded details, and the beams and rafters are covered in bas-reliefs. The entire structure uses refined materials and exhibits exquisite craftsmanship. This was the former residence of Li Fu, a renowned official of the Qing Dynasty. Li Fu (1673–1750), courtesy name Julai and alias Muzhai, was from Shanglu Village, Rongshan Town. He came from a poor family in his youth but was diligent and dedicated to his studies. In the 57th year of the Kangxi reign (1718), at the age of 35, he ranked first in the provincial imperial examinations. He later served in the courts of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors, holding positions such as Governor of Guangxi, Viceroy of Zhili, and Vice Minister of the Ministries of Rites, Personnel, Works, and Revenue. He authored over a hundred volumes of works, including *Chunqiu Yishi* (One Principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals), *Luxue Pu* (Genealogy of Lu’s Learning), *Zhuzi Wan Nian Quanlun* (Complete Discourses of Zhu Xi in His Later Years), and *Yangmingxue Lu* (Records of Yangming Learning).

Due to his impoverished upbringing, Li Fu was raised with great hardship by his maternal grandmother. After entering officialdom, in gratitude for her nurturing, Li Fu built a house for her in Rongshan. During his years in the capital, he frequently returned to visit her. In his later years, while serving as a professor and running an academy in Fuzhou, he often stayed at “Dengke Mansion.” Having withstood nearly 400 years of weathering, the mansion remains well-preserved to this day. Its stone carvings, wood carvings, and brick carvings retain the architectural style of Linchuan during the Qing Dynasty, making it an important historical resource for the study of ancient Linchuan architecture.

At the eastern end of the Cross Street stands an old house resembling the shape of a boat, locally referred to as the “Boat-shaped House.” Several residences in Fuzhou’s Lichuan, Guangchang, and Nancheng districts, which resemble ships, are also called “Boat-shaped Houses” and have drawn attention due to suspected connections with the “Hongmen Society.” This particular “Boat-shaped House” comprises three old buildings: “Ying’en Mansion,” “Waihan Mansion,” and “Zhoushima Mansion.” The entire structure emphasizes functionality and practicality in daily living, using a symmetrical longitudinal axis and a spatial layout full of variations. Walking through it feels like entering a maze, with crisscrossing halls and corridors interconnected. The “Boat-shaped House” has a design that embodies the saying “one man can hold the pass against ten thousand” — locking the front gate would effectively trap everyone inside. It is reported that the “Boat-shaped House” in Rongshan’s ancient Cross Street also has intricate ties to the Hongmen Society, drawing interest from cultural, tourism, and academic circles both in China and abroad.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units