The Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall

Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall

The Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

An ancestral hall is a space established and organized based on blood ties of surnames and clans, used for ancestor worship and other communal activities within the clan. It carries the traditions and culture of a family. The Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall is also known as the “Dunmu” Hall, which means “sincere and honest, respectful and harmonious.” These two characters are not only the expectations of the Cheng ancestors for their descendants but also a form of education from the elders to the younger generation. The Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall was first built in the mid-Ming Dynasty and was renovated during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. It served as a communal space for the Yao Li Cheng families at the time, where they worshipped ancestors, held discussions, made judgments, and conducted ceremonies for weddings and funerals. They regarded it as a sacred place, filled with reverence and faith.

The Yao Li Cheng family traces its lineage back to Cheng Yaojin, a founding hero of the Tang Dynasty and a legendary figure from the Wagang Village uprising. Every year during the Winter Solstice and the Qingming Festival, clan members gather here to worship their ancestors, with the Winter Solstice ceremony being the most grand. Standing inside the Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall, one can almost vividly picture the past worship scenes—kneeling, offering incense, pouring wine, presenting food, and serving soup. “When descendants enter the ancestral hall, they should dress properly, as if their ancestors are watching above. They must not laugh, converse casually, or walk hastily.” This means that when entering the hall, the younger generation should be neatly dressed, refrain from laughing or talking, and walk slowly. Of course, not everyone could personally experience this sacred occasion. The clan was very selective about who could participate in the worship—only clan members who were scholars or above were allowed, and those who purchased their academic qualifications were also permitted. However, “uneducated commoners” could only join when they were older. In this solemn and sacred worship scene, we see the ancient people’s reverence for their ancestors and respect for ethics. By restricting who could participate in the worship, it also promoted the values of respecting the elders, maintaining order, and encouraging education.

Encouraging education is always a timeless lesson. Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty explained the function of ancestral halls in his “Imperial Instructions”: “Establish family temples for ancestral worship, set up family schools to educate children, allocate charitable fields to support the poor, and compile genealogies to connect distant relatives.” The family temple refers to the ancestral hall, whose primary function is to worship ancestors. Setting up family schools, allocating charitable fields, and compiling genealogies are also tasks of the clan.

In Yao Li, most private clan schools were located within or next to the ancestral halls. For example, right next to this ancestral hall is the Cheng family’s private school. Although the sound of students reading aloud can no longer be heard today, being there feels like stepping back in time. Children wearing ceremonial caps studied under their teachers, reciting Tang and Song poetry while swaying their heads, such as “Do you not see the Yellow River’s waters coming from the sky, rushing to the sea and never returning?” A few mischievous students would crouch under their desks, secretly playing with crickets. The teacher would stop, open his eyes, and catch them in the act. The ruler would smack one tender palm after another, and the teacher would say, “Let’s see if you dare to misbehave again!” In our imagination of ancient private schools, there always seems to be the recitation of Li Bai’s poetry with swaying heads, and one or two students repeating “I won’t do it again” under the teacher’s ruler.

Perhaps living up to the name “Dunmu” (sincere and harmonious), the Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall also has a heartwarming story passed down through generations. Marshal Chen Yi once came to Yao Li to personally guide the reorganization of the Red Army guerrilla forces into the New Fourth Army. During that time, an anti-Japanese mobilization meeting was held here. At the meeting, Chen Yi shook hands and reconciled with his elder brother, Colonel Chen Mengxi, who was in the Nationalist Party. He said, “My brother and I, one is a Communist, the other is a Nationalist. We fought against each other for many years in the past. As the saying goes, ‘An unhappy family will be bullied by outsiders.’ Now that the Japanese invaders are attacking us, brothers must unite, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party must find common ground to resist Japan together, aiming our guns outward as one.”

In ancient times, activities such as ancestor worship, lantern riddles, distributing grain cakes, and performing traditional opera involved everyone from the elderly to the young, except for the unworthy descendants. Nowadays, when visiting the Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall, you must take a look at the stage to fully appreciate the experience.

The stage is usually located behind the gatehouse, facing the main hall across the courtyard so that everyone can see the performance. Inside the main gate of the Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall is a stage called the “Ten-Thousand-Year Stage.” The central part of the high platforms on both sides has left and right retractable stage boards. The boards are extended during performances and retracted when not in use, offering great flexibility. Unfortunately, the boards were removed during the Cultural Revolution. Fortunately, to this day, the stage still echoes with the melodic tunes of performances. So, nothing should stop you from visiting Yao Li and the Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall to enjoy an opera. If watching TV at home feels a bit cold, and going to the cinema feels too restless, and if you miss the simple stage performances of your childhood, then come to the Cheng Clan Ancestral Hall to enjoy some opera.

Location of the Attraction

Yaoli Town, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi

Yaoli Town: Located at the junction of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and four counties (Qimen and Xiuning in Anhui, Wuyuan and Fuliang in Jiangxi), Yaoli is 59 kilometers from downtown Jingdezhen.

Yaoli, formerly known as Yaoliu, was originally part of Xinzheng District, Jinxiu Township, Fuliang County. As early as the mid-Tang Dynasty, there were handicraft workshops producing ceramics here, and it became famous for its kilns, hence the name. In the early 20th century, Yaoliu was renamed Yaoli three times. On August 24, 1994, it was restructured from a township into a town. On April 2, 2001, it was designated as a provincial-level nature reserve. On October 9 of the same year, it was listed as a provincial-level scenic area. On August 9, 2003... More detailed information about Yaoli Town++