Zigong Yuchuan Ancestral Hall

Zigong Yuchuan Ancestral Hall

Zigong Yuchuan Ancestral Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yuchuan Ancestral Hall is the ancestral temple of the Wang Sanwei Hall of Ziliujing and also a typical example of a salt merchant’s residence. It is located in Bancangba, Bancang Community, High-Tech Zone, Zigong City, covering an area of approximately 1,700 square meters. The overall architectural complex includes two courtyards — Yuchuan Ancestral Hall and Chengde Hall — arranged in a quadrangle layout, consisting of an entrance hall, second gate, main hall, left and right wing rooms, backyard, woodshed, flower hall, side rooms, and more. It stretches about 110 meters from east to west and around 45 meters from north to south, comprising over 60 rooms of various sizes and 48 courtyards. Although the building has suffered partial damage due to years of neglect, it largely retains the original architectural style of Qing Dynasty ancestral halls.

Yuchuan Ancestral Hall was built between the first year of the Xianfeng reign (1851) and the second year of the Tongzhi reign (1862) during the Qing Dynasty. Wang Langyun, the wealthiest salt merchant in the Zigong region, founder of the Wang Sanwei Hall, and general manager, constructed this ancestral temple — Yuchuan Ancestral Hall — on the family-inherited land of Bancangba in honor of his grandfather, Wang Yuchuan. Later, Wang Langyun’s successor, Wang Huitang, built Chengde Hall.

From the Incubation Park in the High-Tech Zone of Zigong City, turn left into Bancang Industrial Park and drive just over 200 meters, then make another left onto a small road. Continue leisurely for a little over 1 kilometer, and you’ll arrive at the weathered and dilapidated Yuchuan Ancestral Hall.

In addition to being a rare example of Qing Dynasty architecture, Yuchuan Ancestral Hall once shone with three major historical distinctions: it was the cradle of modern education in Zigong and even southern Sichuan, the first school in the Zigong area to hire foreign teachers, and one of China’s earliest schools to offer gymnastics as a subject.

In the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (1901), when the Qing court abolished the imperial examination system and promoted modern schools, Yuchuan Ancestral Hall promptly established the Shuren Two-Level Private School, which admitted students from outside the clan. This marked the first new-style school in the Zigong area. As a result, Yuchuan Ancestral Hall became the cradle of modern education in Zigong and even southern Sichuan.

More than ten members of the Wang Sanwei Hall, including Wang Zuogan and Wang Yugui, studied in Japan and admired the country’s prosperity. They wanted to expand the Shuren Two-Level School into Shuren Middle School, modeling it after the Japanese education system. In 1904, citing the clan rules that supported education, they proposed the idea to Wang Dawei, the general manager of the Wang Sanwei Hall. Bound by the clan regulations, Wang Dawei reluctantly agreed. Wang Zuogan then petitioned the Qing Dynasty’s ambassador to Japan to seek official approval. After receiving authorization, he purchased books and instruments worth over 30,000 yen. In 1907, Wang Zuogan and others hired Japanese nationals: Tsunematsu Tsunejiro as the physics and chemistry teacher, Takanoshin Kawai as the natural science and Japanese language teacher, and Yamane Hanako as the music teacher. These were the first foreign teachers hired in the Zigong area, marking the beginning of foreign educators teaching in Zigong.

Shuren School was the first to advocate equal emphasis on moral, intellectual, and physical education, and it was among China’s first schools to introduce gymnastics as a subject.

Whether in terms of architectural art, historical significance, or cultural value, Yuchuan Ancestral Hall is a heritage site that deserves our protection. We hope that as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, Yuchuan Ancestral Hall can soon regain its former glory.

On October 7, 2019, Yuchuan Ancestral Hall was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units