The Hengyin Stone Archway, situated in Xianren Mountain, Hengxing Village, Wu Xiang Town, Yin County, is one of the earliest known stone archways in China that still exists today, along with the Miaogou Stone Archway.
Standing as a tomb path archway on the hillside, it is constructed with local ‘Yi’ao Stone’ material. Unfortunately, the tomb path has been destroyed, and the identity of the tomb owner remains untraceable.
This archway features a two-pillar, one-room, one-floor structure that imitates wooden architecture, facing west from the east. It is grand and spectacular, yet exquisitely detailed.
Expert research indicates that both the Hengyin Stone Archway and the Miaogou Stone Archway imitate wooden structures in terms of structure and detailed methods, which is significantly different from the stone archways built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, they are basically consistent with the Song Dynasty’s ‘Yingzao Fashi’, indicating a clear transition from wooden to stone archways. Therefore, it is confirmed that both archways were built around the Southern Song to Yuan Dynasty period.
Their discovery provides precious examples for the study of stone archway culture in China before the Ming Dynasty and holds high historical and artistic value.
It is worth mentioning that the Hengyin Stone Archway was discovered in the summer of 1999 during the third cultural relics census in Ningbo City, creating a miracle.
The archway is open all year round, with no specific opening hours, and is accessible all day.
