Yangshan Lake Scenic Area

Xixi Xu Clan Ancestral Hall

The Xixi Xu Clan Ancestral Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xixi Xu Clan Ancestral Hall, also known as the Grand Xu Ancestral Hall, is the family shrine of Xu Pu, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. It is located at No. 200, Xiyin Road, Yicheng Subdistrict, Yixing.

Xu Pu, courtesy name Shiyong, art name Qianzhai, was a native of Xiyin Village in Yixing. He began schooling at the age of 8 and ranked second in the palace examination during the fifth year of the Jingtai era (1454) in the Ming Dynasty. He was appointed as a Hanlin Academy editor. During the Tian Shun, Chenghua, and Hongzhi reigns, he served successively as Director-in-Chief of the National History Bureau, Vice Minister of Rites, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and Minister of Rites. In the fifth year of the Hongzhi era (1492), he was promoted to Chief Grand Secretary, and in the eleventh year (1498), he became Grand Secretary of the Huagai Hall. Later, due to eye disease, he requested retirement. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor and given the posthumous name Wenjing. In the third hall of the Grand Xu Ancestral Hall, there is a portrait of Xu Pu, which is said to date back to the mid-Qing Dynasty or earlier.

This portrait is the treasure of our entire Grand Xu Ancestral Hall. It was donated to the Yixing Cultural Relics Management Committee by the direct descendants of the Xu family last year. First, it is a portrait in Ming Dynasty court attire, wearing grand official robes—what we call a python robe. Importantly, it includes jade ornaments.

The entire Xu Clan Ancestral Hall faces south and was built in the fifth year of the Hongzhi era (1492) during the Ming Dynasty. Originally, it had five sections, but only the second and third sections remain. The second section is 17 meters wide and 6.8 meters deep, with a flush gable roof, Yangshan stone columns, and painted beams and rafters, though the paintings have faded. The courtyard between the second and third sections is 14.8 meters deep. The third section is the main hall, also called the Nanmu Flower Hall because its beams and columns are made of nanmu wood. It is 17 meters wide and 9.6 meters deep, with a hip-and-gable roof. Its beam structure retains the original design from the Ming Dynasty when it was first built. The beams, columns, rafters, and brackets inside the hall are adorned with painted designs, including entwined floral patterns, wrapped brocade motifs, and cloud-and-crane patterns.

The middle three sections all use nanmu beams and columns, indicating a relatively high specification, as ancient regulations did not allow just anyone to use nanmu as a building material. The flower hall was originally carved and painted—look, the flowers on it are nearly 500 years old, and you can still make them out. That’s quite rare. Among all the ancestral hall architecture in Yixing, this one has the highest specifications.

The Xixi Xu Clan Ancestral Hall is a family shrine built during the Ming Dynasty. With a long history, it flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, reflecting the historical and cultural heritage of Yixing, a hub of humanities. It complements rich historical documents and serves

On October 7, 2019, the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xixi was included in the eighth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Xu Pu (1428–1499), a minister of the Ming Dynasty, styled Shiyong and also known as Qianzhai, was a native of Fuxi (now Xiyin Village, Yicheng Town, Yixing). He served as the Chief Grand Secretary from August 1492 to July 1498. He passed away at the age of 72. In 1454 (the fifth year of the Jingtai era), he passed the imperial examination and rose to the position of Grand Secretary of Huagai Hall. Known for his composed and principled character, during his twelve years in the Grand Secretariat, he provided steady guidance, nurtured talent, and handled major legal cases and the arrest of censors with tact and moderation, maintaining stability and continuity. He was posthumously honored with the title "Wenjing." Xu Pu authored the four-volume "Collected Writings of Qianzhai," which is recorded in the "Complete Library of the Four Treasuries"... More details about Xu Pu++

Yicheng Subdistrict: The Yicheng Subdistrict Office is the seat of the Yixing municipal government and serves as the city’s political, economic, and cultural center, as well as its window to the outside world. Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with a population of 240,000, it governs 30 community committees and 6 administrative villages. The jurisdiction of Yicheng Town is divided by the Wuxi-Shanghai Canal: the area inside the canal adjacent to the town is under Yicheng's administration, while the area outside falls under the Yixing Economic Development Zone. Communities, villages (groups), and enterprises originally belonging to Yicheng within this zone are managed by the Yixing Economic Development Zone. Non-established villages (groups) may establish new village committees or merge with neighboring ones... More details about Yicheng Subdistrict++

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level