Ye Family Ancestral Hall in Yedian

Ye Family Ancestral Hall in Yedian

The Ye Family Ancestral Hall in Yedian is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ye Family Ancestral Hall in Yedian is located in Bailongqiao Town, Wucheng District, Jinhua City, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

The overall architectural layout is relatively well-preserved, featuring a grand scale and rich carving themes that showcase the exquisite craftsmanship of the Wu School style, possessing certain historical, cultural relic, and artistic value. The Ye Family Ancestral Hall features a meticulously crafted brick “eight-character” main gate, flanked by bluestone slabs, with drum-shaped stone pedestals on both sides, giving it an imposing and majestic appearance. The entire structure uses large, rough materials, with brick carvings and polished brick gate walls on both sides, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship and strong local characteristics. At present, the main gate of the ancestral hall and the small door on the left are both tightly closed, while the small door on the right stands quietly open. It is reported that the ancestral hall opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. daily. Currently, it mainly serves as the Yedian Village Cultural Hall and the Senior Citizens Activity Center for Bailongqiao Town.

According to the Ye Family Genealogy, the Ye Family Ancestral Hall, also known as Zunqin Hall or Shilin Gong Ancestral Hall, was first built in the 25th year of the Ming Emperor ShenZong's reign (1597 AD) during the Dingyou year and completed in the 29th year (1617 AD) during the Dingji year. The central hall of the ancestral temple reaches over five zhang in height, exuding grandeur, and became a renowned ancestral hall in the western part of Jinhua at the time. The Ye Family Ancestral Hall has undergone multiple renovations, and the current structure dates from the Qing Dynasty. The hall faces south and has a total width of 35.8 meters and a depth of 44.39 meters, covering an area of approximately 1,600 square meters. It consists of three sections from front to back, with wing rooms on both sides, and corner halls on either side of the third section. The rear three sections were destroyed during the Anti-Japanese War period (only the corner halls on both sides remain), and were restored in 2009.

The entrance hall of the ancestral hall has five bays, and the entire structure uses large, rough materials. The wooden beams and decorative components are carved with birds, animals, cloud patterns, water patterns, and more. The design and craftsmanship of elements such as brackets, arches, cantilevers, beams, spandrels, and bracket arms reflect the distinctive features of Dongyang wood carving from the Qing Dynasty. On inconspicuous partition screens, lattice windows, and decorative bands, there are various kinds of openwork and relief carvings depicting figures, landscapes, flowers, birds, fish, and insects, all exquisitely crafted, richly decorated, and highly artistic.

The beams and frameworks of the main, secondary, and minor bays in the ancestral hall are all supported by four pillars across seven purlins, using a five-rafter system with single-step lifting beams front and back. The front eaves corridor features a coffered ceiling, and the main bay of the front eaves has an eight-character main gate, flanked by both brick carvings and polished brick gate walls, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship. The ceiling of the entrance hall is painted with colorful murals. The “middle hall” also has five bays, with the main and secondary bays supported by four pillars across seven purlins, using a five-rafter system with single-step lifting beams front and back, and the minor bays using central pillars. There are 10 rooms in the east wing room along with two corridors, and the west wing room also has 10 rooms. The buildings of the three sections have corner halls on both sides, each consisting of three bays.

The Ye Family Ancestral Hall is one of the better-preserved ancestral halls remaining in Wucheng District. Its refined craftsmanship is typical of Wu School architecture and holds significant reference value for the study of ancestral hall architectural styles and construction methods in Jinhua, as well as the region’s surname culture and clan culture. In 2004, it was designated as a Jinhua Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Point, in 2010 as a Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit, and in 2017 as a Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Bailongqiao Town: Located in the western suburbs of downtown Jinhua, Bailongqiao Town is the seat of the Wucheng District government. The town covers an area of 89.3 square kilometers, governs 52 village (residential) committees, and has a total population of 72,000, including 24,000 in the town center. The area benefits from convenient transportation, a beautiful environment, a healthy market economy, strong economic power, distinct regional characteristics, well-developed infrastructure, and is a vibrant, dynamic, and charming modern small town. In recent years, the Party Committee and government of Bailongqiao Town have unwaveringly implemented the strategy of “Industry-based Town Development, Science & Education-led Prosperity, Commerce-driven Wealth, and Ecology-focused Construction,” achieving economic and… More information about Bailongqiao Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units