Chengxi Ancestral Hall

Chengxi Ancestral Hall

Chengxi Ancestral Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Chengxi Ancestral Hall is located at Xiejiaotou in Jinsha Administrative District, Caitang Town, Chao'an. It was built by Chen Xunian, an overseas Chinese leader residing in Johor, Malaysia. The foundation was laid in the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1870), and the hall was completed in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883), taking 14 years to build.

The ancestral hall faces west and is 31.22 meters wide and 42.25 meters deep, with a two-courtyard layout. A patio lies between the front and rear halls, flanked by corridors on both sides. The rear hall features a protruding roof section, creating a layout where four halls face one another. The rear hall is three bays wide and three bays deep, built with a Dougong-raised beam wooden structure, and the floor is paved with large marble tiles.

The architectural decorations of the ancestral hall are richly varied and magnificent. At the front courtyard stands a pair of exquisitely carved stone lions. The roof framework of the entrance gate is adorned with double-sided hollowed-out stone carvings. But what is most breathtaking are the four stone carvings inlaid into the stone walls of the entrance gate. These four carvings depict the themes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants; fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars; and flowers, birds, insects, and fish. Each carving skillfully uses a zigzag composition to bring together people, events, and objects from different times and spaces within a single scene, condensing narratives and capturing dramatic moments. One of the “Fishermen, Woodcutters, Farmers, and Scholars” carvings depicts 25 figures—some among pavilions and towers, some emerging from forest paths, some casting nets to catch fish, and others returning with cattle, all with distinct expressions and lifelike detail. The “Flowers, Birds, Insects, and Fish” carving wins with nature, drawing inspiration from life yet surpassing it—soaring birds, leaping fish, plump lotuses, and blooming flowers… all rendered with exquisite realism. The artistic mastery is exceptional. The Chaozhou wood carvings inside the hall are also incredibly refined. All beams, brackets, columns, and connectors in the front hall’s framework, the rear hall’s protruding roof, and the central bay’s structure are decorated with exquisitely crafted Chaozhou gold-lacquered wood carvings, showcasing a resplendent and magnificent artistic effect.

Chen Xunian (1827–1902) was from Jinsha Township, Caitang Town, Chaozhou City. In his early years, he moved to Johor, Malaysia, and soon became the largest port master there. Around 1870, he was conferred the title of Overseas Chinese Leader in Johor by the local Sultan and awarded the rank of Prime Minister. Due to his significant contributions to Johor’s administration, a street in Johor Bahru was named “Chen Xunian Street.” As his business flourished, Chen Xunian relocated to Singapore’s Kreta Ayer Street, where he built a residence called “Zizheng Mansion” in the architectural style of his hometown. In 1984, a photo of Zizheng Mansion was issued as a postage stamp across Singapore by the government.

In June 1989, it was designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People's Government of Guangdong Province.

Caitang Town: Located in the downstream plains of the Han River, Caitang Town borders Chao'an County and is traversed by Chaoshan Highway and the Guangmeishan Railway. Covering an area of 45 square kilometers, the town administers 32 village committees and 1 neighborhood committee, with a total population of 100,600. In 2002, the town’s total industrial and agricultural output value reached 2.64 billion yuan, with foreign trade exports of 22 million US dollars, commercial and industrial tax revenue of 29.8244 million yuan, and an average rural per capita income of 4,305 yuan.

Caitang Town is rich in cultural heritage and historic sites. Dragon and lion dances, string music, and lantern riddles are famous folk arts in Caitang. Among the provincial-level key protected cultural relics… Caitang Town detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units