At the entrance of Taishi Alley in Jianshui County, the white walls and black-tiled roofs of Fudong Monastery stand beside the quiet waters of Xiaogui Lake. Originally built in the early Ming Dynasty, this 1,170-square-meter complex carries the memory of exile, friendship, and survival.

During his banishment to Yunnan, the celebrated Ming scholar and imperial graduate Yang Shen lived here twice. He spent his days playing chess and writing poetry with his friend, the local official Ye Rui. Looking out at the lake, Yang renamed the water Xiaogui Lake to recall his hometown of Guihu in Sichuan. His presence left a permanent mark on the town, giving Taishi Alley its name.

Though war destroyed the original Ming structures, the community rebuilt the complex in 1902 as a traditional two-entry quadrangle. Inside, a square patio sits under the cool shade of mature trees. Two main halls face north, flanked by quiet study rooms and side chambers. On the lakeside, an open-concept hall catches the breeze, connecting directly to a covered wind-and-rain corridor where visitors can hear the water lap against the stone.

The human history of the monastery is carved directly into its fabric. In 1898, Lin'an Prefect He Zongzhang commissioned a portrait of Yang Shen on a stone stele. Measuring 1.31 meters high and 0.64 meters wide, this cold, smooth monument is the only surviving stone-carved portrait of the scholar in Yunnan. It bears poetic inscriptions by regional officials, including Yun-Gui Governor Fan Chengxun and Dai Gangsun, their chiseled words preserving their admiration across centuries.

Today, the monastery serves as a public teahouse and cultural venue. Visitors can feel the damp clay of Jianshui purple pottery in workshops, drink warm tea, and watch immersive courtyard plays like Seeking the Way in Lin'an – Nostalgia Chapter. The actors tell stories of local potters and tofu makers, their voices echoing off the same wooden pillars that once sheltered a Ming Dynasty scholar.