Xu Zhen Second Ancestral Hall

Xu Zhen Second Ancestral Hall

Xu Zhen Second Ancestral Hall is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

Xu Zhen Second Ancestral Hall is an ancient building rich in ethnic style and local characteristics. It is also the best-preserved Qing Dynasty ancestral hall in Yongkang City to date and is a key cultural heritage site under the city’s protection. Located in Wuyi Lane in the urban area, the hall is grand in scale, covering an area of 1,512 square meters. The ancestral hall is divided into three sections: front, middle, and rear, each with five bays. The beams and frames of the central and side bays, as well as the clear-span bays, in all three sections are of the post-and-lintel construction type. The main gate of the front hall features a three-tiered, archway-style structure. The walls are entirely built with blue polished bricks. There are also two rectangular lintels inlaid with three-dimensional floral patterns such as lotus flowers and grapes, framed within. On the false side doors on both sides, there is one stone carving each: the left depicting musical instruments and chess, the right showing calligraphy and painting. The exterior walls on both sides of the main gate are designed in a “three-flower-three-wall” pattern, with ridge tiles, ornaments, and water spouts decoratively arranged along the top. The overall wall surface is majestic and exquisitely crafted. The front and rear eave columns and purlins of the front and middle halls feature bracket arms (dou-gong) carved with motifs of figures, birds and beasts, flowers, and birds.

Before the liberation, Xu Zhen Second Ancestral Hall served as the office of the Yongkang County Senate and was a gathering place for scholars and literati, often hosting calligraphy and painting exhibitions. After the liberation, it was used as a grain storage facility and workers’ dormitory. In recent years, the Yongkang Municipal People's Government has placed the ancestral hall under the management of the cultural relics authorities. It was recently designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the provincial government.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites