Kuixing Pavilion
Formerly known as Qingyun Tower, the pavilion originally stood southeast of the Confucian School inside the South City Gate of Longjin Town.
First built in the 36th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1557), it was famed as the Qingyun Tower and counted among the Eight Sights of Longjin.
In the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1897), Magistrate Wen Lian allocated funds to relocate it to the southeast outskirts of the county seat, its present location, and renamed it Kuixing Pavilion. Facing north with its back to the south, the building suffered severe damage over the centuries.
From 1983 to 1984, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture and the county government invested 30,000 yuan to rebuild it. The reconstructed pavilion adopted an imitation wooden frame structure, featuring solid pillars, a main gate, balustrades and an octagonal caisson ceiling. It has a double-eaved hip roof covered with cement tiles imitating glazed tiles, paired with a stone lion statue and a vivid sculpture of Kuixing (the God of Literature), bringing new vitality to the stone building.
In 2005, higher-level funding was secured for another renovation. The roof was fully retiled with genuine glazed tiles, making the pavilion more elegant and brilliant.
It is listed as a county-level key protected cultural relic.
Jintai Ancient Opera Stage
Situated in Jintai Village, Shibi Town, the stage was first constructed in the autumn of the 10th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1745), covering a floor area of 86 square meters and facing north.
It underwent renovation in 1917 (the 6th year of the Republic of China) and was reconstructed again in 1968.
The building is a brick-timber structure with a four-sloped hip roof and a convex floor plan. Its interior uses the column-and-tie beam framework with an ornate caisson ceiling built with ruyi-shaped brackets.
Measuring 7.8 metres in height, 10 metres in width and 8.5 metres in depth, it fully embodies the architectural style of rural southern Jiangxi in the Qing Dynasty.
It is one of the best-preserved buildings within the temple complex of Jintai Village and designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Jiangxi Provincial Level.
Deng Family Memorial Archway
This chastity archway for Madam Huang is located in Deng Village, Shibi Town.
Erected in the 21st year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1841), it faces north, standing 7 metres tall and 6 metres wide. Supported by granite pillars and beams, it has three gateways and four pillars, with a bluestone horizontal plaque inscribed Upright Chastity and Pure Integrity.
The archway is carved with vivid, smoothly-lined patterns of dragons, phoenixes, lions, clouds, the moon and human figures.
On the front lintel is an engraved couplet in intaglio characters:
Decades of pure and steadfast virtue;
A noble reputation enduring for a thousand years.
It is a key cultural relic under the protection of Nanchang City.
Historical records show that Madam Huang, given the given name Guilan, was born in Shuinan of Luotian. She married Fusheng (Master Mu Ying) of Deng Village at the age of sixteen and gave birth to two sons and one daughter.
Quiet and gentle by nature, she strictly observed women’s moral codes and brought up her children prudently, making her an exemplary virtuous wife.
She treated others with honesty and kindness. In years of famine, she sold grain at a discounted price. Generous with money and devoted to righteousness, she generously aided the poor and needy, earning her the reputation of a noble lady among women.
Tragedies befell her one after another. Her husband passed away when she was only 28. Later, both of her two sons died when she turned 55.
Despite repeated misfortunes, she remained steadfast in her chastity.
Like pine and cypress growing ever lusher after frost, her integrity grew firmer with time. She lived to a ripe old age.
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