The Li Ping Ancestral Hall

The Li Ping Ancestral Hall

The Li Ping Ancestral Hall is a protected cultural heritage site of Dongguan City.

The Li Ping Ancestral Hall is located in Cuntou Village, Humen Town, and is currently the largest, most exquisitely built, and best-preserved ancestral hall in Humen. Constructed in the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign (1897), it covers an area of 607.4 square meters, with the front of the main gate measuring 18.07 meters in width, the left side 9.97 meters, the right side 40.17 meters, and the back 15.2 meters. The hall is divided into two routes with four courtyards, featuring a Qingyun Lane in the middle. The left route has a three-bay width, with the first three courtyards consisting of the entrance gate, central hall, and rear hall, each flanked by connecting corridors on both sides of the front and rear courtyards. The final courtyard (the North Hall) is a standalone unit, accessible through side gates from Qingyun Lane and the adjacent street. The right route, having undergone numerous renovations, has a more complex layout, but its basic structure can still be discerned: it has three courtyards and is entered from the side of the courtyard. Along the central axis, all buildings except the fourth courtyard hall feature flush gable roofs, while the fourth courtyard hall (North Hall) and connecting corridors have barrel vaulted roofs. The ridges of the four courtyards vary in design—each one lower than the last—with the final courtyard having a barrel-vaulted roof, devoid of a ridge. Its ridge decoration takes the form of a dragon boat shape, without the traditional ridge-end ornaments. A lion stands atop the projecting ridge on the southern side of the entrance gate. The ridge designs feature smoothly flowing curves, and the plaster sculptures are exquisitely crafted and lifelike. The beams follow the typical Guangdong-style bracket-and-beam construction of the Qing dynasty. The walls are built with blue bricks, and the exterior employs the refined technique of matched joints, reflecting superior craftsmanship and materials. The Li Ping Ancestral Hall uses high-quality materials, displays fine workmanship, and features an elegant yet practical design—neither extravagant in its refinement nor rough in its simplicity. It is dignified and restrained, balancing substance with refinement. In terms of material selection, design, and construction, it stands out as exceptional and unconventional.

Lu Gengyang, also known as Wu Gen or simply Wu Gen, with the courtesy name Yichao and the pseudonym Liping, was a native of Cuntou Village, Humen Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province. Born in the ninth year of the Daoguang reign (1829), he passed away in Guangzhou in the tenth year of the Guangxu reign (1884) at the age of fifty-six. At the age of twenty-two, he left his hometown to work as a gold miner in the American goldfields. After six years of hard labor and great success, he returned to his homeland. Although he became a wealthy man, Lu Liping lived a frugal and modest life, devoting himself generously to public welfare and charitable causes. During the Tongzhi era, already a renowned wealthy gentleman in the Guangdong–Hong Kong region, he donated substantial funds to repair ancestral graves, build ancestral halls, and support relatives and friends. He also contributed to the establishment of the Pushan Hall, the Infant Care Center, and free medical relief services. In the thirteenth year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), he was recommended as a director of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in Hong Kong. In the fourth year of the Guangxu reign (1878), he applied to the then Governor of Hong Kong (Sir John Pope Hennessy) to establish the Po Leung Kuk (Society for the Protection of Women and Children), and proudly served as its first director. The Po Leung Kuk is one of the most influential charitable institutions in Hong Kong’s history, with a mission to “protect the young and uphold virtue,” offering a wide range of social welfare services to the community. Lu Liping had thirteen children—five sons and eight daughters. His eldest son, Shaoxun (also known as Zuochen), second son Chengxun, fourth son Nai xun, and fifth son Dingxun pursued careers in scholarship, agriculture, industry, and commerce, respectively. The Lu family lineage has continued to the seventh generation, with descendants spread across the world, making contributions in fields such as science, technology, culture, and economics.

The Li Ping Ancestral Hall was designated as a cultural heritage site of Dongguan City in 2004.

Lu Gengyang, also known as Wu Gen or simply Wu Gen, with the courtesy name Yichao and the pseudonym Liping, was a native of Cuntou Village, Humen Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province. Born in the ninth year of the Daoguang reign (1829), he passed away in Guangzhou in the tenth year of the Guangxu reign (1884) at the age of fifty-six. At the age of twenty-two, he left his hometown to work as a gold miner in the American goldfields. After six years of hard labor and great success, he returned to his homeland. Although he became a wealthy man, Lu Liping lived a frugal and modest life, devoting himself generously to public welfare and charitable causes. During the Tongzhi era, already a renowned wealthy gentleman in the Guangdong–Hong Kong region, he donated substantial funds to repair ancestral graves, build ancestral halls, and support relatives and friends. He also contributed to the establishment of the Pus… More details about Lu Gengyang ++