Yan Lugong Ci is a memorial hall built in honor of Yan Zhenqing, a renowned official and outstanding calligrapher from the Tang Dynasty in China. Lugong was the title bestowed upon Yan Zhenqing. In the first year of the Qian Yuan era of Emperor Suzong of Tang (758 AD), when Yan Zhenqing served as the governor of Shengzhou (present-day Nanjing), he was ordered to build 81 release ponds across the country under the pretext of releasing living creatures, among which the Wulongtan in Nanjing was the largest. Subsequently, a release pond temple was built beside the pond, with an altar for Yan Lugong for worship. The temple has been continuously renovated through the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, and during the Tongzhi period of the Qing dynasty, a temple was built on the site of the temple. The temple now serves as the Yan Zhenqing Memorial Hall, which includes a garden of ink and a corridor of steles. It houses a large white marble carving inscribed with the word ‘Soul of Calligraphy’ by the female calligrapher Xiao Xian, which is eye-catching. The curved corridor and flower walls are embedded with 40 pieces of calligraphy by famous calligraphers and more than 20 calligraphy steles by Japanese friends. There is also an inscribed plaque by the calligrapher Zhao Puchu hanging high, as well as detailed historical and cultural materials, rubbings, and steles, which provide a comprehensive understanding of Yan Zhenqing’s life, career, and calligraphic skills. The hall is open all year round from 17:00 to 00:00 on Saturdays and Sundays; and from 11:00 to 00:00 on Tuesdays to Fridays.
Yan Lugong Ci Memorial Hall
Yan Lugong Ci is a memorial hall built in honor of Yan Zhenqing, a renowned official and outstanding[...]
