The Lin Clan Ancestral Hall in Laizhou

The Lin Clan Ancestral Hall in Laizhou

The Lin Clan Ancestral Hall in Laizhou is a cultural heritage site protected by Laizhou City.

The Lin Clan Ancestral Hall is located in Xiwèijiā Village, Hǔtóuyá Town, Laizhou City. It serves as the ancestral worship site for the Lin family of Xiwèijiā Village and is said to have been originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. According to the *Lin Clan Genealogy*, the existing ancestral hall was renovated during the Daoguang era. The hall faces south and consists of a main building along with east and west wing rooms, all built with a brick-and-wood structure. The main building has a two-step platform, with its foundation built from granite, while the walls are made of blue bricks. The main hall has three rooms — the central and side rooms have been combined into one space, with a total width of 9.20 meters and a depth of 6.55 meters. The east and west wing rooms each consist of three rooms, measuring 8.60 meters in width and 3.90 meters in depth. The entire complex covers an area of approximately 150 square meters. The main building features overhanging eaves and is supported by two circular columns. Both the main hall and the wing rooms are topped with gray tiles and feature flush gable roofs. The south courtyard wall has a gatehouse in the middle, with a hanging plaque that reads “Lin Clan Ancestral Hall.” The gatehouse also has a two-step platform, and its roof is a relatively rare “suspended gable” style, with upturned eaves. The main ridge and hip ridges are adorned with mythical animal ornaments, some of which have been damaged. Two stone piers stand on either side of the gate. The Lin Clan Ancestral Hall is currently the oldest and most well-preserved ancestral hall architecture discovered in Laizhou. It holds significant importance for the study of Qing Dynasty architectural styles in the Jiaodong region, the history of the Lin clan, as well as the social conditions, population migration, and folk culture of the time.

In 2012, it was designated as a key cultural heritage site under the protection of Laizhou City.

Source: Laizhou City Museum

Hǔtóuyá Town: Covering an area of 114.1 square kilometers with a population of 52,000, Hǔtóuyá Town is located in the southwestern part of Laizhou City.

The town government is stationed in Shéntáng (In the second year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Bā family migrated here from Sichuan and established the village. There was originally a Guan Di Temple in this area. Legend has it that a passerby was robbed here but was saved by the divine intervention of Guan Gong, hence the village was named Shéntáng (Temple). In 1966, it was renamed Hóngwèi (Red Guard), but due to name duplication, it reverted to its original name Shéntáng in 1983). The town currently administers villages that were, in 1938, divided among the first, second, and ninth districts of Yèxían County. In the early years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, they were part of the ninth district (Dàshān District), tenth district (Hǔtóuyá District), and eleventh district (Hǎizhèng District…) of Yènnán County. More details about Hǔtóuyá Town++