Yong'an Liu Clan Ancestral Hall

Yong'an Liu Clan Ancestral Hall

The Yong'an Liu Clan Ancestral Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Liu Clan Ancestral Hall is situated in the center of Xiàjíshān, Yong'an. It was the location of the provincial Department of Education during the War of Resistance against Japan, is an ancient ancestral hall, and is a municipal-level cultural heritage site. Also called "Chóngrén Hall," it faces south and was constructed during the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong period, with a construction area of 595 square meters. On the first day of the ninth lunar month each year, descendants of the Liu family from Shàngjíshān and Xiàjíshān gather here to worship Liu Guìsān, the first-generation ancestor who settled in Jíshān (he migrated from Yúyún to Jíshān in 1536, the 15th year of the Jiajing era in the Ming Dynasty). As the main ancestral hall of the Liu clan, it has undergone frequent renovations and is the best-preserved among all War of Resistance heritage sites.

The Liu surname is the fourth most common in contemporary China. The Liu family in Jíshān traces its lineage to Péngchéng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu), the fief of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, and is descended from Liu Jiāo, Liu Bang’s brother. According to the "Preface on the Genealogical Origins of the Liu Clan": The first Liu to enter Fujian, Liu Cì, migrated from Yánshān County, Guangxin Prefecture, Jiangxi (now Yánshān, Jiangxi) to Jiànpǔ (now Nánpíng) in 1063, the eighth year of the Jiayou era in the Northern Song Dynasty. The third-generation descendant, Liu Tiānmù, moved to Shāchénghóutóu in 1080, the third year of the Yuánfēng era. The fifth-generation Liu Zhāng relocated from Shāxían to Wèifāng in Dàhúlǐnghòu, Yǒng'ān, during the Shàoxīng era of the Southern Song Dynasty (before 1162), becoming the founding ancestor of the Liu clan in Yǒng'ān. This marked the arrival of the first Liu family in Yǒng'ān. The 16th-generation Liu Tàiyǐ moved from Dàhúlǐnghòu to Yúyún in Pǔlǐng, Yǒng'ān. The 26th-generation Liu Guìsān then moved from Yúyún to Jíshān. Currently, the Liu surname ranks third among the 40 most common surnames in Yǒng'ān.

In 1938, the provincial Department of Education was established at the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall in Jíshān and operated there for seven and a half years. The First Division was located on the hill behind the building, in a newly built two-story wooden structure. The Second and Third Divisions used rented civilian houses. The office of the Department Director was located in the right corner of the ancestral hall — a single-eave room consisting of four spaces. The front right room served as a large reception hall of about twenty square meters, while the small back room was

The naming of Zheng Zhenwen's office as "Lijianxuan" (Hut and Sword Pavilion) was related to his advocacy of the "Lijian academic ethos" at the time. In January 1938, to meet the needs of the War of Resistance against Japan, Provincial Chairman Chen Yi ordered all male high school and junior college students above the second year to gather in Fuzhou’s East Lake for civil training work. After one month of training, they were assigned to various counties to carry out civil training duties. At the graduation ceremony, Chairman Chen Yi presented each trainee with a sword, engraved with the four characters "Success, Sacrifice" (Chénggōng, Chéngrén) on the hilt, and a straw hat. Thus, Zheng Zhenwen committed himself to promoting the "Lijian academic ethos." The "straw hat" represents diligence and simplicity, while the "sword" symbolizes bravery and fearlessness.

From 1938 to 1943, Zheng Zhenwen served for six years in Yong’an, the wartime provincial capital. He closely aligned with the situation of the War of Resistance against Japan, and through educational work and various forms of engagement, carried out patriotic education against Japan, raising the awareness of patriotism among students in schools and the general public in both urban and rural areas.

The Liu Clan Ancestral Hall features a flush-gable roof and a through-tenon style wooden structure, with a three-bay, three-section post-and-lintel framework. The beams are exquisitely carved, and the entire layout of the ancestral hall is built along a central axis, with halls symmetrically arranged on the left and right. The central courtyard courtyard has water flowing out in the Wu direction, flanked by corridors, which have now been converted into a list of donors and an introduction to the Chongren Hall.

The main gate of the ancestral hall courtyard faces the direction of Xu Mountain toward Chen Mountain, combined with Xin and Yi, with the dividing line at Bing Xu and Bing Chen. It sits at three degrees of the Lou constellation and faces eleven degrees of the Jiao constellation, with water flowing out in the Chen direction. The main gate of the ancestral hall sits at the direction of Gui Mountain toward Ding Mountain, combined with Chou and Wei, with the dividing line at Geng Zi and Geng Wu. It sits at one degree of the Nu constellation and faces four degrees of the Liu constellation, with water flowing out in the Chen direction. It faces a single layer of case mountain, with the directional mountain being the Wei Peak (the Lion Mountain peak is tall, round, and elegant), with two tall, sharp, and elegant peaks—Bing and Wu—to the front left, a tall, layered Zhong Peak to the front right, and the You Peak with overlapping ridges towering high. The hall is oriented along the Ding Mountain direction of Gui, penetrating the earth dragon at Ding Chou of the seventy-two dragons, with beneficial positions including Yi Chou, Xin Wei, and others. Chou corresponds to the young daughter of the Dui trigram, and Wei corresponds to the eldest son of the Zhen trigram. The pairing of the eldest son with the young daughter is auspicious. The years of Hai, Mao, and Wei bring prosperity in wealth and longevity, and those born during these years live long lives. Furthermore, the three peaks—Bing, Wu, and Wei (fire generating earth, hence productive sand)—shine brightly, indicating that the family will achieve scholarly honors, success in imperial examinations, fame and fortune, and both wealth and nobility. The two peaks of Gui and Ding (earth supporting earth, hence prosperous sand) provide protection, signifying that the family will first become wealthy and then noble, with flourishing descendants and household fortune. The Wei Peak (earth overcoming water, hence wealth sand) brings financial gain and a thriving family.