Qingfeng Pavilion

Qingfeng Pavilion

Qingfeng Pavilion is a cultural relic protection unit of Puyang City.

Qingfeng Pavilion is located at the crossroads in the northwest corner of Qingfeng County. It was newly built in 1987, and houses the "Sui Dynasty Zhang Qingfeng Filial Piety Shrine" inside, where a stone statue of Zhang Qingfeng was later erected. The area is planted with flowers and trees, and small paths are laid out, making it a meaningful place to pay homage to ancient virtues and educate future generations. Since ancient times, the county named after a person—Qingfeng County—has passed down stories through generations about Zhang Qingfeng’s filial devotion to his parents.

During the Sui Dynasty, there was a young man named Zhang Qingfeng in the area who was known for his kindness to his parents, and his filial conduct became well-known throughout the village. During the Kaihuang era, he was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official (xiàolián).

It is said that in his childhood, Zhang Qingfeng came from a poor family and could not afford to study under a teacher. However, he was intelligent and eager to learn, often secretly studying by the window of the local school. He learned the principles of filial piety, and when he grew up, he made a living by running a shop selling baked cakes. Despite his modest means, he was extremely devoted to his parents, taking meticulous care of their food, clothing, and daily needs. Every day, he would offer the first batch of freshly baked cakes, made with great care, to his parents. No matter who asked or how much money was offered, he never sold them. When people tried to buy them at high prices, Qingfeng would respectfully persuade them: “No mountain is higher than the sun, no person is greater than one’s parents. Those who do not know the gratitude owed to their parents are not worthy of being called human.” Over time, this became a widely told and admired story.

One year, during the Mount Tai Temple Fair, people from all directions gathered in large numbers. Some came to tour the mountain, while others went to the temple to burn incense. At that time, the governor of Shandong also arrived at the fair and instructed the abbot of the Dai Temple to reserve the first incense of the day for him to burn, and not to open the temple gates until he arrived. However, every time he arrived early to burn incense, the hall was already filled with burning incense and the scent of smoke, and the first incense had already been burned. This happened for seven days in a row. The governor was furious and scolded the abbot, who insisted he was wronged because he had not dared to open the temple gates before the governor’s arrival. People were puzzled. That night, the monks stayed up all night, setting up ambushes inside and outside the hall, by the doors and corners. Just after the third watch, they saw a young man holding incense, bowing at every step, approaching the temple gate. Strangely enough, the locked temple gate opened on its own. After the young man bowed silently to the Buddha and walked out, the gate closed firmly again. The monks followed him and discovered that he was Zhang Qingfeng from Dunqiu County. It turned out that Zhang Qingfeng went to the mountain early every day to pray for his parents’ blessings. It was as if the divine knew his intentions, and the temple gate would open by itself. The abbot informed the governor, who concluded that this man’s sincere devotion to his parents moved the heavens, and thus no longer pursued the matter. From then on, the name Zhang Qingfeng became even more revered.

During the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, Zhang Qingfeng’s filial piety moved both the people and the government, and he was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official. The village where he lived was named Qingfeng Store. After his death, the local people erected a stele and built a shrine for him. In the seventh year of the Tang Dynasty's Dali era (772 AD), Tian Chengsi, the military governor of Weibo, submitted a petition to the imperial court reporting the presence of the filial son Zhang Qingfeng in his jurisdiction, and requested that a county be established at Zhang Qingfeng Store. The emperor approved the petition: “Separate [lands] from Dunqiu and Changle to establish a county named after the filial son Zhang Qingfeng.” Thus, Qingfeng County got its name, which has continued to this day.

In 2000, the stele of the Zhang Qingfeng Shrine was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Puyang City.