In the quiet center of Xiangyang No. 2 Middle School, the green glazed roof tiles of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall catch the afternoon sun. These tiles, baked in the kilns of Beixinwu Village in Shanxi and transported here during the Daoguang reign by the wealthy Ji family, carry a slick, glassy texture that set this structure apart from any other in Fancheng. Established as a Guandi Temple in 1700 or 1713, the hall served as a sanctuary of trust for merchants navigating the Han River, a crucial artery of the Great Tea Road.

Step through the entrance, where a pair of stone lions guards the threshold. Run your fingers over the rough chisel marks on the stone; the male plays with a ball while the female cradles her cub. Nearby, an eight-shaped screen wall rises, its deep-relief dragon and phoenix patterns molded from heavy clay. In the central courtyard, the bell and drum pavilions stand on elevated blue-brick platforms. The cool, damp brickwork underfoot anchors the space, while the hip roofs sweep upward toward the sky.

Inside the main hall, the scent of aged wood and mineral pigments lingers on the beams, where paintings of historical figures, flowers, and birds remain visible. Here, the merchants of Shanxi and Shaanxi carved their presence into the physical fabric of the building. They left behind stone steles etched with donor names, financial ledgers, and strict trade regulations. These inscriptions record the human voices of a lost commercial empire, detailing how they pooled resources to build the Sanguan Temple in 1774 and reconstruct the mountain gate and opera tower in 1801.

The building survived by adapting. In the 1930s, the merchant assemblies fell silent, and the compound became the Fancheng First Central National Primary School. In 1951, workers dismantled the seated statue of Guan Yu to make room for classrooms. Today, the laughter of middle school students echoes off the ancient walls.