Qionglin Yimen Sanjie Workshop Introduction
The Three Widow Arch in Qionglin is located on the ancient official road in the western suburbs of Qionglin Village, Jincheng Township. It is one of the last three Qing Dynasty memorial arches in Kinmen, with the most tragic story. This stone archway, built in the 11th year of the Daoguang era (1831), seems to symbolize glorious honor, but behind it lies the sorrowful tale of three widows from the same family. It has been designated as a county-level historic site. During the Daoguang period, Cai Zhonghuan's wife, Chen, became a widow at the age of 29 and managed the household alone, tirelessly raising her young sons, Fanggui, Shangwen, and the posthumous son, Shangshen. Later, Cai Shangwen married a daughter of Chen Wenxin from Doumen, but tragically, he passed away when Chen was only 21, and she too faced widowhood like her mother-in-law. Moreover, Cai Shangshen married a daughter of Huang Zhichuan from Wenshui, but he also died when Huang was 29, leaving her a widow as well. However, the three widows of the Cai family remained steadfast and frugal, ultimately enjoying a happy old age with Chen seeing five generations under one roof and over eighty descendants. The authorities honored their virtues by erecting this arch. The Three Widow Arch in Qionglin is constructed of white stone from Quanzhou and green stones, with carvings of couplets written by officials on the stone pillars, each word expressing the frost-like integrity of the three women.
