Chenjia Village

Chenjia Village

Chenjia Village is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangxi Province.

Situated in Aixi Chenjia Village, Jiaqiao Town, these are residential buildings from the Ming to Qing dynasties and are protected cultural heritage sites of Jinxian County. In the center of the southern part of the village stands the main gate tower “Yimen Shijia” (Virtuous Family Lineage), built in the sixth year of the TianShun era (1464) during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty. It features a four-pillar, three-bay structure made of red stone and blue bricks. The inner gate is a wooden-pillared pavilion-style building, while the exterior upper part is adorned with polished blue bricks stacked outward and upward into three overhanging eaves, featuring upturned corners at the ridge ends and an official cap in the center. The two central pillars are inscribed with a couplet written and calligraphed by Chen Dong, the third-place Jinshi scholar of the Jiajing era from the village and a compiler at the Hanlin Academy: “The path of righteousness shows the way; may we stay on course, follow the path cautiously, and be wary of missteps; honor Confucius’ teachings at our gate, and let us seize every opportunity to excel, for even our leisure is enriched by learning.” The village has 44 south-facing buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties (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 and an inner wooden frame, connected by flagstone lanes. The “Zhongxian Di · Yunting Bieshu” (Central Civil Official Mansion · Cloud Pavilion Villa) in the East Manor covers an area of 1,650 square meters, with existing structures including the gate tower, villa, stables, and remnants of four rear buildings, totaling over 1,000 square meters. The lintel plaque features red stone relief patterns, and the wooden pillars and beams in the central hall are also carved with designs. It was built in the second year of the Tongzhi era (1863) of the Qing Dynasty. The “Yu Cen Shan Guan” (Feather Ridge Mountain House) in the West Manor covers an area of 4,536 square meters, enclosing six buildings within the walls: “Bao Jian Lu” (Treasure House of Simplicity), “Yi Jing Shi” (Room for Transmitting Classics), “Huan Du Lou” (Return-to-Reading Tower), “Mo Yan Shan Fang” (Inkstone-Grinding Mountain Room), “Lian Chun Ge” (Spring-Longing Pavilion), and “Jie Xin” (Pure Aroma Room), all featuring carved window patterns. It was built 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 total construction area of 1,500 square meters. Residential buildings for scholars and merchants include over 20 structures such as “Jie Sui Han Lu” (Pine-and-Cold Retreat), “Jiang Zhou Yi Ze” (Legacy of Jiangzhou), “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 doors and windows.

The East Manor and West Manor within the Aixi Chenjia Residential Complex have been listed as part of the fifth batch of cultural heritage sites protected at the provincial level in Jiangxi Province.