Liu Fenggao Ancestral Zongyuanxi Shrine

Liu Fenggao Ancestral Zongyuanxi Shrine

The Liu Fenggao Ancestral Zongyuanxi Shrine is located in Zongyuanxi Village, Yuannan Township, about 5 kilometers north of Luxi County and Zongyuanxi Village. The Liu Clan Ancestral Hall is built against a small hillside and is said to have been constructed in the 50th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1785 AD). It consists of four ancestral halls and one ancient theater stage, all built with brick, tile, and wood structures. Covering an area of over 3,000 square meters, it is part of an ancient architectural complex.

The main hall of the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall has long since had its roof collapse, leaving only its four walls still standing proudly. The main hall was originally the residence of Liu Huanggong. On some of the bricks in the upper part of the ancient house, the six characters “Zongyuanxi Liu Huanggong Ancestral Hall” can be clearly seen. The Liu Clan Ancestral Hall features upturned eaves and painted beams, with each building adorned with carved phoenixes on the front eave brackets, appearing as if ready to take flight. Below the eaves are clay sculptures of figures and lions, all exquisitely crafted and lifelike. The rear eaves mostly feature carvings of laughing arhats and bodhisattvas, with expressions so vivid they seem to smile right at you. The front entrances are all made of stone pillars, stone door frames, and stone-engraved couplets. Under the eaves of the main ancestral hall, a pair of stone pillars bears a couplet: the upper line reads “Our lineage extends from Nanxi, gathering our clan to live in peace for seven hundred years since our founding,” and the lower line reads “In this peaceful land, we thrive and receive boundless imperial grace.” Above the door of the main hall is another couplet: “The Imperial Guardian rewards merit, with officials in civil, household, ritual, military, and vice-ministerial roles; The top scholar passes the exams, with literary prominence across Chu, Qi, Wu, and Yue.” This couplet refers to Liu Fenggao’s role in overseeing imperial examinations in Hubei, Shandong, and Jiangnan, and his inspections of education in Guangxi, Shandong, and Zhejiang. The engraved couplets feature bold and free-flowing calligraphy, and it is said that Liu Fenggao himself composed these stone couplets. After being personally selected as the third-place scholar (Tan Hua) by Emperor Qianlong, Liu Fenggao returned to the Zongyuanxi Ancestral Hall and hung the imperial golden plaque inscribed with “Tan Hua Ji Di” (Third Place Scholar) above the words “Liu Clan Ancestral Hall” on the main hall’s entrance. From then on, he contributed silver every year for the temple’s maintenance. Unfortunately, the golden plaque was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, though the rusted iron nails of the two plaques below remain. The lintels of the ancestral hall doors are adorned with exquisitely carved stone reliefs, including figures symbolizing “prosperity, wealth, and longevity,” as well as lively scenes of official processions. Beside the doors also sit a pair of drum-shaped stone blocks. These stones have the peculiar trait of “growing” over the years due to their reaction with water vapor and oxygen in the air to form calcium bicarbonate. Villagers, puzzled by this phenomenon, believed the stones were alive and affectionately called them “the growing stones.”

To the south of the main ancestral hall lies an ancient theater stage. Thanks to fundraising and restoration efforts by the clan, the stage remains largely intact. Behind the stage are colorful wooden panels featuring carved dragons and embroidered phoenixes, along with six square stone pillars. The lower parts of the pillars are carved with lion and tiger designs, while the upper parts bear couplets that are still faintly visible. One reads: “Performing joyous plays for festive gatherings, passing down family happiness in peaceful times; Repaying kindness with grand vows, people recognize the laughter of bountiful years.” The other reads: “Offering gratitude to our ancestors, ancient rituals bring refined music; In harmony with timeless tunes, graceful songs and dances thank the divine blessings.” On the stone pillars of the left-side main hall—Jinpu Ancestral Hall—a couplet is engraved: “The lineage flows from Nanpi, auspiciously receiving golden lingzhi; Eight generations of wise planning accumulate legacy; The creek encircles the north tower, auspiciousness condensing on fresh grass; A grand foundation is forever established, celebrating a thousand autumns.” All these couplets were personally composed by Liu Fenggao.

On June 21, 2006, journalists from China Central Television specially came here to film, and the report was broadcast on CCTV-2 on June 26.