"Four Generations of Imperial Guardians" Brick Memorial Archway

"Four Generations of Imperial Guardians" Brick Memorial Archway

The "Four Generations of Imperial Guardians" Brick Memorial Archway is located at the northern end of Nancun Street in Xincheng Town. It was built in 1619 (the 47th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty). The archway commemorates Wang Xiangqian, who served as Minister of War during the Wanli era and was a native of Xincheng, along with his father Wang Zhiyuan (former Left Vice Minister of Revenue), grandfather Wang Chongguang (former Provincial Governor of Guizhou), and great-grandfather Wang Lin (former Professor at the Yingchuan Royal Academy)—a span of four generations. The inscription "Four Generations of Imperial Guardians" on the archway is said to have been written by the calligrapher Dong Qichang of that time.

The structure is entirely made of brick and stone. Its four bases are constructed from large square stones, with finely cut bricks forming a large central arch and two smaller side arches. There are four pairs of stone lions on the front and back of the archway, all majestic and vividly sculpted. The roof is of the hip-and-gable style, higher in the center and lower on the sides, adorned with upturned eaves and bracket sets, and featuring simple, classic tiles. Eight angular extensions each hold a wind chime. The entire structure is decorated with exquisite brick carvings—mythical beasts, rare birds, exotic flowers, and immortal plants—all rendered with remarkable detail. The middle section of the archway features four lifelike relief figures.

The entire memorial archway is 9.2 meters wide, 15 meters tall, and 3.3 meters deep, covering an area of 30 square meters. By the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the archway had suffered severe weathering and damage due to years of neglect. In 1983, the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture allocated special funds to fully restore it to its original appearance. In 1987, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.