Duanjiache Village Chastity Archway

Duanjiache Village Chastity Archway

The Duanjiache Village Chastity Archway is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Duanjiache Chastity Archway is located at the eastern entrance of Duanjiache Village in Heshang Town. It was first built in the fourth year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty. The archway features a one-bay, two-pillar, three-story structure and remains remarkably well-preserved without any major repairs over the past 130 years. All its ornamental ridges, bracket arms, and diagonal braces are intact—an extremely rare sight. The carvings on the archway are exquisitely detailed, with lifelike images and an elegant, rustic, bold, and graceful aesthetic. The content includes opera character stories, floral motifs, and birds and beasts, primarily rendered through relief carving, openwork, and round carving techniques. The craftsmanship is highly refined, reflecting the local architectural style and carving artistry of the late Qing period. The inscribed stone tablet on the archway reads “Chastity Archway of Madam Chen, Wife of Xie Lansheng, Third-Rank Official of the Ministry of Works, Department of Imperial Household Supplies, Presented with Imperial Recognition,” along with the names of the builders, the year of construction, and construction details—fully showcasing the institutional format of Qing-era archways. Beside the archway lies an ancient well, with its well curb inscribed “Songjiang Village Ancient Well.” The well water is crystal clear. The Duanjiache Chastity Archway is a rare masterpiece in Fuzhou City and holds significant historical, cultural, artistic, and scientific research value.

Heshang Town: Heshang Town is located between 116°02′ east longitude and 27°54′ north latitude. It sits 14 km northwest of Chongren County, bordering Sunfang Town and Gaoping Town of Linchuan District to the east, Bashan Town of the same county to the south, Sanshan Township to the west, and Xiushi Town of Fengcheng City to the north. The town government is situated on Zhaobeiling Street in Jiangshang Village Committee. The terrain of Heshang Town slopes from northwest to southeast in a strip-like pattern; the landform consists of hills and basins of varying sizes. Major mountain ranges include Dagang Ridge and Yazu Ridge, with the highest peak, Dahe Li, reaching 352 meters above sea level at Donglai, while the lowest elevation of 50 meters is found at Zuogang. The maximum east-west distance within the jurisdiction is 13... More detailed information about Heshang Town++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units