Yunlong Memorial Archway and Wang Family’s Grand Hall

Yunlong Memorial Archway and Wang Family’s Grand Hall

Yunlong Memorial Archway and Wang Family’s Grand Hall are designated as National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

The Yunlong Memorial Archway is located in Luting Village, Wanjing, about 20 kilometers from Ningyuan County. Built in the 12th year of the Chongzhen reign during the Ming Dynasty (1639), it was erected to honor a local scholar surnamed Wang. The archway stands 14 meters tall, 14.3 meters wide, and 4.35 meters deep. It is entirely made of wood, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, with honeycomb-patterned decorations beneath the eaves and seven tiers of “wish-fulfilling bracket sets” (dougong). The structure spans six columns, with interlaced beams, layered brackets projecting outward, soaring upturned eaves, and an ornamental roof. The wooden carvings on the eaves depict vivid figures, birds, and beasts. The archway is connected to the Wang Family’s Grand Hall, which has a spacious and magnificent interior hall. The entrance hall features an opera stage, a distinctive feature of traditional Hunan residences. Historical records note that literati and scholars who came to pay homage to Emperor Shun often rested here, composing poems and inscriptions with the host family, leaving behind many literary works. Xu Xiake, the renowned geographer and traveler of the Ming Dynasty, stayed here for two nights during his journey to Mount Jiuyi, describing the beautiful evening rural scenery of Mount Jiuyi in his travelogue.

Behind the hall, in the ancestral shrine of the Wang Family, there is a stone stele inscribed with the “Imperial Edict Prohibiting Corvée Labor Abuse,” erected in the 4th year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1799). It contains regulations banning the disturbance of local people by corvée laborers sent to offer sacrifices to Emperor Shun. This is one of the earliest known written records aimed at reducing the burden on farmers, holding significant cultural value and practical relevance.

The archway is connected to the Wang Family’s Grand Hall, which has a spacious and magnificent interior hall. The entrance hall features an opera stage, a distinctive feature of traditional Hunan residences.