The Wang Family Ancestral Hall in Yunhe

The Wang Family Ancestral Hall in Yunhe

The Wang Family Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Wang Family Ancestral Hall, located on Siqian Lane in Yunhe County, was first built in the first year of the Yuan Yanyou era (1314) and is now a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

During the twelfth generation of the Wang lineage in Yunhe, brothers Wang Ting and Wang Yan saw the family grow in number and wealth. Wang Yan funded the construction of Yunhe’s earliest street—Fuyun Street (now the old section of Jiefang Street), which was over 470 zhang in length. In the first year of the Yuan Yanyou era (1314), his elder brother Wang Ting funded the construction of the Wang Family Ancestral Hall.

In the first year of the Ming Xuande era (1426), Wang Haicheng funded an expansion of the ancestral hall. During the Ming Jiajing period, regional military commander Wang Yiqing donated funds for further expansion, and to this day, the former residence of Wang Yiqing remains preserved on the western side of the hall. In the fifth year of the Qing Xianfeng era (1855), the Wang clan carried out a major renovation of the ancestral hall, and many of the main beam structures from that time still exist today. In the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858) and the first year of the Tongzhi era (1862), the Taiping Army passed through Yunhe twice, causing some damage to the ancestral hall, after which the clan undertook another significant repair.

The Wang Family Ancestral Hall served as a venue for clan members to conduct worship ceremonies. Adjacent to the hall was a stage and a spacious threshing ground. During festivals, the people of Yunhe often held large temple fairs and markets here. Before the Qing Dynasty, the rental income from the ancestral hall’s fields was used to fund a free school, benefiting local residents. After the Xinhai Revolution, the free school was renamed “Wang Family Primary School,” with most of its funding coming from “ancestral hall rentals.”

During the War of Resistance against Japan, due to the large space and flat drill grounds at the Wang Family Ancestral Hall, it was requisitioned by the Zhejiang Provincial Brigade. The Zhejiang Provincial Seamen's Trade Union Federation also had its offices here.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units