Xuguo Arch is located in the ancient Huizhou Prefecture Government Office, the national historical and cultural city of She(yinshi) County, which is a national key cultural relics protection unit. The existing ruins are located at the entrance of Zhonghe Street in the ancient city of Shexian County, Anhui. The archway is a rare typical Ming Dynasty Han stone square building in the country, the only eight-legged arch in the country, built in the twelfth year of the Wanli Calendar (1584).
Shexian "entered the army with talent" called Jia Jiangnan, and successive generations of heroes and heroes have emerged, and famous Confucian and prominent ministers have emerged in an endless stream. Xu Guo Arch, also known as The University Shifang, was built for the Jing Dynasty Shao Bao and Prince Tai Bao, Libu Shangshu, and Wu Yingdian University Scholar Xu Guo.
The stone mill is full of carvings and ornaments, delicate workmanship, simple and luxurious, which is a masterpiece in Huizhou stone carving craftsmanship. Xu Guoshifang four squares connected, eight feet side by side, commonly known as "eight feet arch", it with The unique majesty of China has become a world-renowned "national treasure", known as "the triumphal arch of the East".
The stone square is surrounded by eight columns, and the "mouth" glyph is shaped, so it is commonly known as the "eight-foot archway". North-south length 11. 56 meters, east-west width 6. 77 meters, height 11. 50 meters, area 78. 13 sq.m.
Xu Guo (1527-1596), zi Weizhen, a native of Shexian County. Ming Jiajing forty-four years (1565) jinshi, the three dynasties of Jiajing, Longqing, Wanli, Wanli twelve years Xu Guo with Yunnan "Pingyi" meritorious service, Jin Prince Taibao, Wuyingdian University scholar. Xu's clothes returned to his hometown, and this archway was erected in that year, and the words "Enrong", "First Learner and Later Minister", "University Scholar", "Shaobao and Prince Taibao Libu Shangshu Wuyingdian University Scholar Xu Guo", "Elder on the Stage" and so on were engraved on the square. The archway font is in the pavilion style, which was engraved by the Ming Dynasty calligrapher Dong Qichang.
Xuguo Arch is an imitation wood structure with ridges, kisses and bucket arches. It is composed of two three-room four-pillar third-floor stone squares in front and back and two single-room two-pillar three-story stone squares on the left and right. All the stones are made of green tea garden stones, the stone texture is hard, thick and thick, some of them weigh four or five tons, and the art of stone carving is even more ingenious. Every stone pillar, every beam, every plaque, every arch and finches are decorated with exquisite carvings. Twelve lions, four in front of and four on the left and right, stand majestically on top of the stone foundation, with different shapes and lifelike. These "personalized" carved designs subtly express the ideological consciousness and social achievements of Xu Guo, the owner of the archway.
There are exquisite decorations on the inside and outside of the four directions of the archway, southeast, and northwest. On the south side is carved "Dragon Soaring". It symbolizes the emperor's south and king, indicating the loyalty of the archway owner Xu Guo to the imperial court; the inner side is carved with "Ying (Eagle) Posture (Pheasant) Huan (Badger) Hair", praising the emperor's youth and achievements. The sculpture "Yuyue Dragon Gate" on the east side indicates that xu Guo, the owner of the arch, was born as a scholar of keju; the inner carving "Three Reports (Leopard) Xi (Magpie)" is a reference to the three promotions of Xu Guo, the owner of the archway, during the Wanli Years. The two-sided sculpture "Wei Feng Xiang Lin", "Feng" and "Lin" are the peak of the literary style, and the Taiping Prosperity of virtue and Politics Changlong can only exist, this picture praises the society at that time; the inner carving "Dragon Pavilion Dancing Eagle", "Dancing Eagle" harmonic "Wuying", suggesting that the archway owner Xu Guo is in the position of a scholar of Wuyingdian University. To the north is "Ruihe Xiangyun", which symbolizes the peace of the world and the noble character of Xu Guo, the owner of the archway;
On the inside is the "Deer MingTu" borrowed from the Book of Poetry. Lu Ming", indicating that Xu Guo, as a Rebbe Shangshu, often meets as a guest student, drums and blows, and lives a confucian and elegant life. The "first learn before the subject" in the workshop, that is, to study and become an official, it tells people that Xu Guo was born as a scholar of the imperial examination, and he became a major minister of the state by virtue of his intelligence.
"Shangtai" (that is, one of the "shangtai, zhongtai, and shangtai" was originally the name of the astrological sign, and the ancients often used to symbolize the "three dukes" (太師, 太傅, 太保); "three orphans" (少師, 少傅, 少保); "elder" refers to Xu Guo's successive three dynasties and is a heavy subject of the imperial court.
Legends about the Trespassing Ceremony system at XuGuo Arch
In September of the twelfth year of the Wanli Calendar, Xu Guo was promoted to Shaobao (少保) and was awarded the title of Wuyingdian University Scholar for his meritorious efforts in quelling the rebellion on the border of Yunnan. "Shaobao and Crown Prince Taibao Libu Shangshu Wuyingdian University Scholar Xu Guo" is Xu Guo's full title. After the Yunnan border turmoil subsided for a month, the Wanli Emperor rewarded his subjects heavily, and Xu Guo was praised as "cooperative loyalty and planning, and qi with hard work" and received "jia en's family remuneration", Shangmu Emperor En, returned to his hometown of Shexian County, urged Fu County, xingshi mobilized the crowd, and gathered craftsmen to build this large stone mill that has been famous for thousands of years. There is also an interesting legend about this eight-legged archway. It is said that ordinary subjects can only build four-legged arches, otherwise they will commit crimes. At that time, huizhou dignitaries and squires were numerous, and there were many four-legged archways. Xu Guo is a master of local moral integrity, and if he only builds a four-legged archway, he will not be able to reflect his official prestige. How can you build a torii with a difference?
Xu Guoling moved and thought of an idea of "cutting first and playing later". Xu Guojian dragged on for a total of seven or eight months before returning to the dynasty to resume his life. Because of the super holiday, Xu Guo knelt on Dan for a long time without a sound, and the emperor was confused and reproached: "Why is the april leave of Zhunqing returning to his hometown to build a factory, why is it extended to August?" It has been built for such a long time, either it is four feet, or eight feet have long been built." Xu Guo listened, and immediately shouted long live, saying "Emperor Xie is in favor of the emperor, and it is the Eight Foot Arch that the minister built." The emperor could not laugh when he heard it, and the emperor could not repent when he opened his golden mouth. In this way, the stone mill built by Xu Guo was also "legalized". Of course, this is a legend, but according to expert research, there is only such an eight-legged stone square in the country, I am afraid it can be regarded as "not an example".