Lei Family Ancestral House in Xinzhuang

Lei Family Ancestral House in Xinzhuang

The Lei Family Ancestral House in Xinzhuang is located in Leijia Group, Xinzhuang Village, Meitang Town, Yongxiu County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. Covering a total area of 315.9 square meters, it was first built in the 56th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1791).

The Lei Family Ancestral House in Xinzhuang is a brick-and-wood building in the style of the Ming Dynasty, featuring a two-courtyard layout. It spans 13 meters in width and 24.3 meters in depth, standing 7.5 meters high, with a total area of 315.9 square meters. The house has two inner courtyards, one at the front and one at the back, along with two main halls and eight rooms. It is the only surviving trace left by the “Style Lei” family in their ancestral hometown of Yongxiu County.

The Lei Family Ancestral House in Xinzhuang is a Huizhou-style building with a two-courtyard layout. It spans 13 meters in width and 24.3 meters in depth, stands 7.5 meters high, and covers a total area of 315.9 square meters. The ancestral home features two courtyards, one at the front and one at the back, with gray brick outer walls and a flush gable roof. The ridges of the roof are adorned with “pin”-shaped horsehead walls at all four corners. The interior consists of an entrance hall, a main hall, and side rooms. The entrance hall is a single-bay, flush-gable flat-roofed room, while the side rooms are two-bay buildings. The main hall faces south and is built on a foundation of blue stone and coarse stone. It has four gates—front, back, left, and right—all connected by corridors. The entrance hall and main hall are richly furnished with latticed doors and windows, many of which are decorated with intricate stone and wood carvings, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and unique design.

Cultural relics preserved at the Lei Family Ancestral House include two inscribed brick plaques located in front of the main gate, bearing the inscriptions: “Recorded by Lei Yuting, owner, in the 56th year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing, in the lunar month of Chrysanthemum” and “Constructed jointly in the lunar month of Osmanthus, the year of Xinhai of Qianlong, by Lei Youwen.” The latticed doors and windows in both the entrance hall and the main hall are covered with elaborate stone and wood carvings. The ancestral house also houses a treasured copy of the “Dacheng Genealogy,” restored by Lei Jiarui, a descendant of the Lei family, which documents the life and achievements of Lei Fada.

In March 2018, the Lei Family Ancestral House in Xinzhuang was designated and announced as part of the sixth batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites by the People’s Government of Jiangxi Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites