Ancestral Hall of the Man Clan

Ancestral Hall of the Man Clan

The Ancestral Hall of the Man Clan is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

The Ancestral Hall of the Man Clan is located in Lanli Town, Mayang County, about 14 kilometers from the county seat. The hall was first built in the 33rd year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty, boasting a history of nearly 400 years. During the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, local residents renovated it to commemorate Man Chaojian, a renowned official of the Ming Dynasty. Due to years of neglect and damage from floods, it has since undergone three more restorations. It is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province and a notable tourist attraction in Mayang County.

The structure consists of three sections with five bays each, facing south and covering an area of approximately 1,000 square meters including the side rooms on the right. The hall is enclosed by a wall to form a courtyard, and inside it includes a front hall, a central courtyard, a main hall, and a bedroom tower. It is supported by six square white stone pillars and forty round wooden pillars, with square blue stone bases carved with intertwined floral patterns. The moon beams, bracket arms, and single disk braces are all exquisitely carved. The ceiling of the main hall features a caisson with geometric patterns, and the walls on both sides are inlaid with bluestone slabs inscribed with the four characters “Loyalty, Filial Piety, Chastity, and Righteousness.” The rear section is a two-story building that originally served as the “bedroom tower” for displaying ancestral tablets.

This ancestral hall was originally built by the descendants of the Ninth Branch (Jiujia) to worship Man Shenggong. However, Wu Mansheng was not the earliest ancestor of the Ninth Branch. According to the Wu family genealogy, the Ninth Branch split off from Jiangjiatan relatively early, with Wu Xuexing moving to the banks of the Dongxi River around the early Yuan Dynasty. Wu Mansheng was the fourth-generation descendant of Wu Xuexing, born in the Yiyou year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1385) and died in the Renwu year of the Tianshun reign (1462).

The reason for building a separate ancestral hall for Wu Mansheng may be that it was during his time that the Ninth Branch flourished. He had four sons: Kaihe, Hehe, Langhe, and Kaihe. Among them, the families of Kai, He, and Lang all prospered, and their residential area was called “Sanfen Tan,” which was later misheard as “Huoshaotan” (Burned Flat). The genealogy also contains a biography of Wu Mansheng, stating that he once worked in grain collection. His strict attitude stirred resentment among locals, leading to a complaint by residents of Shuikou (western part of Jing County), resulting in a year-and-a-half imprisonment. While in jail, he dreamed of being saved by a deity and was indeed released the next day.

The Ancestral Hall of the Man Clan now primarily commemorates Man Chaojian, hence it is also known as the Ancestral Hall of Man Gong or the Man Gong Academy. Unfortunately, the academy aspect has become nominal. However, the sound of students reading aloud can often be heard from the nearby Lanli Primary School across the wall, reminiscent of the hall’s past role as a family school nurturing young minds.

The Ancestral Hall of Man Gong stands by the Chenxi River, with its entrance facing the ferry terminal of Lanli Town, where residents from both riverbanks come and go in an endless stream. The spirit of Man Chaojian—known for his integrity in office, hatred of evil, uncorrupted conduct, and uprightness, hailed as a “capable and clean official” (as described in the History of Ming)—will surely flow along the Chenxi River, enduring eternally, passing from generation to generation, and inspiring future generations.

Lanli Town: Lanli Town is the hometown of the famous official Man Chaojian. It is located in the northeastern part of Mayang Miao Autonomous County, about 14 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Lvjiaping Town and Huangshuang Township to the east, Hepingxi Township to the south, Lüxikou Township and Liping Township to the west, and Luxi County of the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture to the north. The town governs 21 villages, 1 neighborhood committee, 157 villager groups, 5,825 households, and 25,988 residents, predominantly of the Miao ethnic group. Covering a total area of 87 square kilometers, it is the most populous incorporated town in the county and serves as the economic, cultural, and transportation hub of the mountainous region of Mayang Miao Autonomous County.

… More details about Lanli Town ++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hunan Province