Dabu Zhaoqing Hall

Dabu Zhaoqing Hall

Zhaoqing Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Zhaoqing Hall is located in Hounan Village, about one kilometer from Baihou Ancient Town in Dabu County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, right beside the provincial highway “Chashang Line.” From a distance, its white walls and black tiles present a simple and elegant look; up close, the exquisitely carved dragons and phoenixes showcase exceptional craftsmanship.

Zhaoqing Hall, also known as Jingxiu Yanting, was funded and built by Yang Yinhang, the son of Yang Jingxiu. Born in 1878, Yang Yinhang went to Shantou at the age of 20 to deal in medicinal herbs. After years of hard work, he finally accumulated a fortune and purchased a plot of land not far from his ancestral home. It took a total of five years and cost over one million silver dollars to complete the grand house.

Completed in 1919, Zhaoqing Hall covers an area of nearly 3,200 square meters. The main building features traditional Chinese architecture, including a central hall, lower hall, and courtyard, flanked by one row of wing rooms on each side, totaling 12 rooms and 6 halls. The larger halls are over 30 square meters, while the smaller ones exceed 20 square meters, with the central hall spanning almost 100 square meters.

The interior features precisely crafted beams, brackets, and screens, adorned with painted landscapes, flowers, birds, and figures, as well as carved dragons, lions, and tigers. The roof ridges of the main gate and central hall are sculpted with various floral patterns, auspicious beasts, fish, and shrimp—vividly lifelike in beautiful and dynamic forms. The auxiliary buildings adopt a Western style, facing south with rich gray-relief sculptures on the exterior walls, decorated with patterns of animals and flowers, exquisitely detailed, and topped with a circular clock sculpture. It is not only a masterpiece of Hakka residential architecture but also a three-dimensional art gallery of folk carving and sculpture.

In 2010, it was designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit in the Sixth Batch by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province.

On October 7, 2019, Zhaoqing Hall was included in the Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Hounan Village: Located in the southern part of Baihou Town, Dabu County, Meizhou City, Hounan Village administers 63 villager groups, with 1,534 registered households and a population of 5,415. The village covers a total area of 13.9 square kilometers, including 2,261 mu of arable land. The annual average temperature is 21°C, and annual precipitation is approximately 1,552.3 mm, characterized by a subtropical monsoon climate. Major cash crops include rice and flue-cured tobacco, with flue-cured tobacco being the village’s featured economic product. The total rural economic income of the village in the previous year was 59.62 million yuan. Measures include: 1. Renovating and expanding the village-level power station; 2. Vigorously developing high-quality flue-cured tobacco production... More details about Hounan Village++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units