China's best-preserved county-level magistrate office in Neixiang, Henan

China's best-preserved county-level magistrate office in Neixiang, Henan

中国保存最完整的县衙，县令为何是五品？

Destroyed and rebuilt several times over the past more than 700 years, the ancient Neixiang Government Office or Neixiang Magistrate Office in present-day Neixiang county of Nanyang city, Central China's Henan province, was first built in 1304. The existing buildings were mainly built in 1894 by Zhang Bingtao, the county magistrate at that time. Covering 40 thousand square meters and boasting over 280 houses, it became China's first yamen (government office) museum in 1984.

内乡县衙始建于元大德八年，即公元1304年，距今已有700多年历史，后几经战火、屡毁屡建，现存建筑大多为光绪二十年，即公元1894年，由钦加同知衔正五品官章炳焘主持营建，占地4万平方米，房舍280余间，1984年被批准为全国第一家衙门博物馆。

内乡县衙正门 Front Gate

The ancient Neixiang Government Office has 3 doors. In the middle is a 100-meter passage serving as the function of central axis, in the east is a drum for plaintiffs to beat for appealing for justice, and in the west are two stone tablets inscribed with several lines of characters: "Framing others and bypassing the immediate leadership and present appeals and complaints to higher levels are not allowed".

县衙大门面阔3间，中间是百米甬道，东梢间的前半间置有一架喊冤鼓，供老百姓击鼓鸣冤之用，西梢间的前半间立有两通石碑，上面刻着“诬告加三等”“越诉笞五十”字样，告诫老百姓不要诬陷良善，也不能越级告状。

寅宾馆 Yinbin Guesthouse

Walking into Neixiang Government Office, you will find Yinbin Guesthouse on the right, aimed at providing accommodations to people such as higher officials, friends of the county magistrate, etc. To promote Chinese couplets culture and Neixiang Government Office's clean governance culture, an exhibition on Chinese couplets culture has been held here since 2015, filling the gap of couplets culture exhibition in China.

进入大门，右手边的院子称为寅宾馆，是知县接待上级官员和私人宾朋住宿的地方。为更好弘扬中国楹联文化和内乡县衙优秀官德文化，2015年，内乡县衙在寅宾馆举办“中国楹联文化展”，填补了国内楹联文化展览空白。

膳馆 Dining Hall

Opposite Yinbin Guesthouse is Dining Hall, which was built to entertain higher-level officials. There is a black stone tablet in front of the hall. In 2000, the Palace Museum in Beijing, Zhili Provincial Governor's Office in present-day Baoding city of North China's Hebei province, Huozhou Government Office in present-day Linfen city of Northwest China's Shanxi province and Neixiang Government Office launched an ancient government office-themed tour route, linking the 4-tier (state, province, city and county) administrative division system of ancient China together. So, it is usually said that dragon's head is in Beijing while its tail is in Neixiang since dragon usually refers to power in Chinese culture.

寅宾馆对面的院子是膳馆，也就是知县招待上级官员饮食用餐的地方。在膳馆门前有一块黑色石碑，2000年时，内乡县衙与北京故宫、河北保定直隶总督署和山西霍州署联合推出“中国古代四大官衙国际旅游专线”，把中国古代中央、省、府、县四级衙门连在了一起，因此业内专家称：“龙头在北京，龙尾在内乡”。

双祠院 Courtyard dedicated to worshiping the God of Land and the God of Government Office

Behind Yinbin Guesthouse is a courtyard dedicated to worshiping the God of Land and the God of Government Office. Behind it is a workplace for staff responsible for arresting criminals. To help more tourists gain a deeper understanding of the ancient Chinese tax system, an exhibition on ancient Chinese tax system has been held here since September 2014, which costs over 1.2 million yuan and covers an area of 708 square meters, with hundreds of cultural relics displayed, filling the gap of ancient tax system exhibition in China.

寅宾馆后面的院子是双祠院，里面供奉的是土地神和衙神。衙神庙后面的院子是三班院，衙役待命听差的地方。为使广大游客能够更加直观地了解中国古代赋税制度，内乡县衙于2014年9月在三班院举办“中国古代赋税文化展”。该展览投入经费达120余万元，展厅面积达708平方米，展出实物百余件，填补了国内赋税文化展的空白。

三班院 Workplace for staff responsible for arresting criminals

China's last surviving Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) prison is located right opposite the workplace mentioned above. Because the prison is located in the southwest of Major Court, it is usually called South Prison.

三班院对面的院子是国内仅存的清代监狱，因位于大堂的西南方向，故称南监。

仪门 Ceremonial Gate

Ceremonial Gate is usually closed except for the first day of the arrival of a new county magistrate or the occasion greeting officials at or above the city level. It is also stipulate that civil officials and military officers are required to dismount here.

仪门是衙门的礼仪之门，平常关闭不开，只有新官到任的第一天或迎接州府以上官员到来时方可打开，并且规定：文官到此下轿，武官至此下马。

戒石坊 Stone Memorial Archway

Walking through Ceremonial Gate, you will see a stone memorial archway with 3 doors and 4 pillars, on which "Justice Breeds Trust" is inscribed. On the back of the memorial archway is engraved with several lines of characters written by Huang Tingjian, a famous calligrapher of Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), which means "The officials' salary is from the ordinary people, and don't think that they are easy to bully". Sitting in the Main Court, the county magistrate is easier to see these characters, serving as a warning.

过了仪门，有座三门四柱的石质牌坊名叫戒石坊，正面刻有“公生明”三个大字，意思是说只有处事以公心才能明察事情的真相。牌坊的背面还刻有几行文字，由北宋著名书法家黄庭坚所写，意思是：为官者的俸禄都是百姓的血汗，不要认为百姓容易欺负。知县身坐大堂，抬头可见，起到警示作用。

六房 Functional Institutions

Along the central axis are functional institutions responsible for the county's political affairs, criminal affairs, civil affairs, finance, agriculture, transportation, culture, education, etc.

甬道两边的建筑为过去的六房，是衙门内的职能办事机构，分别掌管全县的政事、刑事、民事、财政、农业、交通、文化、教育等事务。

大堂 Main Court

Main Court is the place where the magistrate tries criminals and holds major ceremonies. In the court, there are two kneeling stones of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the east for plaintiffs, while the other for defendants. The stone for defendants is longer because some cases involve accomplices.

这座高大雄伟的建筑就是大堂。大堂是知县公开审理案犯、举行重大典礼的地方。走进大堂，地上是明代保存下来的两块跪石，东跪原告，西跪被告，因为有的案件涉及同案犯，所以被告石比原告石长了一点。

大堂 Main Court

Generally, a county was usually governed by a 7th-rank official in ancient China, but Neixiang was different. It was ruled by a 5th-rank official. One reason is that Neixiang's location is of vital importance since it lies at the junction of Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi provinces, and the other is that Neixiang administered a larger area, including the present-day Xixia county and several towns in the southeast of present-day Xichuan county.

过去，知县一般都是七品官，但内乡规格较高，设的是五品官，原因有两方面：一是内乡地处鄂、豫、陕三省交界处，历来是兵家必争之地；二是内乡过去辖区较大，包括现在的西峡全境以及淅川县东南的几个乡镇。

仪仗 Ceremonial flags

Ceremonial flags and weapons embodying power and status are also exhibited at Main Court, belonging to Gao Yiyong, a Qing Dynasty magistrate who was working here.

大堂两侧摆放的是内乡清代知县高以永的全副仪仗，这些仪仗是知县下乡出巡时用的，是官员权力和身份的象征。

There are two rooms right behind Main Court, which were built for doormen. To some extent, they share the same function with today's duty rooms. The doormen were responsible for safeguarding the door leading to the inner chambers.

大堂后面的两间配房叫门子房，是过去看门的门子值班的地方，相当于我们今天的机关值班室。门子主要看守的就是大堂后面的宅门，也就是知县的内宅。

二堂 Second Court

Second Court is the place where the magistrate conducts preliminary hearings on major and difficult cases, and mediates civil cases related to household, marriage, land, soil, etc. The magistrate mainly mediates disputes at Second Court and tries to reason with both plaintiffs and defendants, so as to reduce major issues to minor ones until the termination of the litigation.

二堂是知县对重大疑难案件进行预审，对户、婚、田、土等民事案件进行调解的地方。知县在二堂以调解为主，对原告和被告双方“动之以情、晓之以理”，达到大事化小、小事化了，直至调处息讼的目的。

刑具 Instruments of torture

Various instruments of torture are displayed at Second Court. The black and red sticks are specially designed. Red represents fire, symbolizing crimes, while black represents water, symbolizing the law, implying that the law and the crimes are incompatible.

二堂东侧展柜中展出的是刑具。其中，黑红相间的圆棍被称为水火棍，红色代表火，象征犯罪者的罪行，黑色代表水，象征国家的法律，意为国家的法律和犯罪者的罪行水火不容。

万民伞 Umbrella

A special umbrella is also exhibited at Second Court. In the Qing Dynasty, when a popular official was leaving his office, an umbrella was usually presented to him by the local people. The umbrella is usually decorated with cloth strips which write the names of the givers. The more signatories indicate the higher prestige of the official. The umbrella is a metaphor, meaning that the official provides shelter for his people during his administration, just like an umbrella.

展柜旁边有一把万民伞。清代地方官离任时，当地绅民常常送万民伞以示挽留。伞上还缀有布条，写着赠送人的名氏，署名者越多表示官员的声望越高。万民伞寓意地方官在执政期间，像伞一样庇佑着一方百姓。

夫子院 Workplace for the magistrate's private assistant

Behind Second Court is the workplace for the magistrate's private assistant. The private assistant has no rank and is not an official, but is usually hired by the magistrate or comes from the magistrate's hometown to help deal with the government affairs. There is an osmanthus tree in the yard. With a history of more than 700 years, it witnessed the development of Neixiang Government Office. The wing rooms on both sides were served as the workplace for the magistrate's private assistant.

夫子院是师爷办公的地方。师爷没有品级，不吃皇粮，是知县聘任而来或是从家乡带来，协助知县处理县务。夫子院里有一棵桂花树，已有700多年历史，可以说是县衙历史悠久的见证。东西两边的厢房就是过去师爷办公的地方。

三省堂 Third Court

Third Court is the place where the magistrate deals with public affairs and receives higher-level officials. Cases involving confidentiality, privacy, and not suitable for public disclosure would also be heard here.

三省堂是县衙的三堂，知县正常办公议政、接待上级官员的地方。一些涉及机密、隐私、不宜公开的案件也在三堂审理。

三省堂前的楹联 The plaques and couplets

The plaques and couplets in Neixiang Government Office are highly praised for their concise language, deep meaning and graceful calligraphy. The most famous one is at Third Court, meaning: What you eat comes from ordinary people, so does what you wear. Don't think they are easy to bully, because you were one of them. Nothing to be proud of in a promotion and nothing to be ashamed of in a demotion. Don't say an official is useless, because all the locals rely on him.

内乡县衙悬挂的匾额、楹联以语言精练、寓意深刻、书法隽秀而令人赞不绝口，其中最著名的当数三省堂前的楹联，上联是：“吃百姓之饭，穿百姓之衣，莫道百姓可欺，自己也是百姓。”下联是：“得一官不荣，失一官不辱，勿说一官无用，地方全靠一官。”这副对联语言质朴，寓意深刻。（杨佳欣）