Zhangzhou Stone Memorial Arches

　　Memorial arches, also known as stone arches or paifangs, are referred to in the Zhangzhou dialect as "hebiao," meaning commemorative structures honoring individuals who have received imperial recognition and praise. Zhangzhou is home to a large number of these arches, rich in content and historically renowned. During the Qing Dynasty, records listed over 400 arches with specific locations and names. Despite historical changes, nearly 50 remain today, scattered across various districts and counties in Zhangzhou. Among the most representative are the "Shangshu Tanhua" (Imperial Examination Top Laureate) and "Liangjing ???" (Two Capitals ???) arches at the northern end of Xiangcheng District's Hong Kong Road, at Shuangmen Top, as well as the Ming Dynasty arches "Wuliu Jiaokou" (Five Li, Elegant Entrance) and "Baolun Kuzhu" (Reported Loyalty and Virtue) located in the southern part of Luocheng District.

　　A total of four stone memorial arches have been designated as national-level cultural relics protected sites. These include the Ming Dynasty arches on the northern section of Hong Kong Road in the urban area at Shuangmen Top — namely the "Shangshu Tanhua" Arch and the "Sanjin Zai’er" (Three Promotions, Second Rank) Arch — and the Qing Dynasty arches on Xinhua East Road at Yuekou Street — namely the "Yongshi Jianyi" (Brave and Simple) Arch and the "Minyue Xiongsheng" (Mighty Voice of Minyue) Arch. All four are stone structures with wooden features, featuring three bays, five stories, and twelve pillars. The Ming Dynasty arches at Shuangmen Top stand facing each other across the street from north to south, together with the old southern city gate and old street, forming a uniquely charming ancient streetscape. The Qing Dynasty arches on Yuekou Street were erected by decree of Emperor Shengzu of the Qing Dynasty to honor the famed generals Lan Li and Xu Feng for their achievements in subduing Taiwan. They are majestic and imposing, and feature carvings of five Westerners, reflecting the friendly exchanges between Zhangzhou and foreign countries during the Ming and Qing periods. The stone carvings on the Ming and Qing arches in Zhangzhou are rustic yet refined, with flowers, birds, humans, and beasts all rendered with distinctive charm and vivid imagery, typifying the local traditional stone carving artistry that is both delicate and elegant, yet bold and fluid.

　　These four arches share notable architectural similarities: all are built in a stone-imitating-wood style, using a mix of bluestone and white stone with striking color contrasts that create a harmonious overall effect. Each features three bays, five stories, and twelve pillars. The roofs of each story are adorned with fish-shaped ridge ornaments, and the eaves are elegantly upturned. Below the main inscribed plaques, beams and transoms are used to separate the levels. The large beams, transoms, and pillars, along with intricately carved bracket sets, spandrels, decorative panels, and hanging columns, are all ingeniously arranged and precisely joined. The arches are covered in carvings and decorations, using various techniques such as incised carving, line engraving, relief carving, openwork carving, and double-sided carving to depict dragons, phoenixes, flowers, birds, mythical beasts, and human figures, all vividly portrayed. These works not only exhibit the delicate and ornate style of southern art but also incorporate the bold and vigorous character of northern artistry, reflecting how Zhangzhou’s traditional art preserves strong Central Plains cultural elements while boldly assimilating external influences. They represent a precious cultural legacy left by the people of ancient Zhangzhou. In November 1996, the State Council designated these four arches in Zhangzhou’s urban area as part of the fourth group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites. The site is located in Xiangcheng District and can be reached by taking bus routes 1 or 9 in the urban area and getting off at Jiulong Park Station.