CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- At the Mentioning of “memorial archway,” lots of people are not familiar with them. Still, many memorial archways remain in Chongqing, such as the renowned “Xinpaifang”. But where is this memorial archway, and what was its function? Recently, the reporter searched in Yubei District and said that there was indeed a memorial archway in Xinpaifang, and it’s been well-preserved until now. It was built to stand for virtue chastity and filial piety.

According to the cultural relics department, at present, among the existing 128 ancient memorial archways in Chongqing, 30-plus are about virtue, chastity and filial piety. They were approved by the Emperor and then built under the supervision of the local higher level officials.

The memorial archway of virtue chastity and filial piety In the Zhaomu Mountain Park.

The memorial archway in Xinpaifang was moved to Yubei Bijin Park

Lots of people in Chongqing wonder that, if there is a memorial archway in Xinpaifang, where is it? Why cannot it be seen? What was it for originally?

“Xinpaifang is not just a location name. The memorial archway indeed exists and was moved to another place.” Since it was moved to Xinpaifang from Yuzhong District in 2000, an old man, Zhang Kaize, showed a great interest in the memorial archway due to his curiosity about the rural culture. He went and asked around and was finally given to understand that there was really a memorial archway in Xinpaifang, and the place was named after it.

It’s said that the “Xinpaifang” is the Longxi memorial archway of virtue, chastity and filial piety sponsored by the National Treasury appropriation in 1895, honoring the Lady Mengwang for raising her only child despite bitter hardship.

Xinpaifang, that is the “Longxi memorial archway of virtue, chastity and filial piety”, was moved to Yubei Bijin Park

It is currently the best preserved stone memorial archway in Yubei District. It’s a 5-layer stone building with three entrances supported by four columns imitating the wooden structure, with height 12.5 meters and width 8.59 meters covering a area of 60 square meters.

In 1997, traffic construction in the Xinpaifang area began, to make way for the Hongjin Road connecting the Longtou Temple to the North Circle Road. That August, the 120-year-old memorial archway was moved as a whole to the Bayu Folk Culture Village in Bijin Park, the Longxiang Community, Suanglonghu Street, Yubei District.