Zhenyi Hall

Zhenyi Hall

Zhenyi Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Zhenyi Hall is located in Zhukou Village, Qimen County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, it was reconstructed in 1673 and rebuilt again in 1910. Facing south, the hall covers an area of 1,267 square meters. Known as the premier ancestral hall of the Huizhou region during the Republican era, it is a key cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Constructed with a combination of brick and wood, the hall is divided into three sections: front, middle, and rear. On either side of the main gate are a pair of stone drums made of "Yixian blue" stone, adorned with carvings such as the dragon and phoenix bringing prosperity and hidden figures presenting children. Upon entering is the front section, flanked by side rooms on both sides, with a central passageway. Passing through the courtyard leads to the main hall, which is supported by 108 pillars and is grand in scale, serving as the venue for the spring and autumn sacrificial ceremonies and various celebrations. The rear section features one eastern and one western celestial pool, with stone pillars and railing boards around the pools intricately carved with various floral and bird patterns, such as carp spouting the moon, wild geese landing on lotus flowers, pine and crane symbolizing longevity, and evergreen pines and cypresses. The carvings are exquisitely detailed. Beyond the pools lies the offering hall, which enshrines the ancestral tablets of the Ni family from Zhukou. It is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Zhenyi Hall is situated in Zhukou Village, Zhukou Township, Qimen County, and serves as the ancestral temple of the Zhen branch of the Ni family in Zhukou. Located in the center of the village and facing south, it covers an area of over 1,200 square meters and is a large ancestral hall with seven bays spanning three sections.

Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, Zhenyi Hall was destroyed by fire during the Manchu invasion. It was rebuilt in the 12th year of the Kangxi reign (1673) and completed in the 14th year. On January 16 of the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign (1910), a fire caused by fireworks destroyed the entire structure except for the "Taoist cap"-shaped entrance gate. In 1912, a clan member, Ni Shangren, donated a substantial amount to rebuild the hall. Zhenyi Hall is constructed with premium materials, boasts a grand scale, and features exquisite carvings. The main hall contains 108 pillars, symbolizing the "thirty-six heavenly generals and seventy-two earthly demons," and is hailed as the "premier ancestral hall of the Huizhou region during the Republican era."

In front of the temple are 18 pairs of massive flagpole stones on either side of the square, creating a highly spectacular sight. Within the Ni clan, any descendant who achieved the rank of juren (recommended man) or higher could erect a pair of flagpoles in front of the ancestral hall to boast to the world and serve as an inspiration for future generations. These flagpole stones vary in size, and some are inscribed with the two large characters “Jinshi” (advanced scholar). During the Cultural Revolution, to protect these flagpole stones, members of the Ni clan moved them all to the river in front of the village and buried them in mud and sand, thus preserving them from destruction.

Zhenyi Hall is divided into four sections: the front courtyard, ceremonial gate, offering hall, and sleeping hall. It is surrounded by fireproof walls, and the outer gatehouse is designed in the shape of a Taoist cap. At each end of the gate tower are side doors that serve as passages on the left and right. The front is spacious, with a horizontal beam in the center of the eaves bearing a plaque inscribed with the word "Shangshu" (Minister). The main gate is located along the central axis, flanked by a pair of drum-shaped stone blocks made of Yixian blue stone, carved with patterns such as the dragon and phoenix bringing prosperity and the qilin (mythical creature) presenting a child. Above the gate is a plaque inscribed with "Ni Family Ancestral Hall."

Entering the hall through the main gate, the front section consists of side rooms enclosing a spacious central courtyard, following the traditional Huizhou architectural practice of "four waters returning to the hall." In the center of the courtyard is a stone-paved path leading to the front of the hall. During major festivals or celebrations, performances would be held in the front section, both educating the clan members and honoring the ancestors.

The main hall, referred to as the offering hall in ancestral architecture, is the core of the temple and serves as the venue for the spring and autumn sacrificial ceremonies and various celebrations. The main hall is a large building with double-sloped roofs facing north and south. Inside, there are ten massive wooden pillars supporting the roof, with beams above and brackets below, using a raised-beam structure to create an open and spacious feel by reducing the number of pillars—also known as the "pillar-reducing technique." The ceiling of the hall features two styles: a coffered ceiling (rolled shed) and a gable-and-hip ceiling, adding variety to the indoor space. The ends of the main beams are carved with elephant trunk patterns, which, because the elephant sounds like the word for "minister," symbolize "being appointed as an official." The short pillars supporting the beams are adorned with exquisitely carved wooden brackets in the shapes of "square scarves" and "lotuses." The lotus bracket symbolizes ascending to heaven and becoming immortal by stepping onto a lotus pedestal. A plaque inscribed with the name "Zhenyi Hall" hangs prominently above the central wall of the hall.

On either side of the main hall are side rooms used for storing ritual utensils. At the points where the east and west sides of the main hall connect with the corridors of the central courtyard, there are side doors leading outside, serving as emergency exits. The eaves of the main hall and the corridors feature bracket sets extending outwards, densely arranged at intervals of about three meters, creating a magnificent and imposing appearance. Especially noteworthy are the two extremely large bracket sets atop the front eaves of the main hall, standing five tiers high with projecting brackets ("ang") that display the noble status of the Ni family. The outer ends of the bracket bases are carved with small elephants, while the undersides feature upside-down carved stone lionesses. The fireproof walls at both ends of the main hall rise higher than the sloping roof and undulate in three tiers following the roofline, resembling the heads of proud horses. A section of whitewashed wall is also built at the junction of the corridor and the main hall roof to act as a fire barrier.

The rear section includes the celestial pools and the sleeping hall. The celestial pools were funded by Jinshi, the secondary wife of Ni Shangrong, and others, who contributed hundreds of taels of silver. In feng shui, the pools symbolize wealth accumulation and serve the practical purpose of water storage for fire prevention. Among the pools in the sleeping courtyards of Huizhou ancestral halls, these are unique in design, the largest in area, the highest in water storage capacity, and the most exquisitely carved. The pools are rectangular, with a stone arched bridge in the center dividing them into two sections. Crossing the bridge and ascending three stone steps leads to the sleeping chamber. The east and west ends of the pools are corridors connecting the offering hall and the sleeping hall, each with a side door leading outside. On either side of the bridge are three pairs of lion-base pillars, each uniquely shaped—some playing with cubs, others frolicking with embroidered balls, creating vivid and amusing scenes. Surrounding the pools are seven pairs of lotus-base stone pillars, with twenty bluestone railing boards encircling the pools. Each board features intricate carvings of water-related designs, such as "carp spouting the sun," "wild geese landing in the lotus pond," and "carp leaping the dragon gate." The central railing boards on the north side of the east and west pools are inscribed stelae, respectively authored by clan members Ni Zhaoxiong and Ni Hualin, recounting from different perspectives how Zhenyi Hall was repeatedly built and burned, enduring many disasters, and praising the virtuous deeds of Jinshi, the secondary wife of Ni Shangrong, and others who inherited their husbands’ aspirations and donated funds from silk weaving to build the pools and store water for disaster prevention. The inner surfaces of the pools are also decorated with exquisite circular and fan-shaped stone carvings of floral, bird, fish, dragon, turtle, and deer patterns above the waterline.

The sleeping hall has a two-story structure, with a side room at each end. The eastern side room stores bridal sedan chairs, while the western side room houses the staircase, which can be used to climb to the upper floor for a distant view. The rear section of the ancestral hall is generally called the sleeping hall, also known as the sleeping chamber or bedroom, and is used to enshrine ancestral tablets and display offerings. As the most sacred part of the ancestral hall, the sleeping hall is the tallest of the three sections. Although not as spacious as the offering hall, the sleeping hall is elevated on a raised foundation and built as a two-story structure to emphasize its supreme status.

Zhenyi Hall is a representative example of ancient ancestral hall architecture in Qimen County. After multiple renovations, it remains well-preserved and is now a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.