PENG Family Ancestral Hall on Zhaishan

PENG Family Ancestral Hall on Zhaishan

The PENG Family Ancestral Hall on Zhaishan is a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The PENG Family Ancestral Hall on Zhaishan was built in the mid-Qing Dynasty. It is said that over 300 years ago, a salt merchant surnamed Peng migrated to this area and settled here, establishing roots and growing the family. To guard against bandit attacks, his descendants spent more than 20 years painstakingly building this fortress using rammed earth. Three hundred years later, although the PENG Family Ancestral Hall has become one of the core attractions in the popular Yingxi Peak Forest Corridor scenic area, it has fortunately retained the architectural style of its early period as well as mysterious legends and stories, still exuding remarkable charm and an imposing presence. In 1995, it was listed as a “Yingde City Cultural Relics Protection Unit.”

The structure faces south. Built on Luoshan Hill, which stands about 33 meters high, the buildings extend from the foot of the hill to the summit, divided into three levels. There is only one pathway to the top—a stone stairway averaging 1.50 meters in width, made of limestone slabs, located on the northern side. The other three sides are sheer cliffs.

The ground floor contains five houses, while the second floor serves as a study hall. These sections feature flush gable roofs with upturned eaves and firewalls, all constructed with blue bricks. The top floor houses the Ancestral Hall of Peng Gong Kexue, also with flush gable roofs and upturned eave firewalls, consisting of five houses. The PENG Family Ancestral Hall is ingeniously laid out and exquisitely crafted. There is only one stone stairway leading from the foot to the top of the hill, and each level has only one small door leading to the next. This defensive structure built on a mountain is unique among all ancestral halls discovered in Yingde to date, holding significant value for the study of the structure of ancient buildings in the area, strategies for defending against invasions, and local folklore.

There is only one stone stairway path from the foot to the top of the hill, with 360 steps, creating a formidable “one man can hold the pass against ten thousand” defensive posture. Originally built in the mid-Qing Dynasty, it served both as a defensive fortress constructed by the local PENG clan to resist bandits and as an ancestral hall. Locally known as “Zhaishan Ancient Fortress,” it still preserves well-maintained wall carvings, ancient window grilles, and a plaque inscribed with “Ming Yi Zhi Fang” bestowed during the Xianfeng era (1851–1861) of the Qing Dynasty. In December 1995, it was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection unit. Due to its architectural resemblance to the Potala Palace in Tibet, it is also nicknamed the “Little Potala Palace.”

Chengxia Village: The Chengxia Village Committee is located to the west and southwest of Huanghua Town, formed by the merger of the former Keyan, Chengxia, and Kengba villages. It borders Mingjing Market Town, has a population of 6,735, and covers 3,981 mu of arable land. The office is situated beside the road from Mingjing to Yanbei, approximately 300 meters from the market town. The Chengxia Village Committee enjoys convenient transportation, vast and flat arable land, fertile soil, and abundant water sources, making it a major grain-producing area. After adjusting its agricultural structure, the committee adopted a base-plus-farmer model to extensively grow off-season vegetables, with products exported as far as Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The vegetable industry operates at a relatively high level of industrialization. It governs 45 natural villages.

From... Chengxia Village detailed information++

Further reading:

· Ninth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units