Wenzong Pavilion is located in Jinshan Temple, Zhenjiang, and was constructed in the 44th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign. According to the emperor himself, the purpose of building the Southern Three Pavilions and bestowing the ‘Complete Collection of the Four Treasuries’ was to ‘benefit the artistic community and inspire future generations’. Although some books were destroyed for various reasons during the compilation of the ‘Complete Collection of the Four Treasuries’, its overall significance is extremely substantial and it remains an important tome in the academic world to this day. At that time, the construction of the Southern Three Pavilions was a sensational event in the scholarly circles of the Jiangnan region. Thus, the grand Wenzong Pavilion was built in just one year, with many materials and labor donated by the locals, reflecting the high level of enthusiasm the people of Zhenjiang have for culture. After the pavilion was completed, the books had not yet been copied, so the Qianlong Emperor first bestowed a copper movable type edition of ‘The Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books’ for scholars to read within the pavilion. The ‘Complete Collection of the Four Treasuries’ began to be issued in batches from the 52nd year of Qianlong’s reign, and was not fully issued until the 55th year. All affairs within the pavilion were managed by the Two Huai Salt Transportation History, and local scholars were allowed to read and copy the texts, making it a joy for Jiangnan scholars to be able to ‘read the secrets of the central library’. The pavilion is open all year round from 08:00 to 17:00, with specific business status subject to the daily opening conditions.
Wenzong Pavilion
Wenzong Pavilion is located in Jinshan Temple, Zhenjiang, and was constructed in the 44th year of th[...]
