Xu Clan Ancestral Hall (Dunmu Hall) in She County

Xu Clan Ancestral Hall (Dunmu Hall) in She County

The Xu Clan Ancestral Hall (Dunmu Hall) in She County is a protected cultural relic site at the provincial level in Anhui Province.

The Xu Clan Ancestral Hall (Dunmu Hall) is located in She County, Huangshan City, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

The front and rear sections of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall were demolished during the Cultural Revolution and repurposed as classrooms for an elementary school, but the main central hall known as the Worship Hall remains well-preserved. 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, and the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Longchuan of the same county—the Worship Hall of the Xu Ancestral Hall possesses a distinct old-world charm. Covering a construction area of over 300 square meters, the central Worship Hall has a width of seven bays and a depth of four bays, built using the traditional post-and-lintel system with a flush-gable roof. The beams and columns of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall are particularly robust and oversized, with proportions resembling the body and limbs of a stone chicken, giving an impression of great roundness and clumsiness. The decorative elements such as bracket arms, beam supports, dougong brackets, and forked arms blend seamlessly with the structure, further enhancing the profound cultural aura of the central Worship Hall. According to the Xu Clan Genealogy, “The Xu Clan Ancestral Hall was originally built during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty.” Although there are signs of repair and replacement on the upper section of the Worship Hall’s gabled roof, the main beam framework remains original from the Hongwu period—no wonder it retains such a strong sense of antiquity. The Xu Clan Ancestral Hall and the Tingquan Tower were designated as provincial-level cultural relics protection units by the provincial government in May 1998.

On October 7, 2019, the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall in She County was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: Includes the front courtyard and extends to within the eaves drip line on the other three sides.

Construction Control Zone: Within 50 meters outside the protected area on all sides.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units