Main Archway of the Zhu Family

Main Archway of the Zhu Family

The main archway of the Zhu Family is located in Yangwu Yi Village, Dannian Town, Yuanping City. According to inscriptions on the archway, it was first built in the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1855). The main archway stands in the center of the village, facing west with its back to the east. It features four pillars, three stories, double eaves, and a hip-and-gable roof, measuring 15 meters in length and 10.54 meters in height. It is built upon a 0.94-meter-high Sumeru pedestal with a raised waistband, which is carved with various figure scenes. The front side is adorned with four statues of mighty figures. The lower part beneath the crossbeams consists of four square pillars, supported by diagonal struts at the front and back. The diagonal struts are entwined with chimera heads. The central bay is slightly wider, while the two side bays are narrower. The spandrels of the central bay feature openwork carvings of the “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl” design. Above them sit the crossbeams and the plaque inscribed with “Built in September of the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign by Wu Fangchou, son of Wu Lie” and “Honorific Archway for Zhu, the Virtuous and Filial Wife of Wu Lie, a Scholar and Retired Senior Official.” The spandrels of the side bays are carved with the “Phoenix Facing the Sun,” and their crossbeams are inscribed with “A Noble Mind Like the Cypress Boat” and “Fame Lasting as Bamboo and Silk.” Both upper and lower crossbeams are carved with scenes from the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, figure stories, as well as floral, bird, and animal motifs. The lower layer of the eaves is structured with wooden beams and stone-carved brackets, featuring intricately designed caisson ceilings and dense patterns. The brackets are exquisitely crafted. The entire structure is painted in colors, with red as the dominant hue. The surrounding walls are plastered white. In 1982, it underwent restoration. In 1965, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Shanxi Provincial People’s Government. (Content excerpted from “A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou”)

Source: Xinzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

Yangwu Yi Village: Located 12 kilometers northwest of Yuanping City, Yangwu Yi Village lies in a semi-hilly area along the Yangwu River. A local legend known as “Li Yangwu Fetching Water” gives the village its name.

Since the reform and opening-up, Yangwu Yi Village has developed into an economic hub within Dannian Town, consistently ranking at the forefront in various aspects. The village has 508 households, a population of 1,865, and 2,140 mu of arable land, including nearly 200 mu dedicated to cash crops. Primarily an agricultural community, it also supports livestock breeding and transportation industries. In 2009, the village's total economic income reached 39.08 million yuan, with a per capita net income of 4,568 yuan.

In recent years, the village’s two committees... More details about Yangwu Yi Village++