Chao'an Shaoqing Mansion

Chao'an Shaoqing Mansion

Chao'an Shaoqing Mansion is located in Shuimei Village, Caitang Town, Chao'an County. Built during the Ming Dynasty, it was the residence of Wu Yiguan, who served as the Minor Minister of the Court of Judicial Review during the Jiajing era. The mansion faces south and features a traditional three-bay, two-courtyard quadrangle layout. It has a flush-gable roof and a combined post-and-lintel and through-tenon beam structure. The bold and powerful characters “Shaoqing Mansion” (少卿第) on the gate plaque were inscribed by Lin Dacheng, the top imperial scholar of the 1568 (Wuchen) examination year during the Jiajing reign. Wu Yiguan was from Shuimei Township, Caitang. He passed the provincial examination in the 13th year of the Chenghua era (1477) and became a jinshi (advanced scholar) in the 17th year. Known for his diligence, prudence, integrity, and capability, he promoted education and rooted out corruption, bringing peace to the people without causing disturbance. He was later promoted to imperial censor and conducted inspections in Zhejiang and Fujian, punishing the corrupt and pacifying bandits, leaving a reputation for discipline wherever he went. “Due to a conflict with Marquis Shouning, he struck the marquis and knocked out his teeth. The Empress Dowager, furious, sought to have him executed, but Emperor Xiaozong took pity on him and spared his life.” He eventually rose to the position of Minor Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Shuimei Village: Shuimei Village

Located about 5.4 kilometers northwest of Anbu, the county seat of Chao'an, and 1 kilometer east of the Caitang Town government, Shuimei Village is under the jurisdiction of Caitang Town. It has a population of 2,696. The village was established by the Wu clan during the mid-Ming Dynasty and was named for being surrounded by clear, beautiful water on all sides. The settlement is distributed in a block pattern, with buildings mainly consisting of single-story structures with brick and wood frames. Many villagers have emigrated overseas, and many of the overseas Chinese are wealthy merchants who built 11 ancestral halls in the early Republican period. The site also houses the stone plaque of “Shaoqing Mansion” belonging to Wu Yiguan, the Minor Minister of the Court of Judicial Review during the Ming Dynasty, which bears calligraphy by the imperial scholar Lin Dacheng. The village has 335 acres of arable land, with rice as the main crop, making it one of the town’s key high-yield rice-producing areas. There are 17 village-run factories... More detailed information about Shuimei Village++