The Li Clan Ancestral Hall of ShanYang

The Li Clan Ancestral Hall of ShanYang

The Li Clan Ancestral Hall of ShanYang is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Li Clan Ancestral Hall of ShanYang is a well-preserved ancestral hall rich in cultural relics and associated with both ancient and modern distinguished figures. It is located at the foot of Fenglin Mountain in the southwest of ShanYang Town, Gutian County. Originally built in the second year of the Tianyou era of the Tang Dynasty (905 AD) (as shown in the photo), it is a key cultural relic protection unit of Gutian County.

The hall faces southeast and backs northwest, with rolling green mountains behind and shimmering waters in front. It features a palatial architectural style with three connected sections, offering a spacious, lofty, and magnificent presence, covering a total floor area of over 2,000 square meters. The structure is enclosed by firewalls on three sides, with decorative upturned eaves and wind-and-rain walls at the front. In the courtyard, there are 32 flagpole stelae, and at the lower right corner stands seven circular or square stone pillars, each about 7 meters tall, resembling ornamental columns. These were contributed by scholars who achieved success in imperial examinations throughout various dynasties, and they remain remarkably well-preserved to this day—an exceptional sight.

On either side of the main gate are a pair of stone drums, and above the gate hangs a plaque inscribed with “Li Clan Ancestral Hall.” The couplet on the door, reading “For a thousand autumns, sacrificial rites continue before the ancestral temple’s dignified visage; for myriad generations, official hats are raised in reverence to the clan’s enduring spirit,” was composed and inscribed by Li Houji, Governor and Military Governor of Fujian Province during the Republic of China.

The hall is constructed of wood and features a hip-and-gable roof. Its eaves and upturned walls are adorned with clay sculptures of flowers, birds, plants, and trees. Upon entering the gate, one finds a corridor and an open courtyard. The corridor’s crossbeams are carved with painted designs, and the pillars on both sides are painted. The courtyard is planted with potted flowers, including a century-old osmanthus tree on the left and clusters of wintersweet on the right, with a stone of merit in the center. Looking back, you will see a golden plaque inscribed with “Ministry of Personnel.”

Stepping into the front section, on the left and right are two ancient stone tablets from the Song and Yuan dynasties. On the left is the “Record of the Li Clan Ancestral Hall,” erected in the fourth year of the Shaoding era of the Song Dynasty (1231 AD), and on the right is the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Li Clan Ancestral Hall,” erected in the first year of the Zhi era of the Yuan Dynasty (1321 AD). Due to the passage of time, the tablets have weathered and eroded, making the inscriptions difficult to discern.

Moving to the middle section, a golden plaque inscribed with “Number One Scholar and Imperial Examination Success” hangs at the center, beneath an exquisitely crafted and uniquely styled caisson ceiling. Among the beams hang plaques such as “Scholarly Success,” “Civil and Military Officials,” and “Honest and Incorruptible Officials.” At the front of the central wall are painted statues of Li Hui, the earliest ancestor of the Li family to settle in Fujian, and his wife, with spirit tablets of ancestors from various generations enshrined in the shrines on either side. The side halls include four sections: “Exemplary Figures,” “Distinguished Officials,” “Meritorious Deeds,” and “Chastity and Filial Piety,” enshrining their memorial tablets and commemorating their commendable deeds.

The large pillars in the rear section are all inscribed with couplets written by renowned scholars, many of which are in the handwriting of Zhu Xi. Examples include the wall inscription “Loyalty, Filial Piety, Integrity, and Chastity,” and the couplet: “Spring reports from Nanqiao where layered hills are emerald green; fragrance flies from the Hanlin Academy where wild landscapes renew. Snow Hall nurtures nobility and gathers pure energy; Moon Cavern contemplates the void and calms my spirit,” expressing Zhu Xi’s joyful state of mind when he founded an academy here during the period of the proscription of heterodox teachings. Among the three pillar couplets, the second reads: “The Historiographer compiled classics to pass on virtue and morality; the Imperial Clan carried on its prestige and honored scholarly lineage,” documenting the virtues and merits of the ancestors of the Li Clan of ShanYang. The founding ancestor of the Li Clan of ShanYang was Li Hui, the Number One Scholar of the Tang Dynasty. In the first year of the Guangming era of Emperor Xizong of Tang (880 AD), to escape the Huang Chao Rebellion, he first relocated to Qiaoxia Village, Longquan, Chuzhou, Zhejiang. The following year, Li Hui and his elder brother Li Hua moved to Fujian and chose to settle in ShanYang, Gutian County. To date, it has been over 1,000 years, with more than 40 generations, and descendants have spread across Fujian Province, branching out to Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Generation after generation has prospered, producing numerous talented individuals. The first-generation ancestor Li Hui served as an official in the Tang Dynasty’s Fujian Observation Commissioner; the fourth-generation ancestor Li Ba was appointed Grand Chancellor of the Min Kingdom and Recorder of the Ministry of Personnel; the fifth-generation ancestors Li Xiao and Li Tuo served respectively as Minister of War and Assistant Minister of Justice of the Min Kingdom; the seventh-generation ancestor Li Yi and the twelfth-generation ancestor Li Wenguang were both Consultative Ministers of the Song Dynasty; the twenty-seventh-generation ancestor Li Kuilong was the Prefect of Bazhou and Commander of the Juyong Pass in the Qing Dynasty. In more recent times, there was Li Shijia, a naval general of the Republic of China, and in contemporary times, experts, scholars, and PhDs have emerged in great numbers. Notably accomplished individuals include Li Xiangjin, Director of the Qingdao National Marine Research Institute, Li Songying, a mathematics PhD who studied in the United States, Li Chaozhong, a chemistry PhD, and Li Zhi Zhong, an engineering and technology PhD, all of whom have made significant contributions and are truly outstanding descendants of the Li Clan of ShanYang.