Shenzhou Yingyi Granary

Shenzhou Yingyi Granary

Shenzhou Yingyi Granary is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The granary was a traditional social practice among Han Chinese in various parts of China for storing grain to prepare for famine. It originated during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Shenzhou Yingyi Granary, commonly referred to as the Granary, is a complex of Qing Dynasty architecture located at No. 107 Boling Road, Shenzhou City, Hebei Province. It stretches 56.13 meters from north to south and 58.82 meters from east to west, with a building area of 1,383.10 square meters and covers an area of 3,428.8 square meters. It is divided into an eastern courtyard and a western courtyard. The eastern courtyard serves as the office area, consisting of four buildings aligned from north to south along the central axis: the entrance gate, east and west wing rooms, and the Yanxiu Hall, forming a small quadrangle. Extending southward from the central axis of the quadrangle is the Granary God Shrine, a structure dedicated to the deity associated with the granary’s fortune. The eastern and western courtyards are connected via a passageway between the entrance gate and the west wing room. The western courtyard functions as the storage area. Originally, it had four grain storage sections — east, west, south, and north — totaling 36 rooms. However, seven rooms of the east storage section were destroyed by Japanese military aircraft in 1942. Today, only the south, north, and west storage sections, along with the Tingshi Office, remain. The entire compound is enclosed by walls, following the layout of a traditional northern Chinese quadrangle.

In May 2013, Shenzhou Yingyi Granary was designated as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units