De’anli

De’anli

De’anli is a National AAA-level Tourist Attraction and a Protected Cultural Relics Site of Guangdong Province.

Situated in Hongyang Town, De’anli was the residence of Fang Yao, the Qing Dynasty Viceroy of Guangdong Navy. Built in 1863 during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, it is divided into three parts: Old Fortified Village (Laizhai), Middle Fortified Village (Zhongzhai), and New Fortified Village (Xinzhai, also referred to as New De’anli). The old section is commonly known as “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix,” the middle as “Four Horses Pulling a Carriage,” and the three are interconnected. Inside, there are 733 structures including ancestral halls, Buddhist shrines, official halls, study rooms, bedrooms, lotus ponds, dining rooms, storage rooms, and rear seven-seat halls, as well as a front plaza and a back garden. Covering an area of approximately 40,000 square meters, it is encircled by a protective moat, making it a rare and massive architectural complex built in the style of a noble residence. The sheer scale of the architecture, its exquisite construction, and beautiful design make it a true masterpiece of architectural art.

The architecture of De’anli encompasses the full spectrum of traditional Chaoshan residential styles: grand ancestral halls, three-hall compounds, five-bay houses, four-point gold structures, tiger-head dwellings, four-horse carriages, five-wall linked buildings, and one-legged lion designs. Architectural forms rarely seen or even absent in other parts of Chaoshan can all be found here.

The entire architectural complex of De’anli is organically composed of three interconnected sections, each of which is also an independent, complete, and uniquely characterized group. There is one “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” complex and two “Four-Horse Carriage” complexes. Within each group are multiple standalone structures, each with distinctive features yet seamlessly integrated. The Old and Middle Fortified Villages face east, while the New Fortified Village faces south. The Old and Middle Villages follow the “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” layout, while the New Village adopts the “Four-Horse Carriage” design.

The architectural style retains the typical characteristics of late Qing Chaoshan villages, while also featuring Western-style buildings—showcasing both inheritance and innovation. Despite the vicissitudes of history, the overall structure of De’anli remains largely intact. Its vast scale, refined construction, comprehensive variety, and exquisite design rank it as a gem of Chaoshan architectural art. Its rare layout and unique design have earned it a place in the civil architecture textbook of the School of Architecture at South China University of Technology.

Traditional Chinese architecture holds the belief that “a nobleman builds his residence with ancestral temples as the priority, for truly it is the origin of the lineage, from which all branches stem.” The Chaozhou Prefecture Chronicles also state: “The people of Chaozhou always build ancestral halls before residences, to clarify lineage rules, continue interrupted lineages, honor accompanying sacrifices, and emphasize ancestral lands.” Therefore, all three sections of De’anli revolve around a main ancestral hall, with other structures built around it in an orderly fashion, forming this layout: on either side of the main ancestral hall are smaller ancestral halls, then fire alleys and enclosed houses (bao wu), which protect the main hall from three sides—layered and interlinked “tiger-head dwellings” and “four-point gold” structures, all enclosed by solid fortified walls.

De’anli covers an area of 59,000 square meters, with a built-up area of 32,000 square meters. It contains official halls, ancestral halls, Buddhist shrines, study rooms, dining rooms, storage rooms, attics, and more, totaling 773 rooms. With its rare layout and distinctive design, it has been featured in the civil architecture textbook of the School of Architecture at South China University of Technology. It also showcases a comprehensive collection of Chaoshan residential architectural styles: bungalows, tiger-head dwellings, four-point golds, five-hall compounds, one-legged lions—you name it, you’ll find it here, even styles rarely seen elsewhere. De’anli is also a museum of Lingnan architectural decorative art.

The Old Fortified Village (Laizhai) surrounds its main building, the grand ancestral hall, with exactly one hundred houses, hence the nickname “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.” The Middle and New Fortified Villages are designed in the traditional Chaoshan residential style known as the “Four-Horse Carriage,” where the central ancestral hall symbolizes the “carriage,” and the auxiliary buildings on either side represent the “horses” pulling it—implying that the ancestors seated in the “carriage” are carried forward through time by their descendants, who are symbolized by the “horses.”

On November 8, 2008, the General Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province issued the “Notice on the Announcement of the Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units,” listing the De’anli Residential Complex as a Protected Cultural Relics Site of Guangdong Province.

Address: De’anli, Hongyang Town, Puning City, Jieyang City

Type: Historic Architectural Garden / Ancient Village / Old Town

Recommended Visit Duration: About 2 hours

Phone: 0663-2418866

Opening Hours: 9:00–11:30; 15:00–18:00

Ticket: 13 RMB

Nancun Village: Nancun Village…… More details about Nancun Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units