smashed up

So the Guozijian archway collided with a truck last night. As one would expect, the archway, being mere wood, came off second best. Click the link to see photos of workmen taking down the broken pieces.

The Beijing News/新京报’s Yang Siqi reports:

国子监牌楼被撞折

 Imperial College Archway smashed

 昨日凌晨5时许，东城区国子监街，国子监西侧一牌楼被试图驶过的施工挖土车撞断横梁。事后东城区交通队封锁了该街两端道路，东城区派出所调查了肇事司机，相文物保护单位现场研究修缮方案。

At about 5 yesterday morning, in Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District, a beam was broken off an archway on the west side of the Imperial College by a construction excavator trying to drive past. Afterwards the Dongcheng District Traffic Brigade sealed off the two ends of the street, the Dongcheng District Police Station investigated the driver responsible, and the related cultural relics protection unit is researching a repair plan.

警方：肇事司机违反禁行规定

Police: The driver responsible violated regulation forbidding traffic

国子监街一副食店老板张女士称：“今天早上，我正睡得迷迷糊糊的，听到有警车声，还有喇叭的喊话，叫前面的车停住、靠边。”后来出门看才发现国子监的牌楼竟然被撞断了，一辆黄色挖土车停在路边，司机被警察带走了。市政施工人员随后赶到现场，对牌楼进行了简单处理。

Ms Zhang, boss of a food store on Guozijian Street, said: “This morning, I wasn’t sleeping too well, I heard a police car siren, and a loudspeaker calling a car up ahead to pull over and stop.” Then she went outside and saw that the Guozijian archway had unexpectedly been broken, a yellow excavator was stopped on the side of the road, and the driver was taken away by police. Soon after municipal construction workers hurried to the scene and made some simple repairs to the archway.

昨日上午10时许，在国子监街西侧一工地内，一个高6米左右的挖土车停在院内，高昂的挖土斗上，可见摩擦痕迹。警方正对工地人员进行调查。警方表示，肇事司机违反了该路段禁止大运输车辆行驶的规定，特别是损坏了文物，将受到惩罚。

At about 10 yesterday morning, inside a work site at the west end of Guozijian Street, an approximately 6 metre high excavator was parked inside the courtyard. Friction marks could be seen on the high shovel. The police were investigating workers from the site. The police stated the driver responsible had violated a regulation banning large transport vehicles from passing, and especially from damaging cultural relics, and he would be punished.

10时左右，中国建筑科学研究院专家们来到现场修缮。文物专家当场爬上搭起的脚手架，测量横梁受损切面数据、研究修缮方案。

At about 10, experts from the China Construction Science Research Institute came to the scene to repair the archway. Cultural relics experts climbed scaffolding that had been erected, surveyed data on the damaged section of the beam, and deliberated a plan for its restoration.

“国子监”三字的牌匾倾斜得摇摇欲坠，部分木框裂开。横梁受重创，断裂成八字形，立柱裂出了几条大缝隙，石质底基无明显损坏。

The board with the three characters “Guozijian” was leaning to the point of imminent collapse and part of the wooden frame was split. The beam was heavily damaged, the pieces hanging diagonally down, the pillar was showing several large cracks, but the stone base did not show any sign of damage.

文物局：市级文物遭重创可惜

Cultural Relics Bureau: This incident of heavy damage to a city-level cultural relic is regrettable

12时30分，该路两个出口被交警放上禁行牌。

At 12:30, the traffic police lifted roadblocks at both ends of the street.

昨日下午4时许，施工人员小心翼翼地将撞损横梁取下。5时50分，该路段恢复通行。

At about 4 yesterday afternoon, construction workers cautiously removd the damaged beam. At 5:50, traffic was returned to that section of the street.

昨晚8时许，北京市文物局负责该牌楼修缮的王先生说，国子监牌楼是民国时期修成的，2002年曾翻修，具有相当大的文物价值。这次遭受重创真是可惜。

At 8 yesterday evening, the person from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics in charge of restoration of the archway, Mr Wang, said the Imperial College archway was erected during the Republic of China period, had been renovated in 2002, and was an extremely valuable cultural relic. This incident causing serious damage was very regrettable.

他表示：“经各方调查研究，修缮资金将控制在10万元以内。我们将连夜施工，修起一个围挡将牌楼圈起来。力争快速稳妥地修缮好这一市级保护文物。”

He stated: “From every aspect of investigation and discussion, restoration funds of over 100,000 yuan will be needed. We will work into the night to erect a barrier around the archway. We will work hard to quickly and cautiously restore this cultural relic protected at the municipal level.”

东城区派出所表示，肇事司机责任正在认定中，具体情况不便透露。

The Dongcheng District Police Station stated the driver responsible was still under investigation, but the specifics of the situation were not divulged.

Note: Guozijian/国子监 is the Imperial College, the highest educational institution in imperial days. China.org.cn and the Geiss Foundation both say it was established in the Yuan Dynasty, but Baidu Baike traces its history further back to 278, when the emperor Wu of the Western Jin established the Guozixue. But it seems that Baidu Baike is talking more about the history of imperial colleges, and not the Imperial College. Anyway sticking with china.org.cn and the Geiss Foundation, because they largely agree, and my internet accound is running too low to go running around chasing ephemeral links trying to figure out the complete history of imperial colleges, it was the place where the emperor would expound on the Classics with his officials attentively listening and was also a top research institute for researchers and scholars. After 1949 it was completely renovated and housed the Capital Library. The Geiss Foundation article ends with this fascinating little tidbit:

Of the more than 50,000 people during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, who successfully took examinations and became jingshi, the basic grade of a successful candidate in imperial examinations, all have their names, their origins and positions inscribed on 198 steles on either side of Dacheng Gate.  Some famous historical figures whose names are carved on these steles include:

	Lin Zexu an imperial envoy in the late Qing pivotal in the Opium Wars against England
	Yu Qian, a famous Ming general
	Yuan Chonghuan, another Ming general who fought against the Manchu invasions.

It could be interesting to wander through and see the names of famous, infamous and notorious people who have passed through those hallowed halls. Or maybe not. Either way, it’s a part of Beijing I really should get back to one of these days.