The Zan Bao Brothers Jinshi Archway was erected in honor of Zhan Bao, a Jinshi from the Hongzhi Bingchen division. The archway runs east to west, emulating a wooden stone structure, entirely carved and built from bluestone. It features four pillars, three bays, and five pavilions, with a hip roof, spanning 6.35 meters in width, 3.45 meters in the central bay, and 1.45 meters in the side bays, with an overall height of 8.5 meters. On the east side of the central flat beam, it is engraved with ‘Brothers Jinshi’, and on the west side with ‘Father and Son Virtuous Scholars’, each consisting of four large characters. On the left, it vertically inscribe the small characters ‘Bestowed Hongzhi Bingchen’, and on the right, ‘Jinshi Degree Zhan Bao’. The main pavilion’s stone plaque has the vertical inscription of ‘Grace and Honor’. On the east and west sides of the central beam, exquisite reliefs of flying phoenixes, running deer, and double lions playing with a ball are carved. The upper beam features a carved phoenix picking peonies, with the water chestnut decorated with a pattern of tied grass and flowers. The side beams are carved with stories of officials and civilians, and the common rafters are carved with transformed lotus petal patterns. Each pavilion is supported by dougong brackets, with the main pavilion having four sets, and the side and sandwich pavilions each having three sets, featuring elephant trunk-like upturned brackets. The architectural structure is rigorous and the design is aesthetically pleasing. The spandrel is adorned with a fish spitting water pattern. The terminal stones at both ends are carved with eight vividly lifelike lions, each with a different posture, using the technique of ground-raising relief. The archway pillars are square with chamfered corners, with distinct edges, made from a single stone, consistent with the construction methods of wooden structures. The entire archway is a testament to exquisite and complete stone carving craftsmanship, with skilled techniques that are truly admirable. The archway is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day.
