The Ancestral Hall of the Hou Family

The Ancestral Hall of the Hou Family

The Ancestral Hall of the Hou Family is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Anhui Province.

The ancestral hall in Houcun Village was built during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. The three-courtyard structure is made of brick and wood, covering an area of 1,200 square meters. It is the most intact and largest ancient building in terms of floor space still existing in Langxi County. Constructed with a post-and-lintel system and cantilevered beams, the hall features the architectural style of Huizhou. In addition to its carved beams and painted rafters, as well as exquisite brick and stone carvings, the southern wall of the rear courtyard preserves four well-preserved colorful flower-and-bird murals (each measuring 70 cm in height and 210 cm in width). Two peony plants are planted in the courtyard, each about 1.5 meters tall, with sturdy branches. They bloom with fifty to sixty large, bowl-sized, brilliantly colored flowers every year. It is said that these peonies have been around for over two hundred years and are considered rare and precious flora within the county.

Protected area: 30 meters east to the foot of Fenghuang Mountain, 50 meters south to the residential area of villagers, 60 meters west to Fenghuang Pond, and 60 meters north to the farmland by the side of Jigong Pond.

Construction control zone: a 10-meter buffer extending outward from the boundaries of the protected area.