Zhong Family Ancestral Hall in Luquan

Zhong Family Ancestral Hall in Luquan

The Zhong Family Ancestral Hall in Luquan is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

In Xihe Village, Luquan Town, Zizhong County, there stands the "Zhong Family Ancestral Hall," built in the 28th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1902).

The Zhong Family Ancestral Hall is set in a beautiful environment, and its architecture meticulously adheres to the traditional Chinese principles of “resting against a mountain, encircling water, and facing a screen.” It faces east and is oriented west, consisting of a gatehouse, main hall, theater stage, and flanking left and right wing rooms to form a courtyard layout. It spans an area of 1,543.75 square meters, with a construction area of 870 square meters. To this day, it retains exquisitely preserved upturned eaves, ridge ornaments, stone carvings, wood carvings, and other components. The firewalls of the ancestral hall still stand with grace.

Upon entering this exquisite ancestral hall, the first thing that catches your eye is the classic, old-world mountain gate. This gate is a memorial archway-style covered entrance, featuring four pillars and three bays, with a width of 5.7 meters and a height of 10.2 meters. At the top is inscribed “Zhong Family Ancestral Hall,” and at the bottom, “Elegant Embroidery on the Boat Mountain.” On the left beam is written “Treasured Virtue,” and on the right “Bestowed Blessings.” This indeed stands as the most distinctive representative structure of the Zhong Family Ancestral Hall.

Entering through the mountain gate leads you to the theater stage, which is a wooden structure with a gabled and hip roof, using a post-and-lintel beam system. It has a total height of 7 meters, with the stage itself being 0.37 meters high, measuring 7.2 meters in width and 4.2 meters in depth, and facing the main hall. Its wing corners flair lightly, while components such as brackets, spandrels, diagonal braces, hanging melons, and lattice windows are all covered with carvings of figures, dragons, beasts, floral motifs, and more—lively, dynamic, and vividly showcasing the superb carving craftsmanship of ancient artisans.

Beyond the stage lies a 250-square-meter bluestone courtyard. Standing within the courtyard, one looks out at the classic, elegant main hall, wing rooms, and theater stage. The vast yard evokes the former glory and flourishing heritage of the Zhong family. Crossing the courtyard, you reach the main hall, which features a post-and-lintel beam system, with three bays, a total height of 7 meters, a depth of 6.5 meters, and a width of 13.5 meters. The plain base is 0.9 meters high, and there is a five-step stairway. The beams of the main hall bear inscriptions: “Prosperous Generations Through the Ages” and “The 28th Year of the Guangxu Reign During the Qing Dynasty, Year of the Yin Earth Tiger.” The stone bases of the main hall pillars remain intact, carved with entwined floral patterns, featuring interconnected blooming flowers competing in splendor, finely detailed. Each of the left and right wing rooms has seven bays, spanning 32.2 meters in width, with their ridges decorated with bas-relief patterns featuring flowers, animals, and human figures.

According to the “Zhong Family Ancestral Hall Retrospective Stele,” “This ancestral hall was built on the site of the former residence of our founding ancestor Changqiong, who migrated from Guangdong to Sichuan in the 9th year of the Qianlong reign (1744) during the Qing Dynasty. It was initially constructed during the Jiaqing era and underwent two major renovations—in the 15th year of the Daoguang reign (1835) and the 28th year of the Guangxu reign (1902). Changqiong’s eighth-generation descendants are spread across the nation, upholding a tradition of farming and scholarship, producing notable figures in every generation and flourishing abundantly—truly a distinguished lineage of China...” The prosperity and success of the Zhong family can be clearly seen from this. Every year during the Qingming Festival, to honor ancestors and to pray for family growth, longevity, and well-being, clan members from afar as well as those from branch families in Ziyang and Zizhong invariably gather here for ancestral worship activities.

To facilitate ancestral worship, the Zhong family also established its own “Qingming Management Committee” to manage and maintain the ancestral hall.

Protected area boundary: east to the foot of Dashanpo Mountain, south and west to the road of Xihe Village, north extending 50 meters outward from the outer wall of the wing rooms.

Construction control zone: bounded by the protected area limits, extending 70 meters eastward, 160 meters southward, 45 meters westward, and 30 meters northward.

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Sichuan Province