Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Chao’an

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Chao’an

The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Chao’an is a cultural relic protection unit of Chaozhou City.

The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is located in Xiangxiadown Village, Guantang Town, Chao’an County. It faces east and has a three-courtyard layout. The hall is 21.3 meters wide and approximately 43 meters deep. It features a single gate structure, with each of the three courtyards progressively higher. From the first courtyard to the central hall, the elevation increases by about 83 centimeters via four steps, and from the second courtyard to the rear hall, it rises roughly 93 centimeters, also via four steps.

In front of the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, there is a stone-carved couplet: “Branching from Fujian’s shores, the virtue of old is passed on; in Qiuxi, generations rise with new endeavors.” The plaque reads “Ancestral Temple of the Chen Clan,” with the back inscribed “Spring of Pure Water Lineage,” and the signature: “Reconstructed in the ninth month of autumn, Gengwu year of Qianlong, by descendant Yi Yong and others.”

According to the book Xin Geng Guo Guo (心耕谷果), written by Chen Shunchen, a late Qing Dynasty scholar from Guantang: “Chen Tan’s father was named Zongqing. Chen Tan, who passed the imperial examination, served as magistrate of Haifeng County, Chaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong (during the Song Dynasty’s Yuanyou era). He governed the county with benevolent policies. Upon completing his term, he was retained by the people and thus settled in Qiuxi Guantang, where he built an ancestral hall to honor his forebears and was later buried at the foot of the mountain behind.” This indicates that the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall was originally built during the Song Dynasty. After renovations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it still retains some architectural features from the Song period, such as large melon-shaped wooden blocks, undecorated bracket sets, brick walls, and notably large-sized bricks.

The Chen Clan Genealogy records: Chen Tan’s ancestor, Hongjin, was enfeoffed as the Duke of Qi for his meritorious service in assisting Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, and was posthumously honored with the title Zhongshun.

Xiangxiadown Village: Xiangxiadown Village…… Detailed information on Xiangxiadown Village++