The opening hours of the Fourth Palace Palace: 7:30 am - 18:00 pm
Introduction to the attractions of the Fourth Palace Palace:
Known as China The Fourth Gongbao Archway, known as the First Brick Arch, is located in Xincheng Town, Huantai County, the hometown of Wang Shi, a literary leader in the early Qing Dynasty and a generation of poets. It is 15 meters high, 9.2 meters wide, 3.32 meters deep, and covers an area of ??more than 30 square meters. Since the date of its construction, it has experienced nearly 400 years of vicissitudes in the world and is the only surviving archway among the 72 archways in the ancient Xincheng County.
Since ancient times, archways have mostly been built of stone. The Fourth Generation Gongbao Brick Archway standing on the plains of northern Shandong has been renowned for its excellence in ancient and modern times. It has a simple and elegant shape, majestic momentum, exquisite structural layout and meticulous carving. It can be called a representative work of classical architecture in Zibo area.
The Fourth Gongbaofang was built in the 47th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1619). The purpose was to commend Wang Xiangqian, the Minister of the Ministry of War, for his outstanding achievements among the Governor Ji Liao and Xingbian Shishi. He was recognized by the imperial court. The deeds of being promoted to the crown prince and Taibao. Wang Xiangqian, courtesy name Zikuo and Jiyu, was born in Xincheng. He was born in the 26th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1547 AD) and died in the 3rd year of Chongzhen (1631 AD). In the fourth year of Longqing (AD 1571), he was a Zhongya Yuan Dynasty, and in the fifth year of Longqing (AD 1572), he was a Jinshi. When the workshop was built, Wang Xiangqian was serving as Minister of War.
At that time, the imperial court granted three generations of titles: Wang Xiangqian’s father, Zeng Lei, served as Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and Wang Zhiyuan, who presented the title of Minister of Household Affairs; Guizhou Shenfan), Wang Chongguang, who was given to the Shaoqing of Taipu Temple because of the death of the barbarian governor in the king's service; Wang Xiangqian's great-grandfather, Wang Lin, who was a professor at the Prince's Mansion in Yingchuan. Because of their descendants Wang Xiangqian's outstanding contributions to the Ming Dynasty, they were all awarded the title of Minister of the Ministry of War, Minister of the Ministry of War, Guanglu Doctor Zhuguo Crown Prince Taibao, so this archway is called the Fourth Gongbaofang.
The Fourth Gongbaofang was built outside the south gate of the ancient city wall in Xincheng County, at the south end of the suspension bridge on the moat, and stood across the street. Before this brick archway was built, there were stone archways built nearby such as father and son ministers, elders of the palace, famous ministers of the Xi Dynasty, Jiangbei Qingxiang, Daizong Xiuyi, etc. The huge group of archways are lined up in rows and scattered along the street. The construction craftsmanship and inscriptions Each has its own merits, and has become a landscape full of ancient charm in Qilu since the Ming Dynasty.
The body of the Fourth Gongbaofang is a masonry structure, with the four bases each made of three layers of ashlar. The lower floor has lotus petal reliefs all around, and the middle floor is surrounded by cloud reliefs. There are four square stones on each side of the upper floor, carved with patterns such as moving clouds, flowing water, unicorns, pine deer, galloping horses, and Ganoderma lucidum. There are two square stone pillars on each base, about one meter high, supporting the blue brick structure of one large, two small and three arched gates. The large arch in the middle spans four meters, allowing vehicles and pedestrians to pass smoothly. The arches on both sides are narrow, probably to enhance the beauty of the entire building. There are four pairs of stone lions sitting in front and behind the gate. Among them, four male lions each hold a hydrangea and look back, and the other four female lions each hold a cub and look back. They have different expressions, beautiful shapes and vivid charm. The roof of the square is in the shoulder-rest style, high in the middle and low on both sides, with brackets and cornices, simple tiles, octagonal protrusions, and wind chimes on each side. The breeze blows and the bells ring sweetly. There is a unicorn carrying a vase on the top of the archway, which is strong and majestic, simple and cute; there are eight sloping bases on the upper part of the archway, each with two round sculptures of mythical animals, which are also lifelike.
When visitors come to the square, the first thing they see are the four eye-catching large characters of "Fourth Palace Protector" in block letters. The brushwork is round and generous, solemn and powerful. It is said that it was written by Dong Qichang, a great calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. The four characters are engraved on a huge banner forehead stone. Above the forehead stone are the two golden characters "Shengen", indicating that the archway was built with the permission of the emperor to show his favor. According to legend, it was also written by Dong Qichang. Below the four characters "Fourth Palace Protector", the original titles and edicts of the four generations of ancestors and grandsons Wang Lin, Wang Chongguang, Wang Zhiyuan and Wang Xiangqian are engraved in dignified block letters, as well as the official titles and names of local officials at that time and the completion time of the memorial arch.
On the bluestone columns on both sides of the Fourth Palace Palace, there are reliefs of official script couplets on the front and back. The top of each couplet is marked with the word Yuyin. The front couplet is: Youzi Yuemu Gonggu, who is famous at home and abroad; the bottom is Dinghuotong Miao Manbao, who praises the power of Xiang and conquers Changming. There is a couplet on the back: the old but the teeth are preserved, the kindness is expressed in Keshao; the virtuous people are honored, and the honor and fame are shining in the bamboo book to cover up the light.
There are pattern reliefs around the couplets, and the brick-polished columns at the four corners of the archway are decorated with two pairs of protruding figure sculptures of two old men, two young men, and are painted, which adds a lot of color to the entire building.
The brick building is rigorous in structure, dignified and beautiful, which embodies the superb artistic level of Ming Dynasty architecture in my country. It is the crystallization of the wisdom of the working people and the historical witness of Zibo's ancient civilization. It records the epic deeds created by the Xincheng Wang family in the process of defending the borders of the motherland and stabilizing people's lives. It will surely inspire generations of future generations to devote themselves to the cause of the country and the people and strive endlessly. During the Anti-Japanese War, the Fourth Gongbao Brick Shop was severely damaged. The northwest corner collapsed, the tile ridges on the top were loose, and weeds were overgrown. When the car of the Japanese invaders passed by, the bricks and tiles falling from the brick square almost injured the Japanese officer. The Japanese soldiers and traitors became angry and wanted to demolish the brick shop. Fortunately, the Wang family in Xincheng gathered for discussion, and the wise people in the city also advocated immediate repairs, so this 300-year-old brick building escaped a disaster. In the late 1930s, the Wang family sold some of the pine and cypress trees in Yingzhong and invited craftsmen from Hanjiazhuang in the county to repair it within a year. In the following decades, Zhuanfang experienced two liberation wars and the Cultural Revolution. Although it left numerous bullet holes and traces of axes and hammers, it was still protected by the Huantai people and ushered in the new era of reform and opening up. era.
In 1982, the Shandong Provincial People's Government allocated special funds and invited the Qufu Ancient Construction Team to perform construction work. The arches, cornices and brackets were rebuilt, all roof tiles were replaced, and various carvings were basically restored to their original appearance. In 1992, the Fourth Gongbao Archway was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Shandong Province and became an important part of the Wangshi Memorial Hall. This famous treasure of ancient architectural art has regained its vitality and has become an indispensable tourist attraction in the northern part of Zibo City.