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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Shan-Shaan Guild Hall on Great Tea Route

base for merchants traveling across the country, a venue
for negotiating business, a site for sacrificial rituals to
attract wealth, a place to entertain guests, and a hub
for strengthening connections among Shanxi-Shaanxi
businessmen while exchanging economic and trade
Figure 3. The beam of the gate documents the date of reconstruction and information.
the name of the craftsmen. Source: Photo by Jia County Government.
The complex measures 105 m in length and 60 m in
width, covering an area of 6,300 sqm (about 9.5 acres)
Road (宛洛古道), which dates back to the Qin (221 – 206 (Cheng, 2010). It consists of 22 buildings, including 10
7
BCE) and Han (202 BCE–9) dynasties (Xu & Jiang, 2001). heritage structures (Pingdingshan City Government,
Ancient Wanluo Road between Nanyang (南阳) and 2019). The layout features three courtyards (Figure 5A)
Ruzhou (汝州) split into two routes: a main road passing and includes prominent architectural elements such as
through Fangcheng (方城) and Ye County (叶县) to reach the Screen Wall (Figure 5B), the Main Gate, the Bell and
Ruzhou, and a convenient path through Lushan (鲁山), Drum Towers, the Main Hall, and the Spring and Autumn
known as Sanya Road (三鸦路) (Gong, 1991). Building.
8
In addition to those official routes, field research and
The first courtyard (Figure 6A) served as a public
oral histories have revealed the existence of two additional space. The gate and theater were integrated, with the gate
roads that facilitated market expansion for Shanxi-Shaanxi on the ground floor and the theater on the 1 floor. The
st
merchants into the villages and towns surrounding Jia stage, facing north toward the interior of the courtyard,
County (Figure 4). These two lanes, located on the north is directly opposite the main hall, establishing it as the
and south sides of Xiguan Street, are named after their visual focal point. The Bell and Drum Towers are 2-story
origins: Lushan Alley (鲁山巷) and Huangdao Alley
(黄道巷). Lushan Alley starts from Lushan County brick-enclosed buildings with flying roof eaves and a hip-
and passes through Baofeng County (宝丰县) and gable roof (xieshan; 歇山). Intricately carved brackets
Guangkuotiandi village (广阔天地村) before reaching adorn their high pedestals. Positioned on either side of
the guild hall. Huangdao Alley goes from Huangdao town the theater, these towers once housed a bell and a drum,
(黄道乡) to the guild hall. respectively, which no longer exist. The East Hall, a 1-story
brick building with a flush-gable roof (yingshan; 硬山), is
5.1.2. Production oriented from east to west.
Although Jia County was a transit hub rather than a tea The second courtyard contains the Main Hall (or
production area, the influence of the Great Tea Route Guandi Temple; Figure 6B), dedicated to the worship of
instilled a tradition of tea drinking among its residents. Guan Gong. Facing south, this single-story structure
This cultural legacy also led to the establishment of tea features a hipped roof with five bays. Historical records
reprocessing sites in the area. As shown in Figure 2, a tea indicate that a painted clay statue of Guan Gong was
factory was located on the east side of the road leading into originally installed in the hall. The courtyard also includes
the historical town of Jia County. 11 rooms on each side, referred to as West Wing and East
Wing, both comprising 1-story brick buildings.
5.1.3. Housing
According to historical records, the main hall consisted
The merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces, of five rooms with a porch (Jia County Literature and
renowned for their business acumen, recognized the Historical Data Research Committee of the CPPCC,
strategic importance of Jia County and donated funds to 1987). However, the porch no longer exists. Interviews
purchase land and construct the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild revealed that the porch was damaged at an unspecified
Hall. The guild hall served multiple purposes: it was a
time. During renovations, the Jia County Cultural Heritage
7 Ancient Wanluo Road, which historically connected Administration uncovered remnants of the porch’s
Nanyang (Wan, 宛) and Luoyang (Luo, 洛), served as a foundation, composed of grey bricks, while removing
significant transportation and military route in ancient times. non-heritage structures. Unfortunately, these remains were
Before the Qin dynasty (221 – 206 BCE), it was known as the roughly cleared rather than conserved.
Summer Road (夏道). From the Spring and Autumn period
(771 – 476 BCE) onward, it became the primary southern The Spring and Autumn Hall (Figure 6C), located on
route to the Central Plains Zhang & Pan (1976). the central axis in the third courtyard, is a 2-story brick
8 In the local dialect, “Sanya” refers to a narrow passage building with an overhanging gabled roof (xuanshan;
between two mountains. 悬山). Its prominent position indicates it is the most

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4582