Ancestral Hall of Yuan Haowen

Ancestral Hall of Yuan Haowen

The Ancestral Hall of Yuan Haowen is a cultural relic protection unit of Xinzhou City.

The Ancestral Hall of Yuan Haowen is located at No. 84, northern section of North-South Street, Xijie Village, Nancheng Subdistrict, Xinfu District. It faces east and is oriented westward, measuring 40 meters in length from east to west and 17.8 meters in width from north to south. Established during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, it underwent renovations in the 1950s and again in 2006, with the existing structure dating back to the Qing era. Along the central axis lies the western hall, with 11 stele rooms on the southern and northern sides. The hall’s namesake, Yuan Haowen (1190–1257), was a leading literary figure and renowned writer and historian of the Jin and Yuan periods. The surviving western hall features a width of three bays, a depth of four rafters, and a flush-gable roof, representing a typical Qing-style hall building. To the right of the main hall, beneath the eaves, stands a stele inscribed with “Record of the Ancestral Hall of Master Yuan Yishan.” On June 6, 2007, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Xinzhou City. Content excerpted from (“A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou”).

Source: Xinzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

Yuan Haowen (1190–1257), courtesy name Yuzhi, art name Yishan, was a native of Xiurong in Taiyuan (present-day Xinzhou, Shanxi). He was a prominent writer, historian, and literary leader during the late Jin and early Yuan periods, representing the pinnacle of northern literature during the Song-Jin standoff. He also served as a crucial bridge in literary development between the Jin and Yuan dynasties, earning titles such as “Literary Giant of the North” and “Literary Sage of the Era.” His poetry, prose, ci poetry, and qu opera all display exceptional craftsmanship. In addition to his mainstream literary works, Yuan Haowen also wrote fiction. His collection of short supernatural tales, “Sequel to the Records of the Listener,” spans four volumes and contains 202 stories. Excluding four entries with titles but no text and one incomplete story, there are actually... More details about Yuan Haowen ++

Xijie Village: Located in the north-central part of Shanxi Province, Xijie Village in Xinfu District lies in the old urban center of Xinzhou City. It stretches from Xiurong Road in the east to Qiyi South Road in the west, and from Guangming Street in the north to Caoshi Lane in the south. Covering a total area of over 40,000 square meters, the village has a population of 1,835 and 676 households, with 950 mu of arable land. It serves as the political, economic, and cultural hub of Xinfu District. Since the reform and opening up, Xijie Village has adhered to the Party’s basic line of “one central task and two basic points,” developed its distinctive agricultural economy according to local conditions, pursued a path of collective prosperity, and achieved rapid progress in both material and spiritual civilization... More details about Xijie Village ++