The Pang Clan Ancestral Hall in Tongli

The Pang Clan Ancestral Hall in Tongli

The Pang Clan Ancestral Hall in Tongli is a cultural relics protection unit of Suzhou City.

The Pang Clan Ancestral Hall in Tongli is located in Tongli Town, Wujiang District, dating back to 1924.

The Pang Clan Ancestral Hall is located within the Pearl Tower Scenic Area of Tongli Town. Its original main gate faced Chuanfangbang, while the back door opened onto a street by the river.

The ancestors of the Pang family originally branched from Panshan in Wujiang to Daguang Township, and settled in Tongli during the early Qing Dynasty. A member of the clan, Pang Qinglin, became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), and once served as an official in the Ministry of Revenue. In the 21st year of the Guangxu reign (1895), he retired from office and personally funded the construction of the Pang Clan Ancestral Hall. In the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), Pang Yuanrun relocated the ancestral hall from the rural area of Tongli to its current site.

On the eve of the liberation, the peasant self-defense squad led by the underground Communist Party was stationed at the Pang Clan Ancestral Hall. It served as a base to monitor the local reactionary armed forces in Tongli. They remained there until the establishment of the People’s Government of Tongli District. At that time, the peasant self-defense force was reorganized into the district brigade and subsequently withdrew from the ancestral hall.

After the liberation, the ancestral hall was repurposed as a grain storage facility. After 2003, it became part of the Pearl Tower scenic area.

The ancestral hall consists of four courtyards in sequence: the wall gate, corridor, main hall, and inner sanctum, totaling over forty rooms. It covers a construction area of 871.64 square meters and a site area of 2,357 square meters, making it the largest ancestral hall in Tongli Town.

The main hall is 12.23 meters wide, 12.14 meters deep, and 7.82 meters high. It is the place where the Pang clan enshrines ancestral tablets and holds worship ceremonies.

The Pang Clan Ancestral Hall in Tongli is a cultural relics protection unit of Suzhou City.