The Xie Clan Ancestral Hall in Pengxi

The Xie Clan Ancestral Hall in Pengxi

The Xie Clan Ancestral Hall in Pengxi is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Xie Clan Ancestral Hall in Pengxi is located in Donggao Township, Yongjia County, dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

Also known as the Kang Le Gong Ancestral Hall, it was first built in the mid-Ming Dynasty. The Xie’s Landscape Poetry Stele Gallery within the hall stands as an immortal poetic monument in the hearts of the locals in Pengxi. The stone inscriptions of Xie’s landscape poetry are also a sacred site for landscape poetry in China.

The main ancestral hall features seven bays and two side wings, with an ancient stage in the center. The courtyard in front of the stage is paved with large natural pebbles from the Nanxi River, forming an enclosed courtyard-style yard. The central hall displays a plaque inscribed with “Cun Zhu Tang.” Inside the main hall is the “Filial Piety Shrine,” which houses a bluestone carved statue of Xie Lingyun. The side corridors on both sides contain 36 calligraphy steles of landscape poetry. Each stele features gold characters on a black background, inscribed by renowned calligraphers. The content includes verses from Xie Lingyun’s “Ode to Living in the Mountains” and 34 of his poems. Among them, the “Inscription Preface to Xie Lingyun, the Forefather of Landscape Poetry” provides a detailed account of Xie Lingyun’s life and achievements.

On January 7, 2011, it was announced as part of the sixth batch of cultural relic protection units of Zhejiang Province.

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province