Song Clan Ancestral Hall in Leshan

Song Clan Ancestral Hall in Leshan

The Song Clan Ancestral Hall in Leshan is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

The Song Clan Ancestral Hall in Leshan City is located in Group 6, Longwo Village, Luohan Town, Central District, Leshan City, covering an area of approximately twenty mu. It faces the majestic Mount Emei and backs onto the Leshan Giant Buddha. Situated between Leshan and Shawan, about 1.5 kilometers from the Leshan–Shawan Expressway, it stands by the banks of the Dadu River within the jurisdiction of Luohan Town. Surrounded by mountains and water, the site boasts elegant and picturesque scenery, making it a renowned scenic spot. As a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, it has withstood over four hundred years of wind and rain, and is one of the best-preserved folk ancestral halls in the province.

The Song Clan Ancestral Hall is an architectural structure from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It features a wooden frame with brick walls all around, built in a classical style, and covers an area of about 20 mu. It faces the majestic Mount Emei and backs onto the Leshan Giant Buddha, surrounded by mountains and water with elegant scenery. The ancestral hall is exquisitely constructed with an elegant layout. On both the left and right sides in front of the hall are grand gates, adorned with intricately carved figures and stories that are vivid and lifelike. Above the center of the two gates is inscribed the bold and striking characters “Song Clan Ancestral Hall,” which are both eye-catching and majestic. Upon entering, there are side chambers and wing rooms on both sides. Moving forward along the wing rooms leads to the main ancestral hall, with five stone steps on either side. At the front center is the Wan Nian (Ten Thousand Years) Stage, supported by 20 wooden pillars ranging from 60 to 80 centimeters in diameter. To the right side of the stage is a make-up room, and to the left is a music room, both used for theatrical performances. The roof ridge of the stage features two dragons encircling the top, while the wing rooms and stage surfaces are also decorated with various exquisite carvings, creating a beautiful and spectacular sight.

The front part is the main ancestral hall, inside which historical and cultural figures are enshrined. Among them is the solemn and revered figure of Song Yuantai, an ancestor who served as a third-rank imperial censor during the Yuan Dynasty. At the front of the ancestral hall is a gun platform, with four stone steps on either side. The ancestral hall, the gun platform, and the Wan Nian Stage face each other from a distance, with red stone railings along the sides of the gun platform. The railings are carved with 18 vivid and lifelike stone melons, fruits, and various animal figures. The ceiling panels inside the ancestral hall are painted with deeply meaningful patterns, one design per grid, all beautifully vivid, sparking delightful flights of imagination. Aside from the passageways on either side, the ancestral hall has two to three large empty rooms on each side.

At the back is a garden, which houses two centuries-old osmanthus trees and a variety of exotic flowers and plants. There are small doors on either side of the garden, and a large main gate at the front for people to enter and exit. Behind the garden are several large main halls. The entire complex can accommodate up to three thousand people, providing shelter from sun and rain. Visitors often experience a unique and refreshing sensation here, as if discovering a hidden world—a rare and ancient ancestral hall indeed.

Protected area: Extending 5 meters beyond the building’s footprint. Total area: 0.375 hectares.

Construction control zone: Extending 95 meters south, west, and north from the protected area, and east to the western bank of the Dadu River. Total area: 3.59 hectares.