"Record of the Rebuilding of the Tangxi County City God Temple" by Zhang Exian from 1925-27 / 章萼銜〈重修城隍廟記〉

Beginning in the xinyou year of the Xianfeng era [1861] Hong Xiuchuan and Yang Xiucheng rebelled. Calamity afflicted living beings through almost all the country. The southeast in particular was badly hit. They entered Zhejiang Province from Anhui Province, arriving in Jinhua Prefecture and Lanxi County first. Jinhua Prefecture was occupied by a false king [of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom]. Tangxi being a strategic juncture of Jinhua and Qu prefectures and Longyou and Lanxi counties, it was held by the Assisting Celestial Righteousness [an official title in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom]. They took down the monasteries, temples and mansions in the four districts [of Tangxi] to build the false king's palace. They slaughtered the people; there was no evil they did not do, and the entire populace fled. This was in 1862, for these events see Zeng Guofan's Record of Major Events. At this time there were rebels everywhere in the prefectures and counties of Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces. Only Qu prefecture, with its high walls and deep moats, had not yet been lost. Zuo Zongtang was Pacification Commissioner for Zhejiang, Jiang Guomin was General Protector, headquartered at Kecheng. They led the subordinate commanders, Generals Bao Chao, etc., assembling in a great camp at Luo and Yang river markets to march on Tangxi city. They secretly cut a way through while openly let loose fire arrows. It was some months before they subdued [Tangxi]. The two offices of the human world and the underworld, the Confucian Temple and academy together with the false king's palace had all been put to the torch and had become scorched earth. The only thing that survived was the western quarter of the city where life resumed. Once Tangxi city had fallen then everything else was easy. Quzhou broke the siege, in Jinhua prefecture [the rebels] escaped. The hinterland of Longyou and Lanxi, Eastern and western Zhejiang, the whole province was cleansed. The Rites of Zhou says: After a great battle there will be a great pestilence, and after a great pestilence there will be a great sickness. The loss of population was such that only twenty or thirty percent remained. By 1866-67 the villages were secure. Officials and gentry worked together and the old examination hall was converted to government offices. The public recommended the gentry Wang Baoying and gentry from the four districts to rebuild the Confucian temple and the county [City God] temple. The reconstructions were of large plan. But [despite the fact that] the beams and columns of the county temple were the largest in the eight counties of Jinhua, the had used the maple, the wrong kind of wood for this purpose. Maple grows quickly and is easy to cut down, but with time it had been infested by insects. They came out from inside the wood, leaving holes as packed together as stars in the sky. It was rotten and could not take the weight and was urgently in need of repair. From the Tongzhi period to today is already over sixty years. If it should collapse then even the roof tiles would not survive. So during the spring and summer of 1925 the county assembly gave serious thought to this matter and stated it clearly to the government. The held several meetings and recommended that I be the manager and the gentry Zong Mingqian be the vice-manager.

Housing the god is something I was happy to do. We then had a gathering of officials and gentry at the county temple. We first did fund raising, then we gave people tasks. From now on we should sweep clean the accumulated problems of the past and always take the words "Fulfill One's Duty" as our guide. There was to be no excess expenses and no over-requisitioning of labor. Raising money was not easy; material resources were a problem. For the columns and beams we had to use camphor, cryptomeria, and catalpa trunks. For the main gate and the eaves of the verandas and pavilion we had to use stone columns to support the load. Since we have made a great effort to do it well, we will never have to do it again. It is ten times more impressive than before. With gold accents and vermilion lacquer, it is bright and fresh. Although we say it is "renovated" in fact it is the same as a new construction. Although during the struggle between northern and southern armies in the twelfth month last year there were battles in the city and districts, there was not the slightest damage to the county city god temple. There was a deity providing hidden protection. Truly this is what is called "there is a ruler in the realm of the unseen." The work began in the middle of winter in 1925 and was complete at the end of winter in 1927. In total it cost slightly over 14,000 silver dollars and in total we had collected slightly over 14,000 silver dollars. Popular sentiment was enthusiastic in support of this project. [Its success] completely depended on getting the right people. The gentry Zong Mingqian was vice-manager and concurrently chief accountant. He oversaw all crucial matters and was good at economizing. The gentry Wang Ding was the day to day manager; he gave it all his strength and thought and was never afraid of hardship. Mr. Zhu Pangui and Mr. Ying Jinhe managed the wood; they are elderly yet vigorous. Others, including the gentry Liu Buqing and Gong Futong assisted with diligence; they were of the greatest help. For something to be accomplished does not depend on there being a lot of people. I have written it all down so that it will not be forgotten. This is my record.

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