Huguang Guild buildings in Chongqing

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-04-21 13:55

Huguang Guild in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality was initially built during the Ming and Qing dynasties as a meeting place for businessmen from central China's Hunan and Hubei provinces and South China's Guangdong and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Emperor Yu's Palace, the largest construction in the guild, covers an area of 2270 square meters, one third of the whole area. The beams and rafters are carved and painted with human figures, plants, historical legends and various animals to express people's wishes. Museum of Plaques in the right wing to the hall of the Emperor's Palace has a collection of plaques, some as old as 500 years. These inscribed boards can be divided into five categories of praising excellence, encouraging business or study, inscription for residence and inscription for congratulations on birthday. A 70-year-old woman surnamed Pan tells that every plague has a story. [chinadaily.com.cn/Sun Yuqing]