The New Ancestral Hall of the Ou Family

The New Ancestral Hall of the Ou Family

The New Ancestral Hall of the Ou Family is a cultural heritage site protected by Xiangshan County.

The New Ancestral Hall of the Ou Family in Qiangtou was built in the late Qing Dynasty and completed in the third year of the Republic of China. It is located to the west of Qiangtou Village, Qiangtou Town, 8.5 kilometers west of the county seat. The architecture features the style of the late Qing Dynasty and is relatively well-preserved. The main hall has seven bays: the central bay features a raised-beam structure, while the side and end bays combine raised-beam and through-tenon construction. There are six pillars reaching the floor, with flower-basket hanging columns beneath the ridge purlin, and flower-basket-style bracket arms on the raised beams. The eaves corridor features curved rafter brackets between the pillars, and the eaves pillars and beams are carved with opera characters and floral designs. On both sides are three-bay wing rooms. The stage is square-shaped; the front two pillars have iron circular upper sections and square stone lower sections, while the rear two pillars are entirely square stone, with carved floral bases. The three-sided eaves beams are engraved with carvings of opera figures and flowers. The gate tower has seven bays, with a lotus pond in front, surrounded by planted flowers and enclosed by an outer brick wall. The ancestral hall’s components feature exquisite carving craftsmanship and hold certain historical and artistic value.