Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) – Site of the Former Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office

Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) – Site of the Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office

The Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) – Site of the Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office is a cultural relic protection unit of Dongguan City.

The Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) – Site of the Establishment of the Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office is located beside Fu East Road in Yuanwu Bian Community, Nancheng Subdistrict, with GPS coordinates: 22°59′35.3″N, 113°42′49.4″E, at an elevation of 28 meters.

The Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) in Yuanwu Bian was first built during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, and renovated again in 2004. It features a three-bay, three-courtyard layout, with a width of 15.3 meters and a depth of 35.5 meters. The structure is a combination of brick and wood, using a hybrid wooden frame system of raised beams and pier-and-lintel construction. It has a flush-gable roof covered with gray tubular tiles and a gray plaster dragon boat ridge. The front gate includes a raised platform. The Chen Ancestral Hall covers an area of over 1,000 square meters, with a built-up area of more than 700 square meters.

Yuanwu Bian Township is situated in a hilly area along the Huangcun section of the Guan (Cheng) Tai (Ping) Highway. In the spring of 1942, in order to consolidate and expand the anti-Japanese base in Dalingshan, the Third Battalion of the Guangdong People’s Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Corps dispatched a team to operate in Yuanwu Bian, mobilizing and organizing the local masses to establish the Gangling Association, a farmers’ organization. This was followed by the creation of a militia unit and a township democratic government, turning Yuanwu Bian into an anti-Japanese base for the guerrilla forces. In June 1944, Zhang Ying, commander of the Dongguan Battalion of the Dongjiang Column of the Guangdong People’s Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Forces (East River Column), convened a meeting at the Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) in Yuanwu Bian with representatives from the surrounding communities of Yuanwu Bian, Baima, Shigu, and Chiling. At the meeting, the establishment of the Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office, an anti-Japanese democratic political body, was announced. Zhang Ying was elected as director of the office, with Chen Defeng and Zhang Gaofeng as deputy directors. Though the administrative offices were located in Caiwujichun Village in Yuanwu Bian, the Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) continued to be used for meetings and temporary official duties. In 1945, the higher Party organization assigned Chen Wenhui as a political instructor to the office. The Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office governed villages along the GuanTai Highway, with its main tasks being: establishing township and village-level anti-Japanese democratic political bodies in areas such as Yuanwu Bian, Xinji, Zhaijiacun, Baima, Shigu, Chiling, Qiaotou, Santun, Hetian, Baihao, and Baisha; mobilizing the masses to engage in production campaigns and rent-and-interest reduction efforts; organizing militias to maintain public security, carry out anti-Japanese struggles, and assist the Dongjiang Column in combat operations. The Dongguan Xin Si District United Township Office was dissolved in June 1946 when the East River Column withdrew northward.

In November 2012, the Chen Ancestral Hall (South Hall) in Yuanwu Bian was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Dongguan City by the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government.

Yuanwu Bian Community: The Yuanwu Bian Community Residents' Committee is located next to Nancheng Bus Station, with Dongguan Avenue, GuanTai Road, and Huancheng Road running through the entire community, providing very convenient transportation. The jurisdiction covers an area of 2.11 square kilometers, with 494 households, a resident population of 1,846, and a migrant population of 3,500. The community is equipped with various service institutions including the Yuanwu Bian Community Residents' Committee, the Community Public Security Committee, the Community Service Center, the Community Labor Service Center, and the Community Rental Housing Service Center. There are also facilities such as an electronic classroom, library, and civic school.

Economic Development

In 2008, the total collective economic income was 2,116... More details about Yuanwu Bian Community++