Former Residence of Wang Xijue and Calligraphy Steles of Zhao Mengfu

Former Residence of Wang Xijue and Calligraphy Steles of Zhao Mengfu

The Former Residence of Wang Xijue and Calligraphy Steles of Zhao Mengfu are protected as a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.

The former residence of Wang Xijue was built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. The surviving structures include the gatehouse (commonly known as the “Grand Tutor’s Gate Tower”) and three courtyards of the Wang Family Ancestral Hall. The gate tower has five bays in width, with the front hall flanked by two-story wings on both sides — an architectural style unique in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region. This building was the residence of Wang Xijue, the Chief Grand Secretary during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Wang Xijue (1534–1601), courtesy name Yuanyu, was a native of Taicang and one of the more influential grand secretaries of the Wanli court. The Wang family produced many talents: Wang Xijue’s great-grandson, Wang Yan, also rose to the rank of Grand Secretary during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, earning the titles “Grandfather and Grandson Grand Secretaries” and “Two Generations of Top Imperial Scholars.” Wang Shimin, Wang Xijue’s grandson, and Wang Yuanqi, Wang Shimin’s grandson, were prominent figures among the “Four Wangs” of the renowned Loudong Painting School, famous across China and abroad. This site is also the birthplace of the leader of the “Four Wangs” and founder of the Loudong Painting School. Therefore, the building holds high cultural, historical, and architectural value. The residence also houses the Taicang Historical Stele Gallery, which preserves stone engravings of calligraphy by Zhao Mengfu from the Yuan Dynasty.

On October 22, 2002, the Former Residence of Wang Xijue and Calligraphy Steles of Zhao Mengfu were designated as part of the fifth group of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites.

Wang Xijue (1534–1614), courtesy name Yuanyu, pseudonym Jingshi, served as Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion from the 12th to the 18th year of the Wanli reign of Emperor Shenzong (1584–1600); and from the 1st month of the 21st year to the 5th month of the 22nd year of Wanli (1593–1594), he held the position of Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and Jianji Hall, serving a total of over five years. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Grand Guardian, given the posthumous title “Wensu,” granted an imperial burial, and a dedicated memorial temple was commissioned.

Wang Xijue According to the genealogy of the Wang family, Wang Xijue was a descendant of Wang Dan, a prime minister during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Xijue’s ancestors migrated southward to escape war, with one branch… More details about Wang Xijue++

Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322), courtesy name Ziang, pseudonyms Songxue Daoren (Pine Snow Taoist) and Shuijing Gong Daoren (Crystal Palace Taoist). He was the 11th-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, and a descendant of Prince Qi, Zhao Defang. After the fall of the Song Dynasty, in the 23rd year of the Yuán dynasty’s Zhìyuán era (1286), Zhao Mengfu was recommended to Kublai Khan, the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, gained his favor, and was appointed as a Langzhong (a fifth-rank official) in the Ministry of War. Two years later, he was promoted to the fourth-rank position of Jixian Zhi Xueshi (Academician of the Academy of Scholarly Worthies). In the 29th year of Zhìyuán (1292), he became the administrator of the Jinan Road. In the first year of Yuánzhēn (1295), following the death of Kublai Khan, Emperor Chengzong ordered the compilation of the Shizu Shilu (Veritable Records of Emperor Shizu), and Zhao Mengfu was recalled to the capital. In the 3rd year of Zhìdà… More details about Zhao Mengfu++

Chengxiang Town: Chengxiang Town is the seat of the Taicang municipal government and serves as the city’s political, economic, and cultural center. The town covers an area of 126 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 150,000. It administers 4 subdistrict offices, 23 community neighborhood committees, and 6 administrative villages. The land in Chengxiang is flat, the climate pleasant, making it a fertile land of fish and rice, a place rich in cultural heritage, and an emerging industrial town in the Yangtze River Delta. In recent years, it has been awarded honors such as Jiangsu Provincial Civilized Town, National Sanitary Town, and Jiangsu Provincial Model Community.

Chengxiang Town boasts uniquely superior geographical advantages, being only… More details about Chengxiang Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites