Ancestral Hall of the First Settler of the Hua Clan

Ancestral Hall of the First Settler of the Hua Clan

The Ancestral Hall of the First Settler of the Hua Clan is located at the foot of Wang'er Bridge, covering an area of 2,700 square meters with a construction area of 855 square meters. It was initiated in the sixth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1633) by Hua Yuncheng, the 18th-generation descendant of the Hua family. The hall primarily enshrines the spirit tablet of Hua Zhengu, the first settler of Dangkou. It was renovated in the 35th year of the Kangxi era (1696) of the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in the 40th year of the Qianlong era (1775). In the winter of the fifth year of the Guangxu era (1879), descendants of the Hua family built the Yuan General’s Ancestral Hall to the east of the original hall, where the spirit tablets of Hua Zhengu’s three preceding generations were enshrined. The site now preserves a complete nanmu-wooden main hall and over ten auxiliary structures, covering an area of more than 3,000 square meters. The nanmu hall is situated as the second section on the eastern side of the ancestral complex, featuring three bays and five rafters, with beams and pillars all made of nanmu wood. The materials are thick and the craftsmanship exquisite. After the liberation, it was used as a grain storage warehouse by the town’s grain management office. In 2002, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit of Jiangsu Province.