The Grand Ancestral Hall of Tangxiayang

The Grand Ancestral Hall of Tangxiayang

The Grand Ancestral Hall of Tangxiayang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Grand Ancestral Hall of Tangxiayang is located in Tangxia Village, Houzhai Subdistrict, Yiwu. Originally built during the Song Dynasty, it was relocated to its current site during the Ming Dynasty. It was destroyed during warfare in the late Qing Dynasty but was rebuilt on the original foundation starting in the sixth year of the Tongzhi era (1867) and completed in the twenty-second year of the Guangxu era (1896).

The main structure faces south and consists of a three-courtyard, three-section ancestral hall along with a flower hall on the right. Locals summarize the entire building as “seven halls, seven chambers, nine gates and fences, nine steps, and five stone bridges.” The total area covers approximately 1,859 square meters. According to the *Chouyan Rock River Tangfang Clan Genealogy*, Fang Rongyi, the seventh-generation ancestor, was a prince consort who married Princess Zhao of the Jiyang King from the Southern Song Dynasty. Judging from the architectural layout, the entrance hall has nine bays, the banquet hall seven bays, and the ancestral worship hall also seven bays. The ancestral hall features a water courtyard consisting of a protective moat, a square pond, and an arched bridge. Its design follows the temple standards for royalty and prince consorts, which is rare among folk ancestral halls. The flower hall is located to the west of the main hall and is structured as a corridor-style three-sided courtyard. It was originally used to accommodate esteemed clan elders during rituals, as lodging for caretakers, and as living quarters.

The ancestral hall is grand in scale, exquisitely built, structurally intact, and preserves a clear lineage of heritage, with the surrounding environment maintaining its historical character. The architecture also retains wood carvings, painted artwork, and stone carvings from the Qing and Ming dynasties, possessing significant artistic value. It is of great importance and positive significance for the study of Ming and Qing social politics, economy, and ancient clan systems.

On October 7, 2019, the Grand Ancestral Hall of Tangxiayang was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: The existing structures of the Grand Ancestral Hall, including the front, middle, and rear sections, as well as the flower hall on the right.

Construction Control Zone: A line 30 meters eastward in a straight line from the east wall of the Grand Ancestral Hall to the farmland; a line 60 meters in a straight line from the south side of the ancestral hall to the outer north wall of the Fang Heyu residence; a line 30 meters in a straight line from the west wall of the flower hall to the east wall of the Yiwu Tangxia Credit Cooperative; a line 50 meters in a straight line from the north wall of the rear section of the ancestral hall to the back hill. These four lines form a quadrilateral construction control zone.

Houzhai Subdistrict: Houzhai Subdistrict is located in the northwest of Yiwu City, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. It borders Dachen Town to the north, Suxi Town and Choucheng Subdistrict to the east, Chengxi Subdistrict to the south, and the border with Pujiang County to the northwest. It lies at latitude 29°22′5″ N and longitude 12°23′2″ E. The subdistrict government is stationed at Yongning Residential Committee, 8 kilometers from the center of Yiwu, adjacent to Yiwu Civil Aviation Airport. The Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway, Provincial Highway 03, and the Hangzhou–Jinhua–Quzhou Expressway run north–south through the area, with the new railway passenger station located in Houzhai. The total area is 67.88 square kilometers, covering 49 administrative villages and 11 residential committees, with a total population of... More details about Houzhai Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units