Fengshan Zha Clan Ancestral Hall

Fengshan Zha Clan Ancestral Hall

Fengshan Zha Clan Ancestral Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Fengshan Zha Clan Ancestral Hall

The Zha Clan Ancestral Hall in Fengshan Village, Zheyuan Township, is the only ancient ancestral hall preserved by descendants of the Haining and Wuyuan Zha families. Originally built in the third year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign (1664), also known as the “Filial Piety and Righteousness Ancestral Hall,” it has a history of 349 years. The ancestral hall features grand architecture, with dragon and phoenix carvings on the eaves’ pillars, and layered flowers, insects, and birds carved on beams and eaves. It boasts profound cultural heritage, high historical value, and is relatively well-preserved. It is reported that the township has begun preparations for the ancestral hall restoration project, with an expected investment of 10 million yuan for a large-scale renovation of the Zha Clan Ancestral Hall.

The Zha Clan Ancestral Hall is the only remaining ancestral hall of the Wuyuan Zha family. It is a materialized symbol of Confucian patriarchal clan ideology in China and an important carrier of ritual culture, providing first-hand materials for studying the family system in the Huizhou region. The Zha Clan Ancestral Hall is the only ancient ancestral hall preserved by descendants of the Haining and Wuyuan Zha families. Named by then Prefect Zheng, it is the only ancestral hall preserved by descendants of the Zha family from both Haining, Zhejiang, and Wuyuan, Jiangxi. It serves as the main ancestral hall for the worship of Zha Wen Zheng, the founding ancestor of the Zha clans in Wuyuan and Haining. It was built to commemorate Zha Wen Zheng, the first-generation ancestor of the Wuyuan Zha family during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Zha Wen Zheng once served as the Magistrate of Liu’an County, Shouzhou, under the Southern Tang Dynasty, was later promoted to Observer of Xuancheng and Shezhou, and retired to seclusion in Wuyuan after resigning from office. The Zha Clan Ancestral Hall was established in 1664, the third year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign, by Zha Gongyi, the 27th-generation descendant of the Zha family in Fengshan, among others; it was destroyed by fire in 1854; and rebuilt in 1864. In 1898, descendants of the Zha family from both Wuyuan and Haining jointly invested in expanding the structure. The ancestral hall covers an area of over 2,460 square meters, faces east with its back to the west, is 22 meters wide, and consists of six sections in a straight line. It includes a plaza, garden, gateway, large pond, main hall, rear pond, rear hall, kitchen, and more. In the early years of the Republic of China, a Western-style school was opened here, which continues today as the Fengshan Central Primary School. Due to historical reasons, the gateway, large pond, and kitchen have been demolished or repurposed, but the rest of the buildings remain well-preserved. Even now, visitors can still sense the former grandeur of the ancestral hall.

Fengshan Village: With a history of over 1,030 years, Fengshan Village is home to a population of more than 3,000, most of whom bear the surname Zha. The village is dotted with ancient lanes and alleys, and its houses mostly feature delicate wood carvings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The architecture is simple, elegant, and well-preserved.

Zheyuan Fengshan Village is the seat of the township government. With a long-established history of over 1,030 years, the village has a population of around 2,000, most of whom are surnamed Zha. Since Zha Yu (the 17th-generation descendant of the Zha family) relocated to Haining, the Haining Zha family has “taken Confucianism as their vocation,” “taken farming and scholarship as an honor,” and “passed down poetry and rites through generations.” The descendants have flourished, achieving remarkable success in the imperial examinations, earning a distinguished reputation. They are known as “eminent officials” and celebrated as figures in the “literary world.” … Fengshan Village detailed information ++