Leishi Ancestral Hall in Fengcheng

Leishi Ancestral Hall in Fengcheng

The Leishi Ancestral Hall in Fengcheng is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The “Leishi Ancestral Hall” in Quyuan Village, Jiaokeng Township is “hidden away” here, having been well preserved for over 280 years.

The ancestral hall features a combined gateway and main hall structure, measuring 13.8 meters in width and 32.8 meters in depth, covering an area of approximately 453 square meters. It was constructed using brick, stone, and wood, and is slightly oriented toward the southwest.

The front gateway is built of brick and stone, featuring an eight-character entrance gate, three eaves, and stands about 8 meters high. Its top is adorned with carved, painted, and tiled bracket sets. The gateway has a pavilion-style, rainproof roof. At the upper center of the gateway is inscribed the two characters “恩荣” (Imperial Favor), with the middle horizontal plaque reading “物华天宝” (Nature’s Treasures and Wonders), and the lower horizontal plaque inscribed “双龙世家” (Clan of Twin Dragons). The sides of the gateway feature curved, eight-character walls. On the back wall above the gateway is a freehand ink painting of the “Kuixing Pointing at the Star,” about 1 meter tall, which can still be faintly discerned. Between the gateway and the main hall, the courtyard is flanked on both sides by symmetrically placed drum-shaped stones and flagpole bases. The main hall door bears the four large characters “雷氏宗祠” (Lei Family Ancestral Hall), surrounded by a brick and stone wall. The interior consists of a two-courtyard, one-skywell layout. The central hall pillars are made of brick, with raised-beam roofing in the center and through-tenon style on the sides. On the walls of the inner hall are boldly brushed calligraphic characters reading “忠孝廉节” (Loyalty, Filial Piety, Integrity, and Modesty), rendered in strong, upright strokes that inspire awe. Embedded in the wall is a couplet: 上联: 剑水跃双龙发祥在昔猗欤天宝物华千寻紫气冲牛斗 下联: 杯峰环九曲聚族于斯允矣地灵人杰五色文章耀几筵 This couplet was composed by local scholar Jiang Manwen. Additionally, there are two couplets written by local gentry on the eaves columns near the skywell, but due to age, the inscriptions are difficult to make out.

Most remarkably, the walls of the front hall still retain slogans and doggerel poems from the People’s Commune and Cultural Revolution periods, such as: “社会主义喜洋洋，社社队队办食堂，白天用膳在一起，晚上学-灯光” (“Socialism is joyful; every commune and team runs a canteen; we dine together during the day and study under the lamplight at night”). These slogans are well-preserved and vividly reflect the production and daily life of the people at the time. In addition, a longevity plaque from the Republican era inscribed with “椿荫蹯溪” (Chun’s Shade over Fan Stream), bestowed by Fengcheng County Magistrate Zhang Hanmin upon the local gentry Lei Zuolin, remains fully intact.

According to the "Twelfth Genealogy Compilation of Quyuan Lei Clan," this ancestral hall was built in the sixth year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1728 AD), over 280 years ago. Experts in ancestral hall studies have confirmed that the construction period aligns with its architectural style, suggesting it is a pre-Qing building. Its features represent the local Jiangxi-style ancestral hall architecture, particularly notable for its semi-arc-shaped eight-character gateway, which is quite rare. The main reasons it has survived intact to this day are: first, the village has a long history, with generations of literati and scholars, and a deeply rooted Confucian moral ethos of “loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and modesty,” leading to frequent renovations since its establishment. Second, the location is remote from urban areas, situated in mountainous terrain with poor transportation, thus “hidden away” and less affected during the Cultural Revolution. Experts also note that the hall is not only ancient in age, but its most precious aspect is the ancestral hall culture preserved within—like a history book of over 280 years, bearing the imprints of various eras.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units