Ancestral Hall of the Xu Clan

Ancestral Hall of the Xu Clan

The Ancestral Hall of the Xu Clan is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Ancestral Hall of the Xu Clan is located in Aozhitang Village, Dongcheng Subdistrict, Dongguan City, and was built in the 30th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1602). The hall is 42 meters long and 22 meters wide, constructed from blue bricks, and the entire structure remains well-preserved. There is still a wooden plaque inscribed with the name of the Ancestral Hall of the Xu Clan, which was written by Li Shihua, the imperial censor who inspected Guangdong. The roof ridge of the first bay is adorned with large stack-molded glazed pottery decorations from Shiwan, featuring vivid shapes, exquisite craftsmanship, and excellent preservation, making it a rare set of ceramic artworks.

Aozhitang was the hometown of Xu Zhaokui, Minister of Justice during the 4th year of the Tianqi era in the Ming Dynasty (1624). Xu Zhaokui, styled Ceteng and also known as Haishi, passed the imperial examination as a presented scholar in the 4th year of the Wanli era (1576), and became a metropolitan graduate in the 40th year of the Wanli era (1586). He held various official positions including imperial censor, vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, right vice censor-in-chief, left vice censor-in-chief, right vice minister of personnel, left vice minister of personnel, and Minister of Justice.

Xu Zhaokui (1550–1635), styled Ceteng and also known as Haishi, was a native of Aozhitang Village, Dongguan. In the 14th year of the Wanli era (1586), he became a metropolitan graduate and initially served as a courier (official title) in the Ministry of Rites, later taking the post of imperial censor of Shanxi Circuit. During his tenure, he resolved a number of wrongful and false cases. The local people, grateful for saving their lives, built a shrine in his honor while he was still alive.

Early Years

Xu Zhaokui was diligent and studious from a young age, taught by his father. He extensively read classics such as the Five Classics and Zuo Zhuan, reading more than an inch thick of books daily. At the age of 18, he became a student in the county school. In the 4th year of the Wanli era (1576), during the Bingzi provincial examination, he ranked second among the presented scholars... More detailed information on Xu Zhaokui++

Aozhitang Community: Overview of Aozhitang Community

The community consists of only one natural village, covering an area of approximately 2.14 square kilometers, with 265 households, a registered population of 1,056 people, and about 4,000 migrant residents.

In 2017, the community built a total of approximately 7 kilometers of concrete roads, ranging from 6 to 21 meters in width, and 1.2 kilometers of asphalt roads, 18 meters wide; there are 4 parks covering a combined area of 8,660 square meters; within the industrial zone, there is a farmers' market covering 800 square meters; one shopping mall, two basketball courts, and two leisure squares... More detailed information on Aozhitang Community++