The Ancestral Temple of Xie Yuqi

The Ancestral Temple of Xie Yuqi

The Ancestral Temple of Xie Yuqi is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ancestral Temple of Xie Yuqi is located on the left side of No. 47, Dongfang Lane, Nanshe Village, Chashan Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province. It was built in the 27th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1901) and was renovated in 1997. The temple faces north and features a traditional enclosed courtyard layout with three bays, two courtyards, two corridors, and a central patio. It has a total width of 13.75 meters and a depth of 21.35 meters, covering an area of approximately 294 square meters. The structure is made of brick, wood, and stone, with grey brick walls and red sandstone plinths. It has a flush-gable roof, a hybrid beam frame combining raised beams and through-tenon construction, "waist-ear" firewalls, grey-glazed barrel tiles, green glazed tile end caps, and scalloped drip tiles. The plaque above the entrance gate is inscribed with the characters “家庙” (“Ancestral Temple”) in relief, bearing the date “Guangxu Year of the Metal Ox (1901)” and the signature “Inscribed by Tao Junxuan.” A couplet reading “Honored as a First-Rank Official, Worshipped for a Thousand Autumns” hangs nearby. Upon entering, there is a screen wall. The rear hall displays a wooden plaque inscribed with “载德堂” (“Hall of Virtue”), and the shrine area houses ancestral tablets from the 18th to the 22nd generations, spanning from the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era. The roof ridge of the rear hall features plaster reliefs inscribed with “Guangxu Year of the Metal Ox” and “Made by Wen Rubi.” The temple was constructed by imperial decree to honor the achievements of Xie Yuqi. Xie Yuqi accompanied Zuo Zongtang to Xinjiang to suppress rebellions and was successively promoted for his military merits, holding positions such as Vice General, Commandant of Kinmen, Commandant of Kowloon, Commandant of Shunde, and Acting Commander of Zhangzhou, Zhennan, and Shaobian Garrisons. He was later granted the title of Duke of Founding Might. The temple holds significant value for the study of Lingnan architecture, the history of Nanshe Village, and the Xie family lineage. It was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 2006.

Nanshe Village: Nanshe Village is situated southeast of Chashan Town, approximately 18 kilometers from downtown Dongguan. It enjoys convenient transportation and covers an area of 4.13 square kilometers. The village comprises seven villager groups, with a registered population of 3,690 and a migrant population of about 10,000. In 2016, the combined operating income of the village’s collective economic entities reached 33.62 million yuan, with a net profit of 18.08 million yuan, reflecting steady growth in the collective economy.

Since 2015, Nanshe Village in Chashan Town has appeared on CCTV programs six times in a row, showcasing the profound historical culture and unique charm of Chashan and even Dongguan to audiences nationwide. Among them... More details about Nanshe Village++