Guizhou Guild Hall

Huize Guizhou Guild Hall: A Place Where Ancient Charm Lingers and Culture is Inherited In Huize, a famous national historical and cultural city in Yunnan, numerous ancient buildings are scattered like shining stars, and the Guizhou Guild Hall is undoubtedly one of the most uniquely charming. The Huize Guizhou Guild Hall, also known as the Chu-Qian Guild Hall, the Zhonglie Temple, and colloquially known as the Black God Temple, is located at No. 1 Jiyun Street, East Section, Zhongping Street, Jinzhong Town, Huize County. It was first built during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, but construction was halted due to land disputes. After many twists and turns, it was finally completed in the 17th year of Jiaqing (1812). This bumpy construction process seems to tell the story of the changing times in the past, and adds a touch of mysterious historical color to it. In terms of architectural style, the Guizhou Guild Hall faces north and covers an area of 5,442.2 square meters, with a building area of 2,164.8 square meters. It is laid out along the central axis in a step-like pattern, gradually rising in height. It is built with a stone archway, a front gate tower behind the stage, a front courtyard pavilion, a vestibule, a front hall, a middle hall, a rear hall, and study rooms on both sides. It adopts a mixed wood structure of through-bucket and beam-lifting, and is built in the form of a single-eave hip roof and a hard gable roof, which is a two-entry courtyard complex. Its exquisite craftsmanship and delicate carvings demonstrate the vicissitudes of history. Every flying eave, every bracket, and every carved brick embodies the wisdom and hard work of ancient craftsmen, making people marvel at the architectural skills of the time. Walking into the Guizhou Guild Hall is like stepping into a corridor of time. In the past, it was a gathering place for merchants from Guizhou and Hubei provinces, where they exchanged trade information and contacted fellow villagers. In the course of the prosperous copper commerce culture in Huize, the Guizhou Guild Hall played an important role and is an important physical testimony to the highly developed copper commerce culture in Huize. During the Anti-Japanese War, it was also used as a teaching place for the Mining and Metallurgy Department of the Southwest Associated University. From 1944 to 1949, the private Chu-Qian Middle School was founded here. It also became a secret activity place and command center for the Huize underground party of the Communist Party of China, carrying heavy historical memories. Today, with the development of the times, Huize County adheres to the principle of "giving priority to protection, revitalizing utilization, inheriting culture, and promoting development," and has carefully repaired and revitalized the Guizhou Guild Hall. The historical buildings, walls, and pillars have been restored to their original appearance, and a cultural exchange hall has been established to promote traditional Chinese culture through physical objects, pictures, and documents. The stage in the hall has also been fully utilized, introducing related formats such as tea ceremony, artistic performances, and Qin art performances. Theatrical performances, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, calligraphy and painting photography, and artistic performances are wonderful. Whenever an event is held, the guild hall is bustling with activity, and tourists either gather around the stove to make tea or enjoy the performances, immersing themselves in the atmosphere of traditional art and feeling the unique charm of traditional culture. Not only that, the Guizhou Guild Hall also actively leverages its own resource advantages to carry out traditional culture training, contributing to the promotion of traditional culture in schools. Traditional culture courses such as Guqin, tea art, incense ceremony, and flower arrangement are offered in Dongfeng Primary School, Gongnong Primary School, Jin No. 1 Middle School, and Vocational Middle School, so that more young people have the opportunity to come into contact with and understand outstanding traditional Chinese culture, and sow the seeds of cultural inheritance in their hearts. The Huize Guizhou Guild Hall is a witness of history and a carrier of culture. It has experienced wind and rain in the long river of time, but has always adhered to its mission. Today, under the sunshine of the new era, it has been revitalized with a new look, attracting tourists from all over the world to explore the traces of history and feel the broad and profound traditional culture. It is like a pearl inlaid in the ancient city of Huize, shining in the passage of time, telling the world the stories of the past and looking forward to a better future.