Yilue Huang’s Ancestral Hall

Yilue Huang’s Ancestral Hall

Yilue Huang’s Ancestral Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Built during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1875–1908), it is currently the only cultural heritage site in the Chaoshan region to be recognized by the state as an outstanding example of modern architecture. This two-courtyard ancestral hall faces south and is situated to the north. The plaque above the entrance is inscribed with the five characters “Yilue Huang’s Ancestral Hall” in intaglio, while the back bears the inscription “Filial Piety Is the Guiding Principle.”

The overall architectural structure of the ancestral hall is distinctive. The gatehouse and surrounding walls are inlaid with exquisite landscape stone carvings, particularly the hollow double-sided carvings on the horse-head roof trusses, which are exceptionally refined. The main hall is three bays wide, with the central bay being larger. The roof truss follows a post-and-lintel construction style with a flush gable roof. The hall’s beam head is adorned with gold-lacquered paintings, and the ends of the beams and crossbeams are decorated with auspicious animal motifs such as dragons, phoenixes, and lions, all uniquely shaped. Among the interlocking components between beams and pillars are vividly crafted theatrical wood carvings depicting scenes from plays such as “The Terrace of Golden Crows,” “Zhang Yu Boils the Sea,” and “Flooding of the Golden Mountain Temple,” all exquisitely detailed and highly elegant.

The roof ridges are decorated with colorful ceramic inlay paintings. The carvings are finely executed, featuring landscapes, figures, flowers, birds, insects, and fish in a myriad of forms, demonstrating a high level of craftsmanship and artistic value. The entire structure makes full use of three distinctive techniques of Chaozhou wood carving: black-lacquered gold inlay, multicolored gold inlay, and plain-color fine carving. These methods give the building a sense of “hierarchical distinction,” with clear layering, making it a concentrated representation of Chaozhou carving art from the Qing Dynasty. It is hailed as the “Finest Carved Woodwork in South China.”

Xiangqiao Subdistrict: Located in the central area of the ancient city of Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, Xiangqiao Subdistrict is named after the “Xiangzi Bridge” within its jurisdiction. Its office is situated at No. 26 Liuyaxiang, Taiping Road. Xiangqiao Subdistrict borders the Riverside Promenade to the east, adjoins Shangxiping Road of Xihu Subdistrict to the west, extends to Dongping Street to the south, and reaches Shuishangmen Street to the north. The subdistrict administers five community neighborhood committees: Kaiyuan, Yi’an, Changli, Taichang, and Fenshi, covering a total area of 0.63 square kilometers with a current population of 28,405. The area hosts educational institutions such as Kaiyuan Middle School, Changli Road Primary School, Yi’an Road Primary School, and Zhengrong Kindergarten, serving a student population of over 5,000.

　Xiangqiao Subdistrict…… More details about Xiangqiao Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units