Nanfan Stone Memorial Archway and Stele Pavilion

Nanfan Stone Memorial Archway and Stele Pavilion

The Nanfan Stone Memorial Archway and Stele Pavilion is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Located in Xibao Village, Nanfan Town, Jiang County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province.

Built in the ninth year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1804), it is a memorial archway for chastity and filial piety erected by Jia Zongluo, then serving as the Salt Transport Official of the Binle Sub-bureau in Shandong, under imperial decree to honor Li Gongren, the second wife of Jia Ningduan, his grandmother who was posthumously granted the title of Grand Master of Zhongxian.

The archway is constructed from stone in imitation of wooden architecture, oriented north-south, with double-sided six pillars, five gates, and triple eaves. It stands 12 meters tall and 8.50 meters wide. The main gate is flanked by two sets of octagonal side gates. The stone platform bases on both sides are each 4.63 meters long, 2.23 meters wide, and 1 meter high. The archway features carved stone plaques inscribed with “Imperial Edict” and “Erected in Commendation.” From the base to the top, it is adorned with bas-reliefs of mythical beasts, flowers, and human figures. The archway’s supporting stone lions are fully sculpted in the round, while its crossbeams, bracket sets, and architraves are decorated with diverse and intricately carved stone ornaments, broadly reflecting and representing the highest level of stone carving craftsmanship at that time.

To the right is an attached stone stele pavilion housing 15 stone tablets. The inscriptions are carved within various artistic stone forms, featuring scripts in regular, cursive, clerical, and seal styles, accompanied by line-engraved patterns and floral motifs. Both the carving and calligraphy are of exceptional quality and remain well-preserved.

In 1996, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People's Government of Shanxi Province, and in 2013, it was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units