Site of Southern Clan Office

The Southern Clan Office was an administrative agency established for the Song Dynasty kinsmen who relocated to Quanzhou in 1130 and thereafter. This influential group was an integral part of Quanzhou’s Multi-cultural Communities. They not only boosted Quanzhou’s consumer spending power, but also participated actively in maritime trade. The establishment of the Southern Clan Office further strengthened the national regime’s efforts to advance Quanzhou’s maritime trade, reflecting the strong management assurance provided by the government. Together with Confucius Temple and School, Kaiyuan Temple, Statue of Lao Tze, Qingjing Mosque, Islamic Tombs and Statue of Mani in Cao’an Temple, it reflects the Multi-cultural Communities in Quanzhou in Song and Yuan dynasties. The site is located to the southwest of the city’s Suqing Gate and south of Kaiyuan Temple. Archaeological excavations have yielded two architectural foundations, the remains of retaining walls and a roadway along the bank of the pond, as well as architectural elements and potsherds. The architectural elements include eave tiles, animal-shaped roof-ridge ornaments and bricks. The patterns on the eave tiles are predominantly flower designs such as lotus, peony and hibiscus, with some animal masks. Some uncovered bricks were engraved with the Chinese character “guan” (government), suggesting that they were associated with government buildings. Ink-written Chinese characters can be seen on some unearthed porcelain fragments, mostly related to the years designated by the heavenly stems and earthly branches, or institutional or personal names. They are vital clues related to the group of imperial kinsmen. The Site of Southern Clan Office was included into the ninth group of cultural heritage sites protected at the provincial level by Fujian Provincial People's Government in January, 2020.