The Zhu Family Ancestral Hall in Ruli

The Zhu Family Ancestral Hall in Ruli

The Zhu Family Ancestral Hall in Ruli is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The Zhu Family Ancestral Hall is located on Beijie Street in Ruli Old Street, Yaoqiao Town. It is categorized as an ancient temple and ancestral hall within historic architecture, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. It is managed by the Ruli Zhu Family Ancestral Hall Restoration Committee. Originally consisting of a front hall, middle hall, and rear hall, the hall was built in the 25th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1686) by direct descendants of the Southern Song Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi. The structure faces west and is situated eastward. Prior to its 2007 restoration, it still retained three courtyards and 17 rooms, covering an area of 1,200 square meters. The first courtyard’s front hall spans five bays, facing a large screen wall that forms a central square. The second courtyard’s middle hall also has five bays, where eight imperial plaques and merit plaques, including one bestowed by Emperor Kangxi, were originally hung. The third courtyard’s rear hall also contains five bays.

In 2009, with funding from the local government and public donations, the ancient ancestral hall underwent a three-year renovation and has now officially opened to the public. The restored hall showcases the classic Huizhou architectural features of white walls, black tiles, upturned eaves, and exquisite wood, brick, and stone carvings. In the middle hall (worship hall), a 2.9-meter-tall, 3.2-ton white marble statue of Zhu Xi, carved based on his portrait, has been erected, along with a replica of the “Learning Extends to Nature and Heaven” plaque inscribed by Emperor Kangxi, calligraphic couplets by Zhu Xi displayed on pillars, and a large wooden screen carved with the “Family Precepts” by Zhu Bailu. To “honor past sages and inspire future generations,” several plaques conferring the titles of “Scholar” and “Doctor” were recreated in traditional style for certain members of the Zhu family. The rear hall (ancestral worship hall) has restored its wooden ancestral shrine, featuring exquisitely carved lattice windows, rows of memorial tablets, and a solemn, dignified atmosphere. Key “landmark” facilities of the ancestral hall have been established. Within the hall, an ancient well (dug when the ancestor Gong San Gong arrived) and an ancient osmanthus tree (over 640 years old) are preserved, along with several stone inscriptions and steles (including the Little Rainbow Well, Little Wuyi, Filial Piety Stele, and Osmanthus Planting Poem), creating a setting where “each stele, each poem, and each scenic element tells a legendary story,” offering visitors an enriching experience of thoughtfulness, knowledge, and delight. A plaque inscribed with “Descendants of the Confucian School,” bestowed by Emperor Duzong of the Southern Song Dynasty, has been replicated in the front hall. On the large screen wall opposite the main gate, a new massive granite relief titled “Ruli Chronicles” (12 meters long, 3 meters high) has been created, condensing seven hundred years of Ruli’s history into nine panels.

The hall houses a treasured jade pagoda, considered the jewel of the ancestral hall. Carved from jade weighing two tons, the pagoda stands 1.7 meters tall with a base 80 centimeters wide and features nine tiers and 72 interlocking rings (gifted to the hall in 2007 by a Zhu-family entrepreneur from Yangzhong). In 2010, the Ruli Folk Ancestral Hall Restoration Committee developed a plan for environmental improvement around the ancestral hall, with a planned area of 20 acres.

On December 19, 2011, the People's Government of Jiangsu Province designated it as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units