Mashas Clan Cai’s Grand Ancestral Hall

Mashas Cai Clan Grand Ancestral Hall

The Mashas Cai Clan Grand Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Jianyang District.

The Cai Clan Grand Ancestral Hall in Mashas has been the ancestral home of the Cai family in Jianyang for over 1,100 years since the Tang Dynasty. It is located in Shuinan Village, Mashas Town, and was originally an ancient structure from the Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong era. In 2003, it underwent a comprehensive renovation. The main gate retains its original brick ancient door, inscribed with the plaque "Cai Clan Grand Ancestral Hall," and the two red walls on either side of the gate are inlaid with titanium-gold-plated characters bestowed by Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty to honor the scholarly achievements of Cai Yuanding and Cai Chen. A flight of finely stone-paved steps leads directly to the “Hall of Nine Sages.” At the center stands a large red shrine cabinet housing statues of the Nine Sages of the Cai family, flanked by laurel wood couplets that read: “The Diagram extends through the Nine Categories, elucidating the images of the Book of Changes and the Spring and Autumn Annals — the Way of Heaven and Humanity carried on by the Nine Sages; the Books span Four Dynasties, from Shang, Zhou, Yu to Xia — the heart’s principles and laws inherited through Four Generations.”

The two walls of the Hall of Nine Sages hang four plaques inscribed with: “Wings of Ziyang,” “Scholarship Elucidating the Diagram Categories,” “Pillar of Min School,” and “Family-Transmitted Heart Learning.” On the sides are ten hanging couplets containing Emperor Lizong’s praise for the “Nine Scholars,” tributes from historical ministers to the Cai family’s Nine Sages, and the last words of the Nine Sages. Entering the “Ji Yin Hall” through the “Ke Yi Chu” brick gate, you’ll find a large red shrine cabinet at the center, enshrining a wooden statue of Lu Gong, the founding ancestor of the Min branch. The two walls display 16 portraits of ancient noble ancestors, allowing descendants to pay homage to their forebears’ virtues. Although the ancestral hall was reconstructed, its interior design integrates the essence of the ancient “Lufeng Academy,” “Jiufeng Academy,” and “Xishan Academy” of the Jianyang Cai family, highlighting the glorious legacy of the Nine Sages of the Cai family.

The Mashas Cai Clan Grand Ancestral Hall has been designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

Shuinan Village: Shuinan Village is located south of the Maya Stream, hence the name “Shuinan” (South of the Water). It faces the town government across the river. In the 1970s, a reinforced concrete stone arch bridge was built to connect the two banks. The village covers an area of 16.17 square kilometers, comprising 14 villager groups, with 534 households and a population of 2,032.

Shuinan Village has a long history, established in the late Tang Dynasty, with a heritage of nearly 1,100 years. The area boasts beautiful scenery, and Dai Peak Mountain behind the village resembles a massive pyramid. When the sun is about to set, the afterglow bathes the mountain peak. Viewed from afar within the village, the sight is dazzlingly radiant, known as the “Dai Peak Sunset Glow…” Shuinan Village detailed information++