Longmen Heliu Wai

Longmen Heliu Wai

Heliu Wai in Longmen has been designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Heliu Wai is situated in Heliu Village, Yonghan Town, Longmen County, Guangdong Province. It was first constructed in the second year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1863) and is a late Qing Dynasty building. The structure consists of three halls, four wings, one [section], four watchtowers, and one lookout tower (central tower), forming a castle-style Hakka enclosed residence. In front of the house is a large pond linked to ditches on either side, encircled by water on three sides, with a mountain at the back. The front is fortified with a parapet wall, while the rear has a high enclosing wall. The entire building measures 80 meters in both length and width, covering an area of 6,400 square meters. It includes 108 corridor-connected rooms, with only one gate tower and stone bridge built on the northeastern side for access.

In May 2001, it was included in the book "Hakka Enclosed Houses of Southern Guangdong." In July 2003, it was listed as a County-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 2010, it was added to the sixth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units. In 2012, it was selected as one of the third batch of Guangdong Provincial Historic and Cultural Villages.

According to the genealogy of the Wang family of Heliu, the 15th-generation ancestor Hongren moved from Mantian Village, Songyuan, Meixian, to Liantang, Yonghan, Longmen, where he established his roots. He practiced medicine and first built the Wang Residence in Xialian Tang Village, later constructing Heliu Wai Village, which was completed in the second year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1863).

The ancestral hall has three courtyards. In the central hall of the Heliu Wai ancestral hall hangs a plaque inscribed with “Shu Huai Tang” (Tree Locust Hall). The History of the Song Dynasty records that Wang You, an ancestor of the Wang family, planted three locust trees in his courtyard to encourage his descendants to aspire and achieve. He said, “My descendants will surely produce someone of great accomplishment—this is why I plant them.” Later, his second son, Wang Dan, became prime minister during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. As a result, their family came to be known as the “Three Locust Wangs.” To plant a locust tree is to cultivate people. The words “Shu Huai Tang” embody the ancestors’ earnest hopes for their descendants’ success and reflect the Hakka cultural tradition of valuing both farming and scholarship.

Inside Shu Huai Tang, four elaborately crafted flower lanterns hang from thick red kerosene lamp cords in the upper hall of the ancestral temple, with lights glowing inside. The lanterns are not only painted with images of children but also bear auspicious phrases such as “a hundred sons and a thousand grandchildren.” When asked about the origin of the lanterns, elders in the village explain that this is part of the “Adding Lanterns” ceremony, a local tradition. On the 15th day of the first lunar month each year, all male babies born in the village over the past year are gathered to take part in the Adding Lanterns ceremony, symbolizing the “addition of sons.” It celebrates the growth of the family lineage and prosperity. The number of lanterns corresponds to the number of newborn boys—one lantern per boy.

In 2010, it was announced by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province as a sixth-batch Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

On October 7, 2019, Heliu Wai was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Heliu Village: Heliu Village…… Heliu Village detailed information++

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units