Xu Bolong Ancestral Hall

Xu Bolong Ancestral Hall

Xu Bolong Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Wencheng County.

Xu Bolong Ancestral Hall is located in Zhang’ao Village, Nantian Town, Wencheng County. Originally named Zhongyonggong Ancestral Hall, it consists of a gatehouse, main hall, and two side wings forming a quadrangle-style wooden structure, spanning 25 meters in width and 29.6 meters in depth. The main hall has seven bays and a hip-and-gable roof, with a wooden stage built opposite the central bay, featuring a unique design. A large sword weighing 90 kilograms is preserved in the hall to this day, and there are also two pairs of flagstone pedestals from the Jiaqing era (1796–1820) located outside. Xu Bolong (1334–1355) was a local tycoon. In the 14th year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1354), when the rebel army of Wu Chengqi attacked Qingtian County, the Zhejiang Provincial Administration was thrown into panic. “Wang, the provincial defense commander, led troops to Nantian but hesitated to advance.” Xu Bolong “went to the military camp volunteering to lead the charge.” The commander “granted him an official commission as magistrate of Songyang County.” The next day, a major battle ensued, lasting from dawn till dusk with dozens of clashes. As enemy forces gradually retreated but no reinforcements arrived, he was killed by the rebels. The imperial court posthumously honored him with the title “Loyal and Brave” and built the ancestral hall in his memory. It was destroyed during the rebellion of Geng Jingzhong in the 13th year of the Kangxi era (1674) of the Qing Dynasty, rebuilt in the 45th year of Qianlong (1780), and relocated and reconstructed again in the early Republican period.

Source: Wenzhou Museum

Nantian Town: Nantian Town is the hometown of Liu Ji, a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty. Located in the northwest of Wencheng County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, it is 34 kilometers from the county seat of Wencheng, covering a total area of 99 square kilometers, with jurisdiction over 19 administrative villages and a total population of 23,000. Historically part of Qingtian County, Nantian got its name from its flat, expansive terrain and vast tracts of fertile farmland. The town boasts beautiful scenery, a pleasant climate, rich vegetation, and a legacy of remarkable individuals, earning it the reputation as the “Sixth Blessed Land among the Seventy-Two in the World.”

Nantian Town is a town under the jurisdiction of Wencheng County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It is the hometown of Liu Ji, a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty, and is located in the northwest of Wencheng... More detailed information about Nantian Town++