Xidamochang Street, Qianmen | Linfen Guild Hall, Shanxi Province.

Guild halls were established in the Ming dynasty, flourished in the Qing dynasty, and declined in the Republic of China. They are an important and unique cultural form in Beijing, and were built in the area south of the Qianmen Gate due to the influx of scholars from all over the country coming to Beijing to take the imperial examinations and the prosperity of the commodity economy. They were mainly guild halls for scholars from the same hometown and guild halls for commercial industries. 🟢 Linfen Guild Hall | ▪️ Year of construction: Built in the Ming dynasty and rebuilt in the 32nd year of the Qianlong reign (1767), it was built by merchants from five industries in Linfen, Shanxi Province, namely tobacco, dried fruit, paint, paper, and groceries. It was originally called "Linfen Ancestral Hall" and was also the East Hall of the Fen Guild Hall. ▪️ Architectural layout: The whole building faces south and is a three-entry courtyard house; there is a two-story building (office area). ⭐️⭐️ Highlights: ❶ The plaque from the Republic of China period with the words "Purple Air Comes from the East"; ❷ Four stone carvings on the gable wall: "Record of the Reconstruction of the East Hall of Linfen", "Stele of the Linfen Ancestral Hall Guild outside Zhengyangmen, Beijing" - Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty; "Record of the Reconstruction of the East Hall of Linfen" - 32nd year of the Qianlong reign, Dinghai year, July. Etc. ❸ A blank stele in the courtyard; ❹ Some of the original beams and purlins (dark brown or black parts) are preserved; The sparrow braces between the beams; the floral patterns on the gable wall; and the brick carvings in the corridor; ❺ The paintings on the beams: the golden dragon and the double dragon playing with a pearl in gold and blue; the paintings on the beams are preserved. ❻ Two wooden plaques from the Kangxi reign: "Righteousness Extends to the Universe" and "Noble Spirit Lasts Forever" (there was actually a third plaque, but unfortunately it was destroyed); This historic building has preserved the original building to the greatest extent possible, with many small details to see, and I have been there twice. ❼ Status: It is the first guild hall cultural exhibition hall in Beijing; ❽ Usage: It was vacated in 2015 and opened to the public in 2017. ⚠️⚠️ Opening hours: Only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00-16:00, no lunch break, no reservation required, just register on site.