Ancestral Temple of the Wu Clan in Jiaxuan

Ancestral Temple of the Wu Clan in Jiaxuan

In Guashan Mountain, Huanfan Village, Jiaxuan Township, Yanshan County, there stands the Ancestral Temple of the Wu Clan. It is built on the former site of the "Jiaxuan Government Hall," which was where Xin Qiji received guests. Xin Qiji once held the positions of Attendant Official at the Baomo Pavilion and the Longtu Pavilion, and locals still refer to him as "Old Master Xin." The couplet at the ancestral temple reads: “This temple is erected on ancient grounds, its veins connected to the Garden—ask the name of this place, and it is called the Old Master’s; our lineage originates from Jianyang, branching off into Jiangyou—look ahead to the years when our descendants will spread across Henglin (now Huanfan).” The rice fields in front of the ancestral temple were originally a pond, said to have been where Xin Qiji raised frogs. It was called the Life-Nourishing Pond, and locals refer to it as the Toad Mound. Xin Qiji’s poem “Nan Ge Zi · Newly Dug Pond, Written in Jest” includes the lines: “Where I let my hair down and open my collar, floating melons and submerged plums in cups. A trickle of water gently invades the steps. I dig a little pond and summon the moon to come.” This refers to this very pond. To the right of the Wu Clan Ancestral Temple, all the way to Piaquan (Spouting Spring), was the garden of the Jiaxuan Government Hall. The mountain ridge at the rear of the garden ruins is still called Garden Ridge. On the hill beyond the entrance to Garden Ridge, there used to be a building called Tingyun Hall, also known as Cloud-Receiving Pavilion, but it has long been destroyed, leaving only broken bricks and tiles. This hill is now called Cloud-Receiving Ridge. Adjacent to the left of Piaquan, at the foot of the mountain, lies Qiushui Guan (Autumn Water Temple), one of the important structures in Xin Qiji’s Piaquan residence complex. In those days, the Zixi River flowed through here, and part of Qiushui Guan was built over the river—the riverbed can still be faintly traced. From Xin Qiji’s poem “Liu Zhou Ge Tou” (“Morning Visit to Inquire About Illness”): “In front of Qiushui Hall, the winding pools shine clearer than mirrors, bright enough to illuminate one’s eyebrows and beard. But then the sudden mountain rain washes over the farming ridges, muddy and filthy. Who made my home reflect such a foul ditch?” and his poem “Zhe Gu Tian · Wu Zisi Visits Qiushui”: “In the long corridor by Qiushui, amid rocks and flowing water, who would come to listen to the murmuring stream?”—we can get a rough idea of the layout of Qiushui Guan. About half a li south of Piaquan, across the river, at the confluence of Shitang River and Zixi River, there are the ruins of a large architectural complex. Locals call it the “Jiaxuan Manor,” which was where Xin Qiji lived. This area is now called Wubaozhou. The Jiaxuan Manor originally had three courtyards and nine halls, but today only three thick wooden pillars and a wooden door from one room remain from that time. In addition, scattered throughout Wubaozhou Village are many architectural remnants of the Jiaxuan Manor, including stone pedestals, flagstones, blue bricks, and wooden pillars. Piaquan remains as beautiful as ever and has been designated as a key cultural relic protected at the county level.

Jiaxuan Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Yanshan County. It was known as Badu Township in 1956, reorganized as a commune in 1961, renamed Jiaxuan Commune in 1983, and became a township in 1984. Located in the northeastern part of the county, along the middle reaches of the Yanshan River, it is 28 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 80 square kilometers with a population of 18,000, the township government is based in Zhanjia. The Heng (Feng)–Nan (Ping) Railway and the Shang (Rao)–Fen (Shuiguan) Highway run through the western part of the township. It administers nine village committees: Badu, Xiongtian, Hucunfan, Yanqian, Shantou, Ma’anshan, Xiyang, Zhenyuan, and Mengjia. The main agricultural products are rice, and the area is rich in tea oil. Limestone resources are also found here. Local industries include brick and tile production, cement products, etc. More detailed information about Jiaxuan Township ++