Sun Clan Ancestral Hall of Yuexi

Sun Clan Ancestral Hall of Yuexi

The Sun Clan Ancestral Hall of Yuexi is a cultural heritage site protected by Anhui Province.

The Sun Clan Ancestral Hall is located in Sandang Village, Tiling Village, Yaohe Township, Yuexi County, Anhui Province, just 5 kilometers from National Highway 105 at the border of Shucheng County and Yuexi County.

Surrounded by towering mountains, majestic peaks, lush green hills, and shady canopies, the hall is built against the mountain and boasts a grand and imposing presence.

According to inscriptions in the hall, construction began in the 11th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1746 AD) and was completed in the 18th year (1753), taking eight years in total. The ancestral hall faces south and covers a construction area of 3,220 square meters, not including the open ancestral courtyard in front, the flagpole stone base, or the pond at the entrance. On the east side of the hall is a schoolhouse called "Yingxue Studio" (映雪斋), where clan members’ children studied. It was named after the story of Sun Kang from the Tang Dynasty, who came from a poor family and studied diligently by the light of snow due to lack of oil for lamps. On the west side is a kitchen and dining hall used for banquets, meals, and lodging during ceremonies or rituals, with a combined construction area of 1,056 square meters. The main ancestral structure itself has three tiers and five courtyards, featuring a rigorous layout, solid brick-and-wood construction, raised beams, bracket sets, blue bricks with small tiles, hip-and-gable roofs, horse-head walls—all strongly reflecting the architectural style of southwestern Anhui. The entrance is adorned with a large stone plaque inscribed with “Sun Clan Ancestral Hall,” below which are five raised thresholds symbolizing the nobility of the family. In front of the main gate is a porch with railings and a garden gate (symbolizing a military gateway). Stepping through the gate leads to a stage (see Figure 2), facing the shrine hall. On the completion day of the ancestral hall, a theater troupe was invited to perform as a gesture of celebration and to allow ancestors and clanspeople to enjoy opera together—known as “repaying the ancestors and entertaining the gods” in pursuit of shared joy between humans and deities. Since then, on every major celebration, important ancestral worship ceremony, or during festivals such as Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival, troupes were invited to perform. The stage features a caisson ceiling, and hanging above the stage is a crimson wooden plaque gifted by Ren Zhiyong, magistrate of Yingshan County, Hubei Province, inscribed with the words “Lang Jin Zhao Xue” (朗襟照雪, “Noble Heart Shines Like Snow”) (see Figure 3), written in bold and powerful characters. On the back wall of the stage, ink-written records of past performances remain visible, noting the troupe names, performance dates, and play titles. Still clearly legible are entries such as “First day of the ninth lunar month, 1878” (the fourth year of the Guangxu reign), along with play catalogs like No. 12 “The Pearl Pagoda,” No. 13 “The Mirror Reunion Garden,” No. 14 “Black Dragon Mountain,” No. 15 “Luo Pa Bao,” and No. 16 “The Flower Seller.”

Based on surviving records on the wall panels and recollections from elders, performances here have continued uninterrupted for over a hundred years—an extremely rare occurrence in such a mountainous region. During the Cultural Revolution, the ancestral hall was repurposed as a strategic grain reserve depot, storing national emergency grain supplies, which helped preserve both the hall and the stage well. This also provides rich physical historical material for studying the local theatrical culture. On both sides of the stage are viewing galleries, and the space between the stage and the surrounding corridors forms an atrium. Passing through the atrium leads to the central hall. Eight large pillars support the structure, with drum-shaped or lotus-shaped bases of varying designs and exquisitely carved details. The raised-beam structure with five-tiered roof ridges features brackets adorned with lions, phoenixes, clouds, scroll patterns, and narrative scenes—vivid and lifelike in design. The spacious hall serves as a venue for clan sacrificial ceremonies and meetings. By tradition, there are two major annual worship ceremonies: one during Qingming Festival and the other during the Winter Solstice, both grand occasions when the clan leader presides over rituals attended by members from all branches. Offerings are made, incense burned, paper and firecrackers ignited, and participants kneel in worship with three bows and nine kowtows. The rear section is the shrine hall, where spirit tablets of generations of the Sun ancestors are enshrined in order of seniority.

Tiling Village: Located in the central part of Yaohe Township, Tiling Village spans 9.6 square kilometers with an average elevation of 600 meters. It has 8,083 mu of mountain land, 12 villager groups, 279 households, and 1,083 residents, including 518 able-bodied workers. All villager groups now have access to roads, telephone lines, and cable TV, and every household has electricity. 95% of households use clean drinking water. It was designated as one of the first well-off villages in 1996 and named a Well-Off Star Village in 2000.

The village’s “two committees” consist of five members, with an average age of 44. One member holds a college degree, three have high school/vocational school diplomas, and one... More detailed information about Tiling Village++