The Ding Clan Ancestral Hall

Ding Clan Ancestral Hall

The Ding Clan Ancestral Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located in Xiantian Village, Linxi Town, Chao'an District, this ancestral hall faces southeast and is built along a northwest-southeast axis, featuring a traditional three-courtyard layout. Covering an area of approximately 650 square meters, it serves as the worship site for the Ding clan of Xiantian Village, dedicated to their founding ancestor who settled in Chaozhou—Ding Gongyun. The hall is known as the Ding Clan Ancestral Hall.

Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, the ancestral hall was restored in the early 1980s with donations from Ding’s descendants, restoring the old structure to its former glory. In front of the hall stands a pair of stone-carved couplets gifted by Huang Jin, Minister of Rites in the late Ming Dynasty, which read: “Served as Minister of Rites, your integrity like the five-horse carriage still freshens the breeze over Phoenix River; Honored as a model official, your name is worshipped through the ages in Xiantian.”

Ding Gongyun, originally from Changzhou, Jiangsu, was demoted from Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to Prefect of Chaozhou during the 14th year of the Chunxi era (1187) under the Song Dynasty, due to his advocacy for exempting salt and iron taxes. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of the Temple to Lord Han Wengong on the ruins of the ancient Jieyang Tower at Hanshan, relocating the original temple from the south of the city to Hanshan. He also enshrined alongside Lord Han the Tang scholar Zhao De and the Song scholar Chen Yaozuo, and inscribed the temple plaque as “Temple of Loyalty.” He initiated the expansion of stone piers on the western bank of the Han River, erecting bridges, pavilions, and buildings atop them. The rebuilt western bridge over the Han River became known among locals as “Ding’s Bridge.” Ding placed great emphasis on education, allocating 365 dan of rice rent annually to fund schooling, thus ensuring students were supported. After retiring from office, he settled in Haifeng County and became the founding ancestor of the Ding clan in Xiantian. Later generations highly commended his governance in Chaozhou, and in the 23rd year of the Qianlong reign, Zhou Shuoxun, Prefect of Chaozhou, proposed that Ding be honored in the Temple to Lord Han. That Ding’s legacy endures through the ages, earning him the lasting respect of the people and serving as a model for future officials, truly makes him a rare and exemplary public servant.