The Nan'ge Jijiu Shrine

The Nan'ge Jijiu Shrine

The Nan'ge Jijiu Shrine is a cultural heritage site protected by the Yancheng District.

The Nan'ge Jijiu Shrine: Also known as the Xu Shen Jijiu Shrine, it is located in the northeast corner of the ancient city of Yancheng. In the year 83 AD, Xu Shen was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official and entered the capital to serve as the Southern Pavilion Jijiu, hence the shrine built later in his memory is called the Nan'ge Jijiu Shrine. Originally covering an area of three and one-third acres, it faces south and features a three-bay main gate, a five-bay passageway hall, a five-bay ancestral hall, and three-bay east and west wing rooms, all with phoenix-style roofed verandas. A horizontal plaque inscribed with “Xu Nan’ge Shrine” hangs above the main gate. Inside the gate is a screen wall, and outside the gate is a stone bridge known as the “Three-Hole Bridge in One Step.” South of the bridge is a decorative wall. The ancestral hall within the shrine is the main structure of the Xu Nan’ge Shrine, housing a wooden pillar inscribed with “The Seat of Xu Shen, the Han Dynasty’s Foremost Confucian Scholar,” and a golden plaque that reads “Peerless Among the Five Classics.” The four walls are adorned with carved wooden panels made from rosewood, featuring the 540-character preface and table of contents of the Shuowen Jiezi (Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters). Additionally, “to the east of the ancestral hall, a vacant space was measured out, and funds from the Jingwen Academy were allocated to construct several rooms for students to study. East and west side rooms were also built to house books.” The entire shrine is simple yet elegant, solemn and dignified, attracting scholars and officials who came to pay their respects. The current Nan'ge Jijiu Shrine is also known as the Xu Shen Memorial Hall. It was built in the 25th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1899) under the leadership of Zhou Yun, the then magistrate of Yancheng, who personally donated 889,000 wen of money, and the construction took three months. The people of Yancheng praised Zhou Yun, saying, “Our magistrate has planned exceedingly well and thoroughly for the people of Yancheng.”