Several architectural complexes of magnificent ship-like buildings with complicated structures, built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), have been rediscovered recently in the remote mountainous region of Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province, Guangming Daily reported. They are attracting much attention from historians due to their rare architectural forms and cultural background.
The Nancheng Mansion, located in Yaofang village, Tianjingyuan township, Nancheng County, covers an area of some 10 mu (about 0.667 acres). Viewed from nearby hills or from distant fields, the building’s high-rise black tile roofs and blue brick wall give it the appearance of an ancient ship. The building comprises 108 rooms with partition walls based on bricks and stones. Judging from the ruins, the walls were originally built by weaving bamboo strips that were then pasted with thick mud. With crisscrossing passages and neighboring rooms, as well as rows of halls, the interior structure is similar to that of a ship with fore cabins, quarterdeck cabins, decks, rails, etc.
Standing beside a stream, the Guangchang mansion is situated in the town of Yiqian, Guangchang County, covering an area of some 650 square meters. With a protruding “prow” and an elevated “stern,” the architectural form of this mansion composed of 36 rooms parallels that of the Nancheng building.
Compared with the above-mentioned Nancheng and Guangchang mansions, the Lichuan building, hidden in the mountains near Zhouhu village in the Huashan Plantation, Lichuan County, is like a colossal aircraft carrier. According to Lichuan County Annals, this building of post and panel structure 6 meters high covers an area of about 10 mu (0.667 acres). “There are three halls in a row, each containing three floors, totaling 108 rooms,” the annals recorded. In addition, people from the county government said that, in Zhongtian township, there was another mansion with the same architectural form and the same number of rooms. Unfortunately, the latter was inundated during the construction of the Hongmen Reservoir bordering on Nancheng County in 1959. However, in the dry season each autumn, this ship-like building can be seen emerging from the water.
In the Qing Dynasty, Nancheng, Guangchang and Lichuan counties were under the jurisdiction of the prefecture of Jianchang. According to Chen Jiang, a historian who has carried out several on-the-spot investigations, these “Jianchang ship-like mansions” were built in the middle period of the Qing Dynasty or even earlier, with a history of over 200 years. No record of this type of ship-like building has ever been seen in China’s ancient architectural history.
Based on historical documents, preliminary research has shown that the “Jianchang ship-like buildings” were somewhat related to Hongmen, an anti-Qing organization that originated in the Residence of Prince Yi in Nancheng County, Jiangxi Province, aimed at restoring the overthrown Ming Dynasty, Chen said. In his opinion, the “Jianchang ship-like buildings” are typical remains of the Hongmen architectural culture. The unique ship-shaped structure represents Hongmen’s traditional ideas such as the “Hong Vessel,” while the figures of 36 and 108 are characteristic of the Hongmen architectural culture. The rediscovery of the “Jianchang ship-like buildings” is of significance for research into architectural history as well as the origin of Hongmen.
(china.org.cn translated by Shao Da, July 5, 2002)
