The County Hall Rebuilt, 1654

Background

In the twelfth month of 1645, the second year of the Shunzhi era, bandits climbed the city wall by night and burned the county hall and the treasury (see the entry for that year). After that the county had nowhere to conduct business and made do as it could.

The rebuilding

十一年甲午，知县闵派鲁重建县堂。自二年土寇焚后，县宰听政皆坐瓦砾中，庇以苇箔，至是始复旧观。

Translated: In the eleventh year, jiawu, the magistrate Min Pailu rebuilt the county hall. Since the burning by bandits in the second year, the magistrate holding court had sat among the rubble, sheltered by reed matting, and only now was the old appearance restored.

The magistrate Min Pailu rebuilt the county hall in 1654, the eleventh year of the Shunzhi era. The gazetteer also records the state of things before that: since the burning in 1645 the magistrate had held court sitting among the rubble, sheltered by reed matting, and only now was the former appearance restored.

Other works

The gazetteer goes on to record that the rear hall, the treasuries and the offices were repaired together, and the drum tower as well; the granary at Honglan Wharf was also repaired, and the City God temple of Lord Bai was restored and its temple gazetteer compiled. Inscriptions were made for each, and the gazetteer notes that the texts are in the "Record of Arts and Letters".

暨后堂库藏廨宇，兼葺谯楼，又修洪蓝埠仓廒，并城隍白府君庙，纂庙志。俱有碑记，详《艺文志》。

Translated: Together with the rear hall, the treasuries and the offices, the drum tower was also repaired, and the granary at Honglan Wharf was rebuilt, as were the City God temple of Lord Bai and the compilation of its temple gazetteer. There are inscriptions for all of them, with the detail in the "Record of Arts and Letters".

Uncertainties

First, the scale, cost and duration of the rebuilding are not recorded. Second, the temple gazetteer compiled then and the various inscriptions have not been seen; the source consulted here preserves only their titles, so their contents cannot be checked. Third, who "Lord Bai" of the City God temple was is not explained.