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Old hall stays a hidden treasure
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IN Gonghe Village of Wujing Town, the remains of a grand old building stand amid a landscape of modern farm cottages.
The building, which has a history dating back 372 years, is called Hua Ting, or “Glamorous Hall,” by the locals. Although they revere the site, official registrars of protected historical structures haven’t seen fit to recognize it.
A fire 10 years ago reduced the Glamorous Hall to just a frame. What remains is a yard devoted to timber storage and a covered area rented out to migrants. Only the exquisite carvings left on the frame are left to tell the story of a grand past. Villagers had expected authorities to protect and even restore the old hall, but they have been disappointed.
“It originally had very beautiful carved beams and painted rafters, but they were all destroyed in the fire,” said Qian Yongzhang, a villager. “Now, it’s all getting shabbier year by year.”
According to the “Tangwan County Annals,” the hall was originally called Yanyi Hall, or “Hall of the Swallow Wings.”
It was built as a home mansion by a family surnamed Qian in the latter years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was praised for its beauty.
For the next three centuries, the mansion slowly crumbled, leaving only the front hall in the 20th century. But in a village where most residents are surnamed Qian, it remains a cultural icon.
“It was the highlight of the village,” said Qian Tuxing, 94. “We old people remember all the weddings and funerals held there.”
But the village treasure was not included as a cultural relic in the most recent edition of China’s archaeological survey.
Zhang Naiqing, a cultural heritage expert in Minhang, said most of the hall has been lost and its value is contentious. Another problem is that the ownership of the building remains unclear.
An old land deed from the Minhang Archives shows the building belonging to 14 people from eight or nine families in the villages. But no one knows if the land deed is still valid.
Although the building has not been listed as protected architecture, it no doubt has high value for the study of folk culture and should be protected before it’s too late, Zhang said.
“We haven’t found its value today, but maybe we will find it tomorrow,” he said. “Once lost, culture heritage can not be restored.”
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