Zengcheng Baode Ancestral Hall

Zengcheng Baode Ancestral Hall

The Zengcheng Baode Ancestral Hall is a cultural heritage site protected by Zengcheng District.

The Baode Ancestral Hall is located in Labu Village, Xiaolou Town, Zengcheng District, nestled among the scenic landscapes of Zhaoxian Mountain, Wohu Mountain, and the clear waters of Chengxi Stream. In the 18th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1385), the villagers of Labu Village built this ancestral hall under the imperial decree of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to enshrine the local military general Lai Qiqing for his meritorious service to the nation. This ancestral hall, together with the previously constructed Cangju Sacred Temple (built during the Yuan Dynasty) and the Jinxing Tower (added in the Hongwu Jiayin year), forms a horizontally aligned, unified complex. Together, they create a unique small ancient architectural ensemble that combines a temple, pagoda, and ancestral hall, embodying the harmonious coexistence of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

Baode Ancestral Hall

Architecture

Baode Ancestral Hall

The entire ancient ancestral hall was built without using a single iron nail.

Baode Ancestral Hall

“The threshold of the Baode Ancestral Hall is higher than those of other places, and there is a middle gate behind the main entrance. Normally, there’s only a screen or white wall behind the front gate of an ancestral hall, but because the Baode Ancestral Hall was bestowed by the emperor, it has a middle gate. Though not large in scale, its specifications are very high.” As a local from Labu, Taoist priest Yang Xianbin introduced it with great pride.

Baode Ancestral Hall

Standing before the high threshold of the Baode Ancestral Hall, Taoist Yang narrated its history to the reporter. “Today’s Baode Ancestral Hall is a unified architectural complex consisting of the Cangju Sacred Temple and the Jinxing Tower. The Cangju Sacred Temple itself was originally built during the Northern Song Dynasty. Initially, this site was the Jiyin Temple from the Northern Song era, so this place is nearly 800 years old.” According to the introduction, the ancient ancestral hall is supported by wooden beams, yet the entire structure was built without using a single iron nail.

Baode Ancestral Hall

Upon entering the Baode Ancestral Hall, the first thing you see is the red ceremonial gate (i.e., the middle gate). According to Taoist Yang of the Baode Ancestral Hall, the site was originally built by the Ming emperor after bestowing a plaque upon Lai Qiqing, and the villagers of Labu constructed it to enshrine Lai Qiqing for generations. He also mentioned that the red ceremonial gate, its high threshold, and the red-background gold-character plaque above all symbolize supreme imperial authority, highlighting the uniqueness of this small ancestral hall.

Baode Ancestral Hall

Behind the middle gate is a worship courtyard surrounded by eight stone pillars—four round ones on the outer side and four square ones on the inner side, symbolizing the ancient concept of a round heaven and a square earth. “The worship courtyard was originally used by royalty or high-ranking officials to worship the deities, while commoners worshipped in the corridors on both sides.”

Baode Ancestral Hall

Figures

Baode Ancestral Hall

Talented individuals emerged in every generation since the Yuan Dynasty

Baode Ancestral Hall

On the right side of the Baode Ancestral Hall is the adjacent Cangju Sacred Temple. It is understood that this temple was originally the Jiyin Temple built during the Northern Song Dynasty and was later converted into the Cangju Sacred Temple during the Yuan Dynasty. It is said that the Cangju Sacred Temple still preserves poems such as Li Xiaolong’s “Summer Clouds over Maofeng” (Li Xiaolong was a Jinshi scholar from the Xianchun era of the Song Dynasty) and works like “Waves of Lake in Spring” and “Fishing at Stone Pool,” written by the “Five Talents of Guangzhou’s Tingyuxuan” in the late Yuan Dynasty.

Next to the Cangju Sacred Temple is the Jinxing Tower. “You can tell the tower was built in different eras just by looking at the weathering of its walls. The first floor was built in the Yuan Dynasty, the second and third floors in the Wanli era, and the fourth and fifth floors in the Qianlong era.” He explained that there was a saying in ancient times about constructing a Wenchang Pagoda: it could only be expanded if local scholars achieved high honors such as Zhuangyuan (number one scholar) or Tanhua (number three scholar). This shows that from the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, almost every generation in Labu produced scholars who attained official titles.

Features

Inkstone Pond and Kapok Tree Symbolize Literary and Martial Excellence

In addition to the three main structures, the entire Baode Ancestral Hall complex also includes two ponds and several century-old kapok trees. The two ponds are the Inkstone Pond and the Liberation Pond. The Liberation Pond, as the name suggests, is used for releasing living creatures, while the Inkstone Pond carries a unique symbolic meaning.