Stone Gate Archway Cluster

Stone Gate Archway Cluster

The Stone Gate Archway Cluster is a cultural relic protection unit of Anyi County.

Era: Qing Dynasty

Type: Ancient Architecture

Address: Yunxi Yinbei Village, Dongyang Town, Anyi County, Jiangxi

Introduction:

The Stone Gate Archway Cluster is situated in Yunxi Yinbei Village, Dongyang Town, Anyi County, Jiangxi Province. It was built in the 20th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty and functions as a village gateway complex. The structure includes a main gate archway, side gate archways, wing gate archways, surrounding connecting walls, inner screen walls, and bluestone-paved walkways.

The complex faces south and was originally built in the year of Ming Wushen by Zhongshu Gong. The “Yunxi Family Mansion” plaque was hung on the main gate archway, presenting an austere yet elegant and majestic appearance. By the year of Qing Zhi Si, cracks appeared in the foundation of the main gate, prompting repairs by his grandson. Peng Doushan, who rose from poverty to become a successful imperial examination candidate (Jinshi), initiated the establishment of a free school and carried out major renovations to the ancestral temple and shrine in the 20th year of the Daoguang reign. He also constructed additional side and inner gate archways. In recent decades, due to severe flooding that devastated much of the village’s architecture, villagers pooled funds in 1995 to restore the site.

The main gate archway is a four-pillar, five-bay dougong-style structure, standing 5.8 meters tall and 10 meters wide. It consists of a roof, body, pillars, and base. The pillars, plinths, and crossbeams are all made of Zhaihong stone. The roof features three tiers of dougong-supported gray tiles, with horn-like corner ornaments added during later renovations. The eaves flair outward in a cloud-drum shape, while the other parts are built with blue bricks. Other archway plaques include inscriptions such as “Jinshi Mansion,” “Yunshan Yixiu,” and “Daifu Mansion,” also constructed from blue bricks.

This archway cluster is a rare and exquisitely crafted example of stone-carved architectural art that reflects the building styles of the Ming and Qing dynasties, making it highly valuable for research purposes.

Dongyang Town: Located in the eastern suburbs of Anyi County, at the heart of the county’s Changlong Economic and Industrial Corridor, and within the jurisdiction of the Phoenix Mountain Industrial Park, Dongyang Town covers an area of 96 square kilometers with a population of over 20,000. It administers 11 administrative villages, 1 neighborhood committee, and 1 forest farm.

Dongyang Town boasts a long history and has been home to many notable individuals. During the Jin Dynasty, the renowned Taoist Xu Xun is said to have ascended to immortality here. Sun Lu, the grandson of Sun Quan, the ruler of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, once led troops to build fortifications here. It is also the birthplace of Yuan Yue, the King of Liang during the Western Han Dynasty. Historically a strategic military zone and fertile agricultural land, the town now benefits from convenient transportation and advanced communication networks, with the Nanan First-Class Highway and National Highway 105 passing through. The town features program-controlled telephone services… More detailed information about Dongyang Town++