The Liu Family Stone Archway

The Liu Family Stone Archway

The Liu Family Stone Archway is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Liu Family Stone Archway

Located on the east side of the central square in Xuguanzhuang Village, Baifutu Town, Chengwu County, it is entirely built of stone, featuring a four-pillar, three-gate, three-story structure, and was constructed in the 60th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1795 AD). The base is 9.0 meters long, about 9.3 meters high, and 2.5 meters deep. The central gate is 3 meters wide, while the two smaller side gates are each 1 meter wide. Each of the four pillars is reinforced by two additional stone columns, with carved stone lions atop the reinforcing columns. The central gate has three horizontal beams adorned with exquisite carvings. Between the beams are two long plaques inscribed with “Imperial Praise for Chastity and Filial Piety” and “Erected in Honor of Madam Liu, Wife of Xu Ge, a Local Scholar of the County, for Her Chastity and Filial Piety.” Below the eaves of the archway hangs a finely carved plaque bearing the inscription “Imperial Edict.” The patterns carved on both sides of the archway are symmetrical, and there are four pairs of couplets inscribed on it. They read: “Inspired by cranes that descend in a moment, the loyal soul through ages is marked with dark hues; / Filial devotion reaches the imperial court, crimson brush honors the chastity, while fragrant orchids and osmanthus bloom beside the green herbs; / Fierce winds may blow upon sturdy grass, yet even in cold moonlight the towering pine stands firm; / White-haired but true to virtue, the pine defies frost with bitter heart; young and resolute, the bamboo soars to the clouds with ever-higher integrity.”

The archway suffered some damage in the 1970s. Though partially ruined, it still retains significant artistic and aesthetic value. In 1992, it was designated as part of the second batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units by the People’s Government of Shandong Province.

Source: Heze Municipal Office of Local Chronicles

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shandong Province