Tingquan Tower Scenic Area

Tingquan Tower Scenic Area

Tingquan Tower is just over ten meters upstream along the stream, where you’ll reach the entrance of the Xu Family Ancestral Hall. Right in front stands a granite Chastity Archway in the style of four pillars, three gates, and five stories. The archway is in excellent condition, except for some subsidence at the left base causing a slight lifting of the brackets. Looking up at the inscription, you’ll learn that this archway was erected in the 17th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1537) by the reigning emperor to commend the chastity of Lady Zhang, wife of Xu Bao from the village. It has stood for over 400 years. The ancient archway stands solemnly in front of the Xu Family Ancestral Hall, as if quietly recounting how Lady Zhang upheld the virtues of womanhood in her time. Passing through the Chastity Archway, you enter the Xu Family Ancestral Hall. The front and rear sections of the hall were dismantled during the “0” period and repurposed as classrooms for an elementary school, but the central section — the central hall — remains intact.

Compared to many renowned ancestral halls in southern Anhui, such as the Luo Family Ancestral Hall in Chengkan, She County, the Hu Family Ancestral Hall in Xidi, Qian County, or the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan of our own county, the central hall of the Xu Ancestral Hall lacks comparable grandeur. The Xu Ancestral Hall’s central hall is seven bays wide and four bays deep, covering an area of about 300 square meters. It features a raised-beam, flush-gable roof construction style. The beams and pillars of the Xu Ancestral Hall are particularly massive and rugged, with a proportion between height and width reminiscent of the body and limbs of a stone chicken — giving it a very round, bulky, and somewhat clumsy appearance. This is further enhanced by decorative elements such as bracket arms, beam supports, corbel brackets, and crossed braces, all integrated seamlessly into the structure, which adds to the profound sense of antiquity in the central hall. According to the Xu Family Genealogy, “The Xu Family Ancestral Hall was first built during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty.” Although there are signs of repair and replacement on the upper part of the central hall’s roof, the main beam structure remains original from the Hongwu period — no wonder it exudes such a strong sense of ancient charm.

Exact location: Kantou Village, Jingde County