DATE:1812

LOCATION: CHINCHENG TOWNSHIP, KINMEN COUNTY

DESCRIPTION:

This arch was built to honor the mother of the Ching official Chiu Liang- kung for her moral integrity and maternal devotion. It consists of four posts and three levels fashioned from a mixture of high－grade granite and dark green stone brought all the way from Chuanchou County in mainland China. Meticulously carved, it is one of the few truly maginficent arches remaning in the Taiwan and Fukien areas. The arch rises from a busy street on four square pillars, above which is a plaque lauding the exemplary virtues of Chiu's mother. At the front and back of each post, fierce - looking stone lions and lionesses watch over the arch like guardian spirits. The towering eaves of the top level are carved with a vertical stone plaque reading "Imperial Edict", and a horizontal plaque beneath this records the emperor's praise for this woman of virtue and devotion. The arch is also adorned with an openwork stone carving vividly depicting a scene with finely crafted figures and landscapes.