Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall

Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall

The Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall is located in Shangchi Village, Lixu Town (formerly Huxing Mountain Township), Dongxiang County, Jiangxi Province. It was built by descendants of Wang Anshang, the younger brother of Wang Anshi, and was first constructed in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Due to wars and conflicts, it was built and destroyed several times before being reconstructed for the fourth time in the late Ming Dynasty. It is a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in Jiangxi Province.

The Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall has a structure of brick, wood, and stone, facing south, and is situated at the northwest entrance of Shangchi Village. In front of the hall is a semicircular pond. To the left of the ancestral hall was originally a garden that contained a well named “Jinggong Well,” where the golden flower praised by Wang Anshi once grew. It has now been turned into a road.

Behind the Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall lies Houlong Mountain, with Tufeng and Dongling serving as the background. The ancestral hall is 18.7 meters wide, 40.5 meters deep, and 8.3 meters high. The surrounding walls are built with “dou bricks.” The wall height exceeds the roof ridge, forming square shapes without windows. The door frame and lintel of the main gate are made of exquisitely carved stone and slabs, making them extremely beautiful. There are three front gates, with the central lintel above the gate engraved in relief with four bold characters: “Wang Clan Ancestral Hall.” On the left and right sides of the gate are inscribed in clerical script the words “Wood Root” (木本) and “Water Source” (水源). These phrases are derived from Wang Anshi’s praise of the scenery of Shangchi. When Wang Anshi returned to his hometown, he was accompanied by his friend Zhou Yanbi from Jinxi to tour Shangchi. Wang admired the scenery, saying, “There are mountains, so houses were built for shelter; there are plains, so fields were cultivated for grain; there are ponds, so embankments were raised for drought and flood preparedness.”

During the construction of the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall, his descendants and scholars extracted the phrases “Wood Root” and “Water Source” from Wang Anshi’s praise of Shangchi’s scenery and engraved them on the lintels on both sides of the main gate. “Wood Root” and “Water Source” also carry deeper meanings: since Wang Anshi’s great-grandfather Wang Keming moved to Shangchi Village, three generations (grandfather, uncles, and brothers) had flourished by Wang Anshi’s time, and their descendants spread across the surrounding Wang-family villages. Like a thousand-year-old tree sprouting countless branches, or an ancient river flowing from the distant past—following its course leads one to its source. The gate is painted with images of door gods.

The Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall covers a construction area of 757 square meters and is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections. There are two courtyards in the middle section, with each level raised 0.6 meters higher than the last, symbolizing “rising step by step,” representing each generation of descendants being stronger than the last. On both sides of the lower courtyard are hanging rooms, wing rooms, and corridors. The hanging rooms have flooring for lantern viewing; the wing rooms and corridors are built with stone slabs, presenting a grand and elegant appearance. The middle section has side doors on both the east and west sides for passage. The western side of the upper section has a side door leading to the kitchen. The wooden rafters are commonly covered with a layer of wooden boards, topped with tiles, and all wooden materials are painted. The lower ends of the pillars are painted black, while the interior is all vermilion red. The wooden materials used in the entire structure are relatively thick, especially the central hall beams, purlins, and columns, which have diameters of up to 0.65 meters. The stone bases under the pillars have two layers: the upper layer is a round, drum-shaped base carved with floral patterns, and the lower layer is square. Each stands 0.9 meters tall and is carved with lotus petal patterns. Below that are square stone pedestals, 10 cm high, with all eight sides carved with lotus petal designs, reflecting the diligence, wisdom, and artistic creativity of the ancient Chinese laboring people.

In recent years, the provincial, municipal, and county governments have carried out large-scale renovations of the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall. The newly restored Dongxiang Wang Clan Ancestral Hall now also serves as the “Wang Anshi Hometown Exhibition Room.” The central shrine in the upper section features Wang Ming, the great-grandfather of Wang Anshi and the first-generation ancestor who migrated to Shangchi, on the left is Wang Yongzhi, Wang Anshi’s grandfather, and on the right is Wang Yi, Wang Anshi’s father. All are reproduced portraits from genealogical records along with brief biographies. The middle section displays a replica portrait of Wang Anshi, flanked by his original genealogy and contents related to his “New Policies.” A horizontal plaque inscribed with “Jingguo Aristocratic Family” by Shu Tong hangs from the central beam. The lower section contains important records of poems Wang Anshi wrote during his returns to his hometown over the years, as well as significant local literary selections.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units