Jinxi Zengjia Village

Jinxi Zengjia Village

Jinxi Zengjia Village is located in the northeastern part of Tengqiao Town, Linchuan District. The village is surrounded by mountains, with a stream called "Yehu Port" flowing in front of it toward the Fu River. Indeed, the bamboo and trees on the mountains are lush, and the clear stream in the valley babbles gently—the scenery is truly captivating. The ancestors of the Zeng family settled here.

In front of Zengjia Village runs a bluestone-paved road, which is said to have been an official route connecting Fuzhou to Fujian. At the entrance of the village stands a two-story "Gongbei Tower," symbolizing loyalty to the imperial court. Exiting Gongbei Tower and heading south leads to the "Six Dynasties Longevity Pavilion," embodying wishes for peace and prosperity under the Ming Dynasty. Not far ahead stands a famous memorial archway for successful imperial examination candidates, with the official road passing right beneath it.

The "Memorial Archway for Successful Imperial Examination Candidates" was first built in the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor’s reign during the Ming Dynasty. It stands seven stories tall and is magnificent in scale. On both sides of the archway, three massive stone pillars are arranged in a triangular formation. In total, there are four stone-carved lions, each over two meters tall, positioned in front of and behind the structure. The entire archway is constructed entirely from large embedded stones, which are intricately carved with vivid and lifelike figures and birds and beasts of various forms—its artistic mastery is truly astounding. The first level of the archway features a huge stone plaque, six meters long and nearly one meter wide. At the top of the plaque are inscribed eight large characters: “Father, Son, Brothers, and Uncle-Nephew All Served in Court,” reflecting the prominence of the Zeng family in their time.

To the west of the archway lies the "Huaguang Temple," while to the east is the "Yunlu Bridge," which leads to the "Jinhuangshan Academy." Stone steles stand on either side of Yunlu Bridge, and it is said that all civil and military officials had to dismount before crossing it. The Jinhuangshan Academy is built atop the nearby Jinhuang Mountain. Beside the academy is an Ink-Washing Pool, used exclusively for rinsing brushes. Not far away, along the Yehu Port, stands the "Wan-kui Pavilion." In front of Zengjia Village lies a bamboo grove, which, together with the village and the academy, perfectly captures the poetic imagery of “a gate facing a thousand bamboos, a home hiding ten thousand books.”