Qishan Ancestral Hall

Qishan Ancestral Hall

Qishan Ancestral Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

Qishan Ancestral Hall, located in Qihu Village, Gaoqiao Town, Haishu District, Ningbo City, is a five-bay quadrangle courtyard building with a flush gable roof. It has a depth of 29.15 meters, an overall width of 20.4 meters, and covers an area of 748 square meters. The entire structure consists of two sections: the gate tower and the main hall. Originally, there was a screen wall outside the main gate, which has since been demolished. The gate tower has five bays, with the central bay as the main gate, side rooms on both sides, and a high threshold under the main hall. On either side of the gate are carved stone benches. The eaves of the gate are adorned with bracket arms carved in the shape of fish-dragons, while the beams feature cloud-pattern engravings. The exterior walls on both sides of the gate are decorated with exquisitely crafted brick carvings that imitate woodwork.

The main hall is 20.15 meters wide, with a roof structure that uses a post-and-lintel system in the central bay, employing large timber materials. Short columns with coiled brakes are erected on the beams to support smaller lintels and purlins. The front corridor of the main hall features a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the connecting beams, bracket arms, and spandrels throughout the corridor are all intricately carved. Among these, the double-sided high-relief carvings on the beam lintels depicting pavilions, historical relics, birds, and beasts are particularly delicate and refined.

The most remarkable feature of Qishan Ancestral Hall is that within the beams and columns of the main hall, there are no nests built by sparrows, no webs spun by spiders, and no signs of insect damage or rot — the mystery behind this phenomenon remains a subject for further exploration and research. In May 2005, it was designated as a cultural heritage conservation site at the Yinzhou District level, and following the 2016 administrative division adjustment of Ningbo City, it was placed under the jurisdiction of Haishu District.

Source: Haishu District Cultural Relics Management Office

Gaoqiao Town: Gaoqiao is located in the western part of Ningbo, a key port city situated along both China’s coastal economic belt and the Yangtze River economic belt, enjoying excellent geographical and natural conditions. To the east lies downtown Ningbo, to the south is Yusu International Airport, to the west are the ancient Hemudu cultural ruins, and to the north is the Yao River, a golden waterway. National Highway Hangyong Expressway and Provincial Road Yongliang Line run east to west across the town. The town has a registered population of 48,700, governing 20 administrative villages, one fishing cooperative, and three neighborhood committees, covering a total area of 53 square kilometers. … Gaoqiao Town detailed information++