Nanshan Ma Clan Ancestral Hall

Nanshan Ma Clan Ancestral Hall

The Nanshan Ma Clan Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Fujian Province.

The Lai Fang Ma Clan Ancestral Hall in Qingliu County

The Lai Fang Nanshan Ma Clan Ancestral Hall is located slightly south of the center of Nanshan Village. It is a ancestral hall structure built in the mid-Ming Dynasty, enshrining the spirit tablet of Ma Falong, the founding ancestor of the Ma clan in Fujian.

This is a wooden structure with typical Ming Dynasty architectural style, consisting of a mountain gate (also known as the “fengshui gate”), enclosing walls, a main courtyard, the main hall, and left and right wing rooms. The main hall faces east and is situated to the west, with the hall entrance opening in a “V” shape. It is three bays wide and five bays deep, featuring a mixed post-and-lintel and through-tenon structural system. Aside from the necessary framework, there are no excessive decorative elements, giving it an overall simple and unadorned style. The central bay of the main hall houses a shrine that enshrines Ma Falong, the founding ancestor of the Ma clan in Nanshan and of the Hakka Ma clans in western Fujian. According to research, the current leader of Taiwan is the thirty-second-generation descendant of the Ma Falong lineage. The ancestor lived in Nanshan for five generations before eventually moving to Hengyang in Hunan. Currently, the Ma Clan Ancestral Hall has been approved by the People’s Government of Fujian Province as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level key cultural relic protection units, and its protection, maintenance, and daily upkeep have reached a new level.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Fujian Province