Qianyang Wanshou Palace

　　   Wanshou Palace is grand in scale, and its architectural layout is considered the finest in the ancient city. It is the largest commercial guild hall upstream of the Yuan River, with affiliated residential complexes on both sides. Looking along the street, the high and continuous walls and horse-head walls are truly spectacular. It witnessed the prosperity of the ancient city of Qianyang in its heyday and is now a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit in Huaihua.

　　   Wanshou Palace is also known as the "Jiangxi Guild Hall," and it is the largest commercial guild hall upstream of the Yuan River. Back then, thanks to generous donations from Jiangxi merchants at various trading ports along the Yuan River, Qiancheng Wanshou Palace was built so magnificently. Construction began in the 24th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1844), covering an area of 1,000 square meters, with a front wall 25 meters wide and a gate tower 8 meters high. It is a barrel-shaped Yinzi house, with the main gate featuring square stone pillars made of bluestone, and bluestone slabs inlaid on both sides of the gate, carved with floral reliefs and half-standing clay figurines. The main hall’s pillars have a diameter of 40 centimeters, with drum-shaped bases and octagonal sub-bases beneath them, each side engraved with floral patterns. The main hall has three bays, with the central bay being over 6 meters wide. It extends four bays deep, with slightly larger spacing between the first and third bays, the floor of the third bay raised two steps higher, and the caisson ceiling of the second bay being extremely exquisite. The interior features an old-style opera stage, with the ceiling of the stage roof in a dougong (bracket arm) style, exquisitely crafted. The viewing galleries on both sides are intact, and the floor is entirely paved with bluestone slabs. On the east and west sides of the main hall are the God of Wealth Hall and the Guanyin Hall respectively. Upon entering, one passes under the stage, which is slightly narrower than the central bay of the main hall, featuring a wooden hip-and-gable roof structure. Upon exiting, one can see the Yuan River flowing eastward, along with a rather imposing bluestone wharf that connects to the river—a highly strategic location.

　　   The stone carvings on the main gate’s memorial archway of Wanshou Palace are exquisitely crafted. During the Cultural Revolution, residents of the ancient city covered all the carvings with lime to protect them from destruction. The lime was not removed until 2009, revealing the true beauty of the carvings.

　　   Source: Ancient City of Qianyang