The Yongsheng Liang Clan Ancestral Hall in Liangcuo

The Yongsheng Liang Clan Ancestral Hall in Liangcuo

The Yongsheng Liang Clan Ancestral Hall in Liangcuo is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The Yongsheng Liang Clan Ancestral Hall in Liangcuo is located in Liangcuo Village, Chengmen Town, Cangshan District. It was first built in the first year of the Longxing era of the Song Dynasty (1163), established by the Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi and his close friend Liang Rujia, who selected the site. Zhu Xi inscribed the hall’s name as “Yiyan Hall” (Hall of Nurturing Swallows), which also served as a lecture hall; it was renovated in the second year of the Zhi era of the Yuan Dynasty (1322); the 14th-generation founding ancestor of the Liang clan, Hanlin academician Liang Enguan, initiated its reconstruction when he returned to his hometown to worship ancestors and compile the family genealogy; in the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922), clan members raised funds for another renovation; during the Republican era, the ancestral hall was used as a school building; after the liberation, especially during the Cultural Revolution, it was repurposed as a warehouse. After the reform and opening-up period, in 1987, clan member Liang Jingchun donated funds for yet another renovation. The structure faces east and covers an area of 693 square meters. It consists of the ancestral courtyard, entrance hall, stage, patio, offering tower, and main ceremonial hall. In front of the hall’s gate lies a 158-square-meter ancestral courtyard. The upper part of the gate wall features a modern-style design with a parapet wall; on either side of the main gate are a pair of white elephants inlaid with ceramic wine cups. Upon entering the gate is a stage with a four-sloped roof, whose rear carving and decorative patterns are exquisitely detailed. The stage includes a phoenix pool. In front of the stage is a patio. The main hall has hipped gables and a double-sloped roof, with a width of three bays and a depth of six bays; its roof truss structure uses a method of reduced columns. At the center is a spirit tablet niche, and hanging in the hall are a square plaque inscribed with the characters “San Fu” (Three Blessings), bestowed by a Qing emperor upon Liang Zhangju, the calligraphy “Ji Gong Hao Yi” (Urgent Public Good and Righteousness) gifted by Sun Yat-sen to Liang Ruiting, and the inscription “Yan Yi Yi Mou” (Planning for Posterity) by Sa Zhenbing. The corridors feature coffered ceilings. On the right side of the ceremonial hall is the “Single Ancestor Shrine,” flanked by a couplet: “Commemorating issues is to share the same origin and jointly receive offerings; preserving the lineage is to maintain blood ties and continue the ancestral legacy,” subtly incorporating the terms “issues” and “doctrine,” possibly referencing a phrase from the writer Hu Shi, who was greatly influenced by Liang Qichao’s thinking. On the back wall to the east side of the hall is the “Virtuous Aunt Shrine,” inscribed with the words “Female Zhongyinjiu” (A Female Role Model) by Shen Baochen. The sides of the ancestral hall feature tall hipped gables, with the upturned wall corners adorned with well-preserved Qing Dynasty gray plaster reliefs.

Designated as a seventh batch provincial-level cultural heritage site in December 2009.

Chengmen Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Cangshan District, Fuzhou City. In 1956, the Chengmen District was established, changed to a commune in 1958, to Chengmen Township in 1970, and to a town in 1992. Located in the southeastern suburbs of the city, it covers an area of 54.5 square kilometers with a population of 68,000. National Highway 324 runs through the entire area. The town administers 20 village committees: Chengmen, Aofeng, Lulei, Junbian, Longjiang, Qingfu, Xiayang, Liangcuo, Yangkeng, Hujì, Xiekeng, Zhanglan, Shishan, Lianjiang, FuLian, Shaoqi, Pandun, Liaban, Huangshan, and Lusha. Major enterprises include tea processing, valve manufacturing, printing, shipbuilding, and stone materials. The main agricultural products are tea and citrus... More details about Chengmen Town++