Ancestral Hall of the Zhang Clan in Yingzhou

Ancestral Hall of the Zhang Clan in Yingzhou

The Ancestral Hall of the Zhang Clan in Yingzhou is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Ancestral Hall of the Zhang Clan in Yingzhou Village is located 9 kilometers from Jixi County. Historically, the hall underwent multiple renovations, with the last major reconstruction taking place in the eighth year of the Republic of China (1919), after which no significant repairs were made. According to relevant records: the Ancestral Hall of the Zhang Clan in Yingzhou was rebuilt using the architectural techniques of the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan, hence its architectural style is largely the same as that of the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan. The hall covers an area of 1,295 square meters and is largely well-preserved. The ancestral hall faces south and consists of three sections: front, middle, and rear. In front of the gate tower lies a relatively large courtyard, with a four-pillar, three-gate archway-style courtyard gate on the southern side. The gate tower is a double-eaved Five Phoenix Tower, with carved lattice doors in the shape of reversed swastikas on the eastern and western sides of the front eaves, adorned with book-scroll-shaped brick carvings above; two tall drum stones stand opposite each other beside the ceremonial gate, their Sumeru bases intricately carved with exquisite bas-reliefs, making them fine examples of stone carving art. The beams and panels of the gate tower feature carvings depicting scenes such as warriors commanding the battlefield, farmers tilling the land, all vividly portrayed. The middle section houses 14 ginkgo wood pillars with a circumference of 1.63 meters, and the beams are exquisitely carved with patterns such as grapes and squirrels, symbolizing fertility. The rear section of the ancestral hall serves as the shrine room dedicated to ancestral tablets, giving off a solemn and dignified atmosphere. The Zhang Clan Ancestral Hall is large in scale, demonstrates high craftsmanship, and remains well-preserved. It is only 5 li away from the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan, and there is also a familial relationship between the Zhang and Hu clans of Yingzhou and Longchuan. Therefore, preserving the Zhang Clan Ancestral Hall holds positive significance and will have a beneficial impact on the cultural heritage conservation efforts in our county. In 2005, it was designated as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit under approval document Jizheng [2005] No. 41; in 2016, it was listed as a second batch municipal-level cultural relic protection unit under approval document Xuanzheng Mi [2016] No. 219. In 2019, it was announced as an eighth batch provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Anhui Province.

Protection boundary: 1 meter to the east and west beyond the surrounding walls, 20 meters to the south and north.

Construction control zone: 4 meters to the east and west beyond the protection boundary, same as the protection boundary to the south and north.

Yingzhou Town: Yingzhou Township is located in the southeastern part of Jixi County. The nationally key cultural relic protection unit — the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan, renowned as the “Hall of Woodcarving Art” and the “No. 1 Ancestral Hall in the South of the Yangtze River” — is situated in Longchuan Village of this town. In recent years, Yingzhou Township has established the development path of building an “Ecological Township” and set the goal of becoming a Nationally Recognized Beautiful Environment Township, placing great emphasis on the protection and rational, orderly development of ecological resources. Currently, the township’s forest coverage rate reaches 79.5%, with public welfare forest area totaling 35,012 mu, afforestation on barren hills covering 1,575 mu, and air quality meeting Class I standards.

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