Yuqing Hall in Yan Village, Wuyuan

Yuqing Hall in Yan Village, Wuyuan

Yuqing Hall is an old house in Yan Village, notable for its distinctive entrance hall. I visited during the rain and stayed inside for a while. The rear hall houses a guardian water tank.

The ancient house was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Its original owner, Jin Wenjian, was a prominent tea merchant. In feudal society, merchants were wealthy but not esteemed—ranking lowest among the “scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.” As such, their residences could not be built as grandly or luxuriously as those of government officials or nobility. Moreover, the imperial court stipulated that merchant gates could not face due south. The entire facade of Yuqing Hall forms the character “商” (merchant). The roof eaves and gate tower make up the upper part of the character, the blue stone lintel forms the “口” (mouth), and the outer brickwork around the lintel forms the “门” (gate).

Location

Inside the Sixi-Yan Village Scenic Area, Sixi Town, Wuyuan County, Shangrao City