Songtian Zhuangyuan Ancestral Hall

Songtian Zhuangyuan Ancestral Hall

The Songtian Zhuangyuan Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Anfu County.

The Zhuangyuan Ancestral Hall, also known as the Zhongxi Peng Clan Ancestral Hall, is located in Songtian Group, Songtian Village, Fengtian Town, Anfu County, at 114°40'46.9" east longitude and 27°22'12.5" north latitude. It was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Anfu County on May 16, 2002. Originally built in the Gengwu year of the Jingtai era during the Ming Dynasty (1450), the construction was overseen by Peng Liu and took five years to complete. The hall is fronted by the Zhuangyuan Archway, which is preceded by the Zhuangyuan Plaza, and in front of the plaza are two feng shui ponds. A stream flows endlessly in front of the ponds. The ancestral hall follows a design of three rows, two courtyards, and two skywells, with a flush-gable roof, stretching 46.5 meters in length and 23 meters in width, covering a total area of -5 square meters, and is of a massive scale. The front section features a large central skywell with side rooms on either side. The middle section has soaring eaves and is connected to the side rooms. The upper level functions as a bell and drum tower, while the lower floor serves as the main hall, with the wooden wall behind it carved with the Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial Piety. The rear section is spacious, serving as a hall for ancestral worship during spring and autumn, with eight large pillars standing inside. A golden plaque inscribed with “Dunxu Hall” is hung above. Hanging from the large pillars is a Ming Dynasty couplet: “An elder brother, the Zhuangyuan; a younger brother, the Huiyuan—within six years, they outshone the heroes of the two capitals and thirteen provinces; a left Grand Tutor, a right Junior Tutor—two lineages have ushered in scholarly fragrance across four directions for thousands of years.” Three newly carved ancient couplets are also displayed: the first couplet reads: “A family with two pillars of the state—Ministry of War, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel; four Zhuangyuans and Huiyuans over three imperial exams—in the Wushen, Bingchen, and Jiawu years.” The second: “Serving four dynasties, two Prime Ministers; honored through three generations, six Ministers of State.” The third: “A long and enduring origin, forever traced to two branches of the ancient plum; virtuous scholarship and Confucian teachings, revered as the foremost family of Ancheng.” In the center of the skywell in the rear section there is

a stone stele inscribed with four large characters “Filial Piety and Brotherhood, Harmony” (believed to be the handwriting of a certain Ming emperor), supported by a stone bixi turtle.

The Zhuangyuan Archway is 12 meters tall and has six pillars and five bays. At the center of the archway are embedded the two large characters “Prime Minister’s Mansion,” the middle section features painted theatrical stories and floral patterns, while the lower section has the characters “Zhuangyuan” on the left and “Huiyuan” on the right carved in stone. The archway also displays two stone statues of civil officials (traditionally believed to be of Peng Shi and Peng Hua), with gourds and mythical ao fish adorning the roof ridges. The archway’s painted figures, flowers, birds, fish, and insects are all exquisitely rendered. There are three couplets on the archway: the first reads, “The pines and cypresses remain as before, the cottages stay unchanged; now the ancestral hall is newly rebuilt, with offerings solemn in spring dew and autumn frost; green fields are dotted, peaks rise verdant—soon we’ll see culture thrive, and the family’s fame spread like thriving locusts and qilins.” The second: “The mid-sky glows with peach blossoms; we revere the Prime Minister’s temple and never forget ancestral teachings; the stream reflects green willows—you must know that the Zhuangyuan’s gate still belongs to the Han people.” The third: “Mighty and illustrious, the first hall of the top scholar; majestic and noble, the home of the Prime Minister.”

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the middle and rear sections of the Zhuangyuan Ancestral Hall were converted into a national grain storage facility. During the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, plaques, couplets, and other items within the hall were sadly destroyed.

From 2006 to 2008, over 200,000 yuan was raised by the county government and the Peng clan to restore the Zhuangyuan Ancestral Hall. Its original appearance was successfully revived.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of County-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Anfu County

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units