Site of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall

Site of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall

The site of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

The renowned historical and cultural village of Kantou, predominantly inhabited by the Xu clan, was settled during the Southern Song Dynasty when ancestors of the Xu family migrated here from elsewhere. Over the following centuries, it gradually grew into the large village it is today with numerous households. In ancient times, Kantou was also known as Yunchuan, nestled in a secluded valley at the foot of the 1,350-meter-high Yunling Mountain, characterized by an extremely complex terrain. A local saying goes: “Chopping hoe on the Kang, three steps up to the bed is another Kang.” It is said that this is the origin of the village’s name, Kantou. Historically, Kantou was celebrated for its “Three Screens, Five Mounds, Six Bridges, and Eight Scenic Spots.” What are the Three Screens? Historical records reveal that they refer to the Yanghe Screen, Sishan Screen, and Tingwen Mountain Screen. And what are the Five Mounds? They are the Shiweng Mound, Bagua Mound, Dongshan Camp Mound, Wenbi Mound, and Talin Mound. The Six Bridges are six stone arch bridges spanning the streams of Kantou Village: Yong’an Bridge, Jushun Bridge, Sande Bridge, Yangchuan Bridge, Yinguang Bridge, and Juxiu Bridge.

The Eight Scenic Spots are: “Screen Unfolds Like Brocade,” “Zhen Peak Nurtures Beauty,” “Stone Chamber Serenity,” “Meeting Stone Becomes Teapot,” “Cliff Bears Immortal Traces,” “Islet Surges with Goldfish,” “Mountain Range Swings Like Heavenly Horse,” and “Jade Spring Listens to Pendants.” Driving 40 kilometers from Jixi County leads you to Kantou Village. Following the streamside water street upstream and making several turns, the Tingquan Tower suddenly comes into view. Standing beside the tower and looking up closely, you’ll see a single-story two-floor riverside pavilion supported by several wooden pillars, covering an area of about 30 square meters. The ground floor is open on two sides, backed by a wall, with a wrought-iron railing along the river-facing side for visitors to rest. The building is approximately 8 meters high in total. The second floor features a double-eave hip-and-gable roof design, with four upturned corners cantilevered over the river, adorned with wind chimes that sway in the breeze, producing a melodious, rhythmic tinkling. A plaque inscribed with the characters “Ting Quan” (Listen to the Spring) hangs on the river-facing side of the second floor. The two characters are written in bold and powerful regular script, accompanied by a commentary inscription of several hundred words detailing the history of the tower’s rise and fall. The inscription is signed (Qing Dynasty) Xianfeng Jiwei Year (1859), by Wang Jun. From the commentary, we learn that Tingquan Tower was originally built during the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, destroyed by a flood during the Qing Xianfeng period, and the plaque was rewritten during the reconstruction of the tower in the Xianfeng era by then-county magistrate Wang Jun.

Exact location: Kantou Village, Jingde County