Xuefa Ancestral Hall

Xuefa Ancestral Hall

Xuefa Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Xuefa Ancestral Hall is located at Dahuo'gang in Qigong Town, Yangshan County, Guangdong Province, 3 kilometers from the off-road vehicle field. Nestled against the mountain and facing the water, it sits south and faces north. It was built by patriotic overseas Chinese Mr. Zhu Haijun in memory of his late father, Zhu Xuefa. Due to its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa and its “magnificent scale unmatched by any other in the northern reaches of the Pearl River,” it has earned the title “Guangdong’s Potala Palace.”

The ancestral hall was completed in 1935. It is a massive building that combines Chinese and Western architectural styles in a palatial form, integrating both traditions while also featuring distinct Hakka architectural elements. The stone door frames of the front and rear sections of the hall are inscribed with eleven plaques and thirteen couplets. Among the eleven plaques, one each was contributed by prominent figures in the Kuomintang government and military: Yu Hanmou, Li Hanhun, Chen Jitang, and Deng Zeru. The remaining seven plaques and all thirteen couplets were authored by Zhu Ruzhen, the second-place scholar in the late Qing Dynasty imperial examinations. The high status of the contributors and the exceptional quality of the plaques and couplets are truly rare in northern Guangdong. Zhu Ruzhen wrote in the preface to the Yangshan County Annals: “Its grand and magnificent scale is unmatched by any other in the northern reaches of the Pearl River.” Nearly a century later, Xuefa Ancestral Hall remains well-preserved. It is not only regarded as a treasured landmark by the people of Yangshan but has also become a renowned local attraction. In terms of architectural scale, style, and cultural significance, the hall holds considerable value.

Construction of Xuefa Ancestral Hall began in 1923 and took 12 years, being largely completed in 1935, making it the largest overseas Chinese building in northern Guangdong. The hall sits against the mountain and faces the water, oriented southwest to northeast. It spans 90.8 meters in width and 120.5 meters in depth, covering a total area of 10,941.4 square meters. The structure is divided into three parts: the front and rear sections, and two side wings to the east and west. The rear section is further divided into a main building and two auxiliary side buildings.

The front section is a single-story brick-and-wood structure serving as the gatehouse, while the rear consists of a four-story reinforced concrete main building and two rows of wing rooms. The layout progresses from low in the front to high in the back, forming a unified whole. The walls of the hall are solemn and imposing, over 70 centimeters thick. The rammed earth mixture includes materials such as inkstone shell ash, sand, yellow clay, lime, brown sugar, and glutinous rice flour, giving it strong viscosity and toughness, making it extremely solid and difficult to breach. The door frame of the gatehouse is embedded with hard bluestone slabs, together with thick, sturdy wooden doors, forming a robust defensive system. Scattered across the walls are various sizes of gun ports, cannon ports, and observation holes, evoking an atmosphere of solemnity and vigilance in defending against foreign invaders.

The front building follows traditional Chinese architectural design, featuring seven gates (one main and six auxiliary). The main gate leads to the central hall, while the auxiliary gates open to side chambers. All gate frames are bordered with premium stone and engraved with couplets. The authors of these inscriptions are particularly notable figures: the central gate features a couplet written and inscribed by Zhu Ruzhen, the last imperial second-place scholar: “Through learning and virtue, one’s character is as vast as the sea; bringing prosperity to future generations, one’s benevolence is matched only by Jun.” The horizontal plaque reads: “Xuefa Ancestral Hall.” The first right auxiliary gate bears the couplet: “The path of rites and righteousness guides our steps, the waters of wisdom and mountains of benevolence frame our view.” The plaque reads: “Haijun Family School,” written by Yu Hanmou. The second right auxiliary gate features: “Opening wide the noble gates, we cultivate virtue; joyfully viewing the clouded mountains, we nurture our years.” The plaque reads: “Haijun Private Residence,” signed by Chen Jitang. The first left auxiliary gate reads: “Before the gate stands the Fisherman’s Stone; at the entrance often rests the carriage of the elder.” The plaque reads: “Gaoyang Noble House,” signed by Li Hanhun. With contributions from a late Qing Confucian scholar and three high-ranking officials of the Republican era, it’s rare to find a residence adorned with such high-caliber inscriptions.

Stepping inside is like entering a maze. There are many rooms, many halls, and even more doors. Rooms connect to rooms, halls link to halls, and every hall has a courtyard for ventilation and light. Upon reaching the door tower of the rear main building, one finds numerous inscriptions penned by Zhu, the imperial scholar, dated “the mid-autumn of the year of Bingzi.” His handwriting is neat, round, vigorous, and elegant—so much so that it’s almost overwhelming to take it all in.

The main building features covered rafters, gables, and firewalls, embodying the solemn, orderly characteristics of traditional Lingnan ancestral hall architecture while also exuding a romantic flair of Western design. This is not only reflected in the use of construction materials imported from Hong Kong—such as “red hairy clay” (cement), steel bars, and kwila wood—but also in the architectural styling of Western techniques.

The corridors, columns, ceilings, windows, and doors of the main building of Xuefa Ancestral Hall extensively incorporate Western architectural styles. The murals or plaster patterns on the door and window lintels clearly draw inspiration from Western architectural art. Each floor is equipped with left and right corridor-style courtyards and uses green ceramic railings, with flower-patterned tiles laid on wooden floors, creating a strong Western ambiance. The rooftop also includes a terrace, with the decorative pattern on the central terrace roof exhibiting the charm of Islamic architecture—exceedingly exquisite and unique.

Hakka enclosed houses share common architectural traits: they align along a north-south meridian axis, are symmetrical east to west, progress from low in the front to high in the back, emphasize hierarchy and order, and feature neat layouts. Xuefa Ancestral Hall is no exception. In addition to displaying the distinctive features of connected Hakka row houses, it boldly incorporates Western architectural styles. Observe how the windows—originally traditional Chinese structures designed solely for light intake without wind resistance—now have Western-style bas-reliefs on their lintels. The highest part of the building, which would traditionally feature four small and two large Hakka “wok ear” walls, is instead decorated with Islamic-patterned motifs... Especially notable are the three palace-style pavilions on the flat roof of the fourth floor, uniquely designed and beautifully shaped. These serve not only for distant viewing and defense but also offer practical functions such as cooling off, entertainment, storage, and shelter, thus transforming the entire structure into a castle that blends Chinese and Western elements. This is inseparable from Mr. Zhu Haijun’s long-term life overseas, his ability to learn from and adopt features of foreign architecture, and his skillful integration of Western elements into traditional Chinese architecture. It is said that the flower-patterned tiles and “red hairy clay” (cement) used during the construction of Xuefa Ancestral Hall were all purchased overseas or from Hong Kong and transported by ship.

Xuefa Ancestral Hall is known as “the largest overseas Chinese building in Guangdong Province.” Its builder, Zhu Haijun (1875–1951), was from Zhuwu Pai in Qigong Town, Yangshan County. In the early years after liberation, this grand mansion with 182 rooms was distributed to farmers for living. From the late 1950s onward, the government used it as an overseas Chinese farm and agricultural seed demonstration site, accommodating some returned overseas Chinese and farm workers. In the 1970s, the flower-patterned tiles on the wooden floors of the main building were largely removed to be used for flooring in the original county government office building—today, these tiles remain clean and undamaged despite decades of foot traffic.

In June 1987, Xuefa Ancestral Hall was designated as a “Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit of Yangshan County.” In 1985, Zhu Hanxiang, the son of Zhu Haijun, visited China from Malaysia for the first time. Witnessing the tremendous changes in his motherland and hometown, he was deeply moved and inspired. Motivated by his father’s patriotic and hometown-loving spirit, and following the implementation of overseas Chinese housing policies, he voluntarily and free of charge donated the main building of Xuefa Ancestral Hall, covering an area of 5,659 square meters, to the People’s Government of Yangshan County.

In 2015, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province listed it as a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit.

Qigong Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Yangshan County. During the Republican era, it was called Qigong District, later renamed the Third District. In the early years of the founding of the People’s Republic, it remained the Third District, was renamed Qigong District in 1952, became a commune in 1958, reverted to a district in 1983, and was established as a town in 1987. Located in the southern part of the county, it is 20 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 218 square kilometers with a population of 32,000, it is a major hometown of overseas Chinese in the county. National Highway 107 and Provincial Road 1956 run through the town. It governs 13 administrative villages (including 13 management areas) including Qigong, Xingang, Caopo, Furong, Tancun, Heping, Liankeng, Lengfanjing, Huogang, Tangping, Jiali, Xilu, and Heshang, as well as one neighborhood committee… More detailed information about Qigong Town++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units