The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongcheng

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongcheng

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongcheng is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongcheng is located on Gongchen Street and Taihe Street in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The complex includes four Ming and Qing dynasty courtyard-style buildings: the Confucius Temple, the Martial Temple, the Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall, and the Hunan Guild Hall. The Confucius Temple is located at the southern foot of Xishan Mountain on Gongchen Street and was first built in the eighth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1410), and was rebuilt in the twenty-second year of the Daoguang reign (1842). The main structures along the central axis include the Number One Scholar Gate, the Lingxing Gate, the Pan Pond, the Number One Scholar Bridge, the Dacheng Gate, the Terrace, the Dacheng Hall, and the Chongsheng Shrine. On both sides, there are additional buildings such as the Righteous Path, the Ritual Gate, the Stele Pavilion, the Local Sages Shrine, the Eminent Officials Shrine, the Side Halls, the Zhaowen Tower, and the Zunjing Pavilion. These are distributed across six terraced platforms built into the hillside, covering a total area of 3,600 square meters with a built-up area of 1,800 square meters. It is one of the best-preserved Confucius Temples in southern China. The Martial Temple is adjacent to the Confucius Temple. It was first built in the thirty-first year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1603) and underwent renovations in the fifty-ninth year of the Kangxi reign (1720) and the first year of the Tongzhi reign (1862). It consists of a stage, a rain shelter, a front gate, the main hall, the rear hall, and side halls, with a built-up area of 1,146 square meters. The stage is the highlight of the Martial Temple’s architecture, featuring dramatic story reliefs on the front base, carved windows, brackets, and wind boards, as well as ridge decorations portraying various dramatic characters, flowers, plants, and fish in vivid detail—making it a rare artistic masterpiece. The Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall is located on Taihe Street and comprises a stage, a gate tower, the main hall, the rear hall, and side rooms. The existing structures cover an area of 1,600 square meters with a built-up area of about 700 square meters. The main gate tower features exquisite wood carvings with relief and openwork depictions of animals, flowers, plants, and human figures, while the interior murals are exquisitely crafted, all of which hold significant artistic value. The Hunan Guild Hall is located on Taihe Street, adjacent to the Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall. It consists of a gate tower, a stage, the main hall, the rear hall, and left and right side rooms, covering a land area of 1,847 square meters with a built-up area of 800 square meters.

In 2006, the Ancient Architectural Complex of Gongcheng, recognized as ancient architecture from the Ming to Qing dynasties, was included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units