Niu Xueqiao's Monument to Virtuous Governance

Niu Xueqiao's Monument to Virtuous Governance

Niu Xueqiao's Monument to Virtuous Governance is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Niu Xueqiao's Monument to Virtuous Governance is located in Qinglian Town. It covers an area of 30 square meters and was built in the 28th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1848). The structure is a memorial archway-style building composed of four pillars, three gates, and three levels of hip-and-gable roofs with flying eaves, constructed from blue sandstone. It faces southeast and is situated northwest. The facade spans three bays, totaling 7.8 meters in width, with the central bay measuring 3.6 meters wide and the side bays each 1.8 meters wide, and has a total height of 11 meters. The structure features intricately carved floral spandrels. Below the pillars are four pairs of stone blocks, and inscriptions on the pillars read: “A heart full of spring transforms into the sweet song of an owl; sleeves clean as wind leave a noble trail on horseback.” The archway is beautifully shaped and imposing, with upright and forceful regular-script calligraphy on the plaques and couplets, praising Niu Xueqiao’s virtuous governance in “promoting education and agriculture, streamlining administration, and caring for the people.” The entire monument stands tall and magnificent, with rich composition and fine carvings all around. The texts carved on the beams and historical records serve as valuable evidence for studying the evolution of official governance and the reward-and-punishment system during the Qing Dynasty, possessing considerable historical value.

Protected area: Using the outer edge of the archway’s base as the boundary line, extending east to the Mianjiang Highway, and 10 meters outward to the north, west, and south.

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Sichuan Province