"Father and Son Jinshi" Stone Memorial Archway

"Father and Son Jinshi" Stone Memorial Archway

The "Father and Son Jinshi" Stone Memorial Archway is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The "Father and Son Jinshi" Memorial Archway, also known as the "Silun Shimei" Archway, is located at the entrance of Dapu Middle School in Chayang Town, Dapu County. Built in the 38th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1610 AD), it has a history of over 390 years. It was built to commemorate the father and son who both passed the imperial examination and earned the title of Jinshi—Rao Xiang (Vice Censor-in-Chief of Jiangxi) and his son Rao Yuling (a scribe in the imperial court).

The entire archway is constructed from precast granite pieces, standing 12.5 meters tall and 4.65 meters wide, with a three-tiered roof structure. Four main pillars and eight auxiliary pillars are arranged in four parallel rows to support the stone beams, plaques, and roof, forming a layout with a central gate flanked by symmetrical side gates. The rooftop pavilion is adorned with carved wooden-style ornaments. The central horizontal plaque features inscriptions on both sides: "Father and Son Jinshi" and "Silun Shimei." The rooftop, beams, and horizontal plaque are decorated with patterns such as "Two Dragons Soaring Through Clouds," "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," and "Two Dragons Holding Flowers." The tops of the side gates are embellished with motifs like "Two Lions Wrestling a Ball" and "Floral and Animal Designs." Each stone beam is topped with a carved qilin (mythical creature) stone plaque. The entire archway boasts a rigorous and refined structure, elegant design, exquisite carving craftsmanship, and a strong traditional aesthetic, making it a rare masterpiece of stone carving art.

Chayang Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Dapu County. In the fifth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, the county seat was established at the southern foot of Chashan Mountain, hence the name Chayang. In 1960, it was renamed Fucheng District, serving as the former county seat. In 1958, it became Pucheng Commune, later renamed Chayang Commune. In the spring of 1961, after the county seat was moved back to Huliao Town, Chayang Commune was divided into four communes: Chayang, Qingxi, Changzhi, and Gucun. In 1963, Gucun Commune was merged back into Chayang Commune. The town was officially established in 1986. Located in the northern part of the county, along the lower reaches of the Ting River, it borders Xiayang Town of Yongding County, Fujian Province, to the northeast. It is 18 kilometers from the county government, covers an area of 214.8 square kilometers, and has a population of 40,000. It administers Maoping, Zuo... More detailed information about Chayang Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units