Yangxia Village

Yangxia Village

In southern Fujian, it’s not uncommon to find traditional villages where people of the same surname live together and have built ancestral halls. But it’s quite rare to see a small village with over 20 ancestral halls of various sizes. In Yangxia Village, located in Pumei Town, Yunxiao, there is a cluster of ancestral halls belonging to the Fang clan of Yunyang. Each hall has its own distinctive features, is well-preserved, and is very rare. Even more remarkably, a total of 30 scholars who achieved the status of Jinshi (advanced scholars) or Juren (presented scholars) came from these ancestral halls.

Yangxia Village is divided into five communities: east, west, south, north, and central. These areas are home to a beautifully restored cluster of 24 ancestral halls of varying sizes. The ancestral hall of the first-generation Fang ancestor in Zhangzhou, General Zhao De Fang Zizhong, which dates back over a thousand years, and the Fang family ancestral temple “Xiaosi Hall,” which is over 700 years old, are located in the central community. They stand solemnly and exude an ancient yet refined beauty. Surrounding them are smaller branch ancestral halls such as Zhiai Hall, Xianzheng Hall, Tai Nan Fang Ancestral House, and Shaojing Hall, forming a rare and spectacular assembly of ancestral halls.

Among them, the most famous is the Fang family ancestral temple known as “Xiaosi Hall.” Built in the early Ming Dynasty, this ancestral hall has a history of 600 years, covers an area of 2,000 square meters, and has a construction area of 900 square meters. It serves as the common ancestral temple for both local Fang descendants in Yunxiao and those who have migrated elsewhere. Stepping inside the inner hall, one can see wooden plaques engraved with titles such as Jinshi and Juren, documenting the glory of the Fang descendants.

As a historic and ancient village, Yangxia Village also carries a rich and profound historical culture. Many of the village’s ancient buildings embody the essence of traditional architectural craftsmanship and historical styles from southern Fujian and Taiwan. The roofs of these earthen and wooden structures feature various artistic designs, including “Xieshan,” “Xuanshan,” and “Yingshan.” The ridge decorations on the rooftops of the village buildings are particularly noteworthy and serve as important historical evidence for studying the folk culture and historical humanistic connections between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Moreover, many of the rituals and customs passed down through generations among the villagers have been included in the national, provincial, and municipal lists of “Intangible Cultural Heritage.” Examples include the “Jian Wang” (Mirror the King) ceremony and the serving of large bowls of food, as well as the “patrolling the city and walking the king” rituals during the “Kai Zhang Sheng Wang Xun An” (Patrol of the Sacred King of Zhangzhou) blessing festival held on the 13th day of the first lunar month each year; the Dragon Boat Festival customs such as recommending drums to summon the dragon, beating pu boats, and racing dragon boats held in early May each year; and the Flower Festival (locally known as “Qian Chu Huayuan”) held on the 15th day of the third lunar month each year. These traditions have been passed down since ancient times and remain unbroken through the ages.

Source: Fujian Provincial Tourism Development Commission