Dingchang Ancestral Hall

Dingchang Ancestral Hall

Dingchang Ancestral Hall is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guangdong Province.

Dingchang Ancestral Hall is located in Longyan Village, Tangnan Town, Fengshun County. It is the ancestral hall of the 24th-generation ancestor Dingchang of the Luo family in the village, covering a total area of 485 square meters. Originally built in the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), its exquisite carvings, innovative design, and high artistic value make it a “precious cultural treasure.” Recently, the author specially invited some friends to embark on a journey to explore this ancient architecture and appreciate its unique charm.

The ancestral hall is a brick-and-wood structure, facing south with its back to the north, and is a typical rectangular three-courtyard ancestral hall. The plaque above the main gate inscribed with the words “Dingchang Ancestral Hall” is vigorous and forceful, crafted from precious bluestone. The main gate itself is said to have cost the equivalent of 110 dan (a traditional unit) of grain in labor fees at the time. On the back of the plaque is carved the Dingchang Ancestral Hall stele inscription, recording relevant details. A pair of stone drums, favored by the Chaoshan people, stand on either side of the gate. Inside the ancestral hall are a front hall and a main hall, with a courtyard of about 30 square meters in between.

The front-eave roof of the upper hall features a coffered ceiling structure, and the roof framework adopts a seven-step raised-beam style, supported by wooden melons and inlaid with crescent beams. The beams are adorned with carvings of hanging lotus motifs, all exquisitely and masterfully crafted. The ridges of the roof are decorated with colorful sculptures of auspicious motifs such as dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and birds. These vivid and highly artistic figures showcase not only the flavor of Chaoshan-style architecture but also the distinctive characteristics of Hakka ancestral halls, leaving visitors dazzled and reluctant to leave.

In 2012, it was designated by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province as part of the seventh batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

Longyan Village: Located in Tangnan Town, Fengshun County, Meizhou City, Longyan Village governs 42 villager groups, with a registered population of 7,500. The village covers a total area of 8.2 square kilometers, including 1,444 mu of arable land. The average annual temperature in Longyan Village is 18 degrees Celsius, with an annual rainfall of approximately 1,936 millimeters. Major cash crops include rice. The total rural economic income of Longyan Village in the previous year was 35,000 yuan. … Longyan Village detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units