Ming-Qing Architectural Complex of Aixi Chen Family Village

Ming-Qing Architectural Complex of Aixi Chen Family Village

The Ming-Qing Architectural Complex of Aixi Chen Family Village is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Era: Ming to Qing

Type: Ancient Architecture

Address: Aixi Chen Family Village, Jiaqiao Town, Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province

Introduction:

Located in Aixi Chen Family Village, Jiaqiao Town, these are residential buildings from the Ming to Qing dynasties. In the center of the south side of the village stands the main gate tower “Yimen Shijia” (Virtuous Gate Family), built in the sixth year of the Tianshun era (1464) during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of Ming. It features a structure of four red stone pillars and three bays with blue bricks, standing 6.2 meters high and 9.6 meters wide, enclosed within an outer hexagonal wall. The inner gate is a wooden-pillared pavilion-style building. The upper outer section has finely cut blue bricks stacked outward and upward forming three overhanging eaves, with upturned corners at the ridge ends and an official hat motif at the center. Two central pillars bear a couplet written and inscribed by Chen Dong, the third-place scholar in the Jiajing imperial examination and an editor at the Hanlin Academy, which reads: “The path of righteousness shows the way to follow; may we stay on track, adhere to the course, and tread cautiously. This gate respects Confucian teachings; we, the new generation, seize opportunities, compete nimbly, and find leisure even in ordinary comings and goings.” There are 44 south-facing Ming and Qing buildings in the village (with remnants of two late Ming structures), covering a total area of nearly 10,000 square meters. There are a total of 22 plaques. All Ming and Qing buildings feature an outer structure of brick walls and an inner wooden frame, connected by stone-paved lanes. The “Zhongxian Di · Yunting Villa” in the East Manor covers an area of 1,650 square meters, with surviving structures including the gate tower, villa, stables, and remnants of seven rear buildings, totaling over 1,000 square meters. The red stone courtyard spans 186 square meters. The villa is 7.2 meters tall, three bays wide, has 14 rooms, 2 courtyards, and a plaque on the lintel featuring carved patterns in red stone. The wooden pillars and crossbeams inside the central hall are also engraved with designs. It was built in the second year of the Tongzhi era (1863) of the Qing Dynasty. The “Yu Ling Shan Guan” (Feather Valley Mountain Hall) in the West Manor covers an area of 4,536 square meters. Within the enclosing wall are six buildings: “Baojian Lu” (Treasure-Preserving Cottage), “Yijing Shi” (Classic Teaching Room), “Huan Du Lou” (Return-to-Reading Tower), “Mo Yan Shan Fang” (Inkstone-Grinding Study), “Lian Chun Ge” (Spring-Loving Pavilion), and “Jie Xin” (Pure Fragrance Room), along with the “Han Chun Chi” (Spring-Containing Pool) and a red stone-paved courtyard of over 500 square meters, bringing the total built-up area to 1,600 square meters. The building’s windows are decorated with carved patterns, and it was constructed in 1875. Additionally, there are three Ming and Qing ancestral halls of the Chen family: “Dun Mu Chuan Jia” (Promote Harmony and Pass on the Family), “Xiao Shui Yuan Liu” (Trace the Source of the Stream), and “Chen Shi Zong Ci” (Chen Family Ancestral Hall), with a combined built-up area of 1,500 square meters. There are also over 20 residences for scholars and merchants, such as “Jie Sui Han Lu” (Pine-Hardened Hut for the Year’s End), “Jiang Zhou Yi Ze” (Relics of the River State), “Zi Lai Ju” (Purple Arrival Residence), “Ban Geng Du Jia” (Half Farming, Half Reading Home), “Yi An Ju” (Peaceful Abode), and “Tui Si Shi” (Retreat for Reflection), most of which are around 150–200 square meters in size, with many carved windows and doors. In front of the village is a Ming-era pond covering 1,500 square meters and a Ming-era well.

In December 2006, it was announced as part of the fifth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Jiangxi Province.

Jiaqiao Town: Jiaqiao is under the jurisdiction of Jinxian County, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province. In 1996, it was reclassified from a township to a town. Since the reform and opening-up, the town's economy has developed rapidly, villages and towns have changed with each passing day, and society has become harmonious and civilized. In 2005, the local gross domestic product was 277.95 million yuan, the total industrial and agricultural output value was 270 million yuan, and the per capita net income of farmers was 3,317 yuan.

Geographic Location

Jiaqiao Town is located on the Gan-Fu Plain, in the northwest of Jinxian County. To the east, it borders Qinglan Lake and faces Luoxi Town of the same county; to the south, it adjoins Quanling Township of the same county; to the west, it is separated from Xiangtang Town of Nanchang County by the Fuhe River; and to the north, it... Detailed information about Jiaqiao Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units in Jiangxi Province