Qian Family Ancestral Hall

Qian Family Ancestral Hall

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

In Zhongqian Village, Shenhuang Town, Haiyan, there stands one of the better-preserved ancestral halls in northern Zhejiang — the Qian Family Ancestral Hall, built by Qian Chenqun, the 25th-generation descendant of Qian Liu.

The Qian Family Ancestral Hall, also known as the Hall of Eternal Remembrance and commonly called the Qian Family Ancestral Hall, is the ancestral temple for the Qian family of Shenhuang.

The Qian Family Ancestral Hall was first built during the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the 47th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1708). After the liberation, it was used as a grain storage facility, which helped preserve it until today. In 2002, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit by the county government, and in October 2013, restorative maintenance was carried out.

Front Hall

The “Qian Family Ancestral Hall Sand Table” is a scaled-down model of the Qian Family Ancestral Hall, arranged according to the original hall’s functions, primarily depicting the lively scene of ancestor worship.

The Front Hall serves as the “Placard Hall,” with wooden racks on the east and west sides holding plaques indicating solemnity, avoidance, and official ranks.

Currently, this hall is arranged to showcase the achievements of the Qian ancestors and the spiritual essence of the Qian family.

Flower Hall

The Flower Hall is used twice a year during ancestor worship ceremonies for banquets, dining, and resting, and also serves as the center for discussing major family affairs. The central inscription “Qingfen Shishou” (Fragrance of Purity Endures Through Generations) is an imperial calligraphy work by Emperor Qianlong for the Qian family of Haiyan.

It is now arranged as a Qian Family Schoolhouse, themed around the concept of “passing down farming and scholarship through generations.” Here, calligraphy and painting works by Chen Shu are displayed.

Rear Hall

The Rear Hall serves as the “Worship Hall,” with a central shrine housing spirit tablets of ancestors. Worship ceremonies are held twice a year, during the Qingming Festival in spring and the Winter Solstice in winter.

It is now arranged with a theme of family values culture, featuring portraits of the Five Kings among the Qian ancestors in the center, and portraits of notable figures from the Qian family of Haiyan on both sides.

Stories of the Qian Family

The Qian family of Haiyan, not only a prominent family in Haiyan but also in Jiaxing and even Hangzhou, are descendants of Qian Liu. Starting from the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the Qian family of Haiyan alone produced 16 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and over 40 Juren (successful candidates in the provincial examinations). For over a thousand years, the Qian family has left behind in Haiyan many stories embodying themes of punishing evil and promoting good, loyalty, filial piety, righteousness, and integrity—such as Qian Liu selling salt, King Qian shooting at the tide, Qian Liu offering tea, Chen Shu teaching her son, and Qian Jiazheng striking down treachery. The Stories of the Qian Family of Haiyan have been included in the fourth batch of Zhejiang Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Qian family of Haiyan originally lived in Gankou. During the mid-Ming Dynasty, as Gankou was frequently harassed by Japanese pirates, they relocated to Banluo in Shenhuang, now Zhongqian Village in Shenhuang Town. Later, due to Qian LunGuang marrying into the Chen family of Jiaxing, they moved to Lianhua Bridge in Jiaxing during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Starting with Qian Chenqun (the 25th-generation descendant of Qian Liu), most descendants of the Qian family of Haiyan were buried in Shenhuang or Nanbeihu after their death. There are still hundreds of Qian descendants in Zhongqian Village, but due to the lack of a family genealogy continuation after the late Qing Dynasty, the younger generation has become unclear about their ancestors beyond a few generations.