Chen Family Ancestral Home at Taoli

Chen Family Ancestral Home at Taoli

The Chen Family Ancestral Home at Taoli is a cultural tourism attraction.

Chen Family Ancestral Home: Xiushui Taoli is the birthplace of two notable figures from the late Qing Dynasty — father and son Chen Baozhen and Chen Sanli. Chen Baozhen (1831–1900) once served as the Governor of Hunan and led the influential Hunan Reform Movement during the late Qing period. He was a bold and accomplished regional official; Chen Sanli (1853–1937), their son, was one of the “Four Gentlemen of the Reform Movement,” a representative poet of the Tongguang School in the late Qing, and a modern patriotic poet. Chen Sanli’s eldest son, Chen Hengke (1876–1923), was a renowned modern painter, equally famous as Qi Baishi, and also excelled in seal carving, calligraphy, and poetry. Chen Sanli’s third son, Chen Yinke (1890–1969), was a celebrated modern master historian and educator, known for his extensive knowledge and high esteem within China’s academic circles. (All four generations of the Chen family — a total of four members — are listed in both the Cihai (Sea of Words) and the Dictionary of Famous Chinese People.) Chen Hengke’s second son, Chen Fenghuai (1900–1993), was an eminent botanic garden expert and plant taxonomist. The remarkable achievements of these five distinguished individuals across four generations of the Chen family is an unparalleled phenomenon in China, hailed by later generations in Xiushui as the “Five Outstanding Figures of the Chen Clan.”

At Taoli, there are two well-preserved adjacent Qing Dynasty residences belonging to Chen Baozhen and Chen Sanli, which are listed as county-level cultural relics protection units. One of them, named “Fengzhu Hall” (“Phoenix and Bamboo Hall”), derives its name from the saying, “A phoenix will only roost on a phoenix tree and eat bamboo seeds — the phoenix symbolizes benevolence, while the bamboo represents the virtue of a nobleman.” The Chen family residence consists of two connected brick-and-wood structures. The right side is the old house, built during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. It has a single entrance with two sections, a width of 17.4 meters, a depth of 17.4 meters, and a height of 6.3 meters. The wing rooms on either side of the courtyard serve as a living room and an official hall, while the rooms on the upper and lower front halls function as bedrooms and studies. Chen Baozhen once lived in the upper hall, and Chen Sanli was born here. The left side is the new house, built during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, measuring 12.7 meters in width, 15.6 meters in depth, and 6.3 meters in height.

Taoli boasts a beautiful natural environment with lush green mountains, verdant bamboo, birdsong, fragrant flowers, flowing clear waters, fresh air, and a pleasant climate, free from any industrial pollution. Many long-lived residents live in the village. The area where the Chen Family Ancestral Home is located, Zhuduan, covers an area of 7.2 square kilometers. The residents are all descendants of the Hakka people, and the villagers still maintain the Hakka dialect and follow Hakka customs.

The Chen Family Residence is the ancestral home of the Five Outstanding Figures of the Chen Clan (Chen Baozhen, Chen Sanli, Chen Hengke, Chen Yinke, and Chen Fenghuai). It is located in Gaoduan Village, Ningzhou Town, about 20 kilometers from the county seat. The area features pristine waters and beautiful scenery, enveloped in mist, with enchanting landscapes and captivating legends. The ancient buildings are well-preserved. In the courtyard stand stone flagpoles commemorating Chen Baozhen’s success in the imperial examination and Chen Sanli’s achievement in passing the highest-level civil service exam. With blue bricks, green tiles, carved beams, and painted rafters, the architecture showcases Hakka culture and the grandeur of a prominent family. Inside Fengzhu Hall, the presence of the Five Outstanding Figures evokes deep reverence. Towering bamboo and trees behind the house, lush and green, resemble the official hats worn during the Qing Dynasty when viewed from afar. Three streams converge in front of the gate, facing directly toward the entrance of Fengzhu Hall, forming what is called the “Three Rivers Confluence.”