Ancient Architectural Complex of Lianxi’s Hometown

Ancient Architectural Complex of Lianxi’s Hometown

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Lianxi’s Hometown is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Ancient Architectural Complex of Lianxi’s Hometown

Lianxi’s Hometown and the Cliff Inscriptions at Yueyan are located west of Loutian Village and Yueyan Village in Qingtang Town. Originally built during the Northern Song Dynasty, the village has a history of 1,200 years and is also the birthplace of Zhou Dunyi, the founder of Neo-Confucianism. Since the Song Dynasty, successive dynasties have carefully maintained and renovated the site, making the architectural scale of Lianxi’s Hometown increasingly magnificent, with 38 ancient buildings in total. The area features natural scenery centered around Dao Mountain, Dao Rock, and Shengmai Spring, as well as historic structures such as Zhou Dunyi’s Former Residence, Ai Lian Hall, Lianxi Ancestral Hall, the “Orchid Rises and Osmanthus Blooms” residential house, and the Wen Tower. Other sites include the tomb of Zhou Dunyi’s father, Fucheng Gong, the tombs of Zhou Dunyi’s elder brother and sister-in-law, and over ten cliff inscriptions from the Song and Ming Dynasties. Because of Lianxi’s Hometown, scholars referred to Daozhou as the “Land of Classical Learning.” Yueyan is where Zhou Dunyi studied and attained enlightenment in his youth. It is a unique geological sinkhole phenomenon featuring one cave with three moons—where the cave contains the moon, the moon contains the cave, and the scenery shifts with every step, embodying the profound philosophy of motion within stillness and stillness within motion. Currently, there are 58 cliff inscriptions from the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties preserved inside Yueyan.

The Lianxi Ancestral Hall is located in Loutian Village, Qingtang Town, Dao County (now the site of the Loutian Grain Station). It was first built in the seventh year of the Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1180). To the left of the hall lies Zhiling Mountain, and to the right is Longshan Mountain, with the two ranges standing opposite each other and stretching for ten li. Beside the hall are the Five-Star Mounds. Southwest of the hall at the foot of Dao Mountain, the Lian River (now Shengmai Spring) flows past the pagoda and Dafu Bridge into the Ying River (now Lianxi River). In the seventh year of the Jiading era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1214), Magistrate Gong Weifan renovated the Lianxi Ancestral Hall. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Governor Zhao Ruxian arranged for its restoration and allocated land for ancestral worship. In the 26th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1687), the imperial treasury allocated public funds for the renovation of the Lianxi Ancestral Hall, and it was stipulated that an annual allowance be provided from the national treasury to cover the expenses of Lianxi descendants in managing the ancestral hall.

In terms of architectural scale, layout, and style, the Lianxi Ancestral Hall is largely consistent with the Lianxi Academy in the county town. It is an ancient architectural complex that integrates functions such as ancestor worship, book collection, and education.

Loutian Village: Loutian Village…… Detailed information about Loutian Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units