Zeng’s Ancestral Hall

Zeng’s Ancestral Hall

Zeng’s Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing.

Zeng’s Ancestral Hall is located at No. 8, Jiutiao Lane, Qinhuai District, dating back to the Taiping Rebellion period.

Zeng’s Ancestral Hall is located at No. 8, Jiutiao Lane, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, facing Jiutiao Lane in the front and leaning against Batao Lane in the back, oriented north-south, situated between Zhongshan South Road and Hongwu Road. After a century of vicissitudes, the present-day Zeng’s Ancestral Hall serves as the north campus of Nanjing Zhongying Middle School, functioning as the school’s administrative office area.

The east and west sides of Zeng’s Ancestral Hall were originally residences for descendants of the Zeng family. Particularly on both sides, the backyard once featured a garden with rockeries and ponds that were quite exquisite. Unfortunately, after the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, this section was converted into a funeral home. Through many changes over time, it is now part of a color printing factory site, and the garden no longer exists.

In 1982, after Zeng’s Ancestral Hall was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing, the government allocated funds multiple times for renovations. The side rooms were rebuilt in an antique style, trees and flowers were planted in the courtyard, rockeries were built, and pools were constructed, turning it into a serene and elegant garden-style campus.

Architectural Structure

At the main entrance of the first courtyard stands a more than ten-meter-high, “eight”-shaped carved brick memorial archway. Its “mountain”-shaped ridge is covered with tubular tiles, and beneath the eaves are exquisitely crafted brick brackets. On either side of the gate are two round stone pillars flanking an imposing arched entrance. The second courtyard houses the main hall, and the last courtyard contains the great hall—both are five-bay, spacious and lofty structures. The great hall’s roof ridge rises about ten meters high, with brackets carved with fish and dragon patterns. There are thirty large red round pillars in the great hall, making it majestic and grand.

The three courtyards are spaced 24 meters apart, forming two roughly square-shaped yards, with pathways made of bluestone slabs laid out in the courtyards. The floor of the great hall is paved with square bricks, which, according to records, were originally laid over large wooden piles as a foundation for moisture prevention. The second and third halls, along with the rear hall, were originally adorned with carved eaves, painted beams, carved windows, and floor-to-ceiling lattice windows. Each courtyard also had side halls and corridors, with 48 red round pillars still remaining in the corridors today.

Overall, the current site measures 99 meters in length and 51 meters in width, covering an area of 5,049 square meters, with a building area of 6,857.4 square meters, comprising 35 rooms. The main structures are three brick-and-wood halls divided into front, middle, and rear sections, along with two courtyards, exhibiting typical Qing Dynasty architectural style.

Anecdotes and Legends

On the right niche of Zeng’s Ancestral Hall is enshrined the image of Lord Yang. The left niche houses the statues of the Two Generals of Zhenwu. To the side is enshrined Zeng Gong. The gate plaque prominently displays the four characters “Zeng Family Ancestral Hall.” The couplet at the entrance reads: “The martial lineage of Wucheng flows through the ages; the imperial favor shines bright among the stars.” The screen inscription reads: “Serve Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teachers without forgetting your roots; uphold Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trustworthiness without shame before others.” The main gate plaque prominently displays eight characters: “Zeng Family Ancestral Hall of Generations of Royal Tutors,” while Zeng’s Ancestral Hall itself is inscribed with “Dun Ben Tang.” The orientation is Qian Mountain Xun direction, and the new hall is Kun Mountain Gen direction. The couplet at the tribunal reads: “Purple air floating from the heavens as immortals descend; green clouds covering the earth like the virtue of a nobleman.” The opposite plaque reads “Gao Shan Yang Zhi” (Look up to the Lofty Mountain). —— Selected from the “Family Transmission Feng Shui Book”

Zeng’s Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing.