Banqiao Ancient Village

Banqiao Ancient Village

Banqiao Village is situated in the northeast of Nancun Town, Panyu District, approximately 1 kilometer from the Nancun Town government. Neighboring natural villages are Nancun to the south, Luobian Village to the east, Shitou Village to the north, and Bohou to the west. The village was first built during the Song Dynasty. It earned the name Banqiao (Plank Bridge) as it was encircled by waterways and connected to nearby settlements primarily via wooden plank bridges.

There are three ancestral halls still standing in Banqiao Village. Among them, the Li Ancestral Hall was first built in the late Ming Dynasty and renovated in the 21st year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1766). This hall is dedicated to Li Suqiu (1602–1646), a patriotic poet and renowned anti-Qing general. The main gate of the hall features a wooden plaque inscribed with the characters “Beizheng Mingzong” (Northern Righteous Prominent Lineage), while the stone archway of the ceremonial gate bears the inscription “Zhongxiao Lianjie” (Loyalty, Filial Piety, Integrity, and Chastity) on the front and “Hanqing Liuzhao” (Historical Record Shines Bright) on the back. In December 1989, the ancestral hall was designated as a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit. There is also the Liao Family Ancestral Hall, which has retained much of its original appearance after renovation.

The Zhongxiao Lianjie Stone Archway is located within the Li Ancestral Hall in Banqiao Village, Nancun Town, Panyu. Constructed in the 26th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1687), it is a four-pillar, three-bay, three-story stone structure serving as the ceremonial gate of the ancestral hall. The central bay is 3.40 meters wide, and the side bays are 1.80 meters wide. All four pillars are flanked by stone drums, and the roof eaves feature brick-carved dentil brackets and dragon boat-style gray ridges. On both sides of the stone ceremonial gate are supplementary brick side gates with arched tops. Stone plaques are embedded in the gate lintels, with “Zhongxiao Lianjie” carved in the center of the front and “Hanqing Liuzhao” on the back, along with the inscription “Renovated in the 21st Year of Qianlong.” The side gates bear the inscriptions “Guogan” (National Pillar) and “Jiaxing” (Family Model) on the front, and “Cun’ai” (Preserve Love) and an illegible character string on the back. The secondary bays of the ceremonial gate feature inscribed tablets with eulogistic verses on their lintels—on the front, the left tablet was inscribed by Yu Yao and Lu Wenshao for Li Suqiu, and the right by Weng Fanggang for Li Tianxing; on the back, the left was inscribed by Ling Yu for Li Zhan and Li Heling, and the right by Li Qianxue for Li Daoniang and Lady Ling.

Li Suqiu (1602–1646), styled Meizhou, was a native of Panyu, Guangdong. He was a renowned poet in Guangdong during the late Ming Dynasty.

In his early years, he studied the classics and excelled in poetry and ci poetry. In the 7th year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1627), he passed the provincial imperial examination in Guangdong and became a juren (recommended man). He later made several attempts to pass the metropolitan examination in the capital, where he interacted with literati and poets along the way, gradually gaining fame for his poetry. In the 12th year of the Chongzhen reign (1639), after failing the metropolitan exam again, he traveled through the regions of Wu and Yue. The following spring, he arrived in Yangzhou, where he encountered a gathering of distinguished scholars at the “Yingyuan Garden.” They held a poetry competition on the theme of peonies, with cash rewards, and Li composed a poem on the spot... More details about Li Suqiu ++

Banqiao Village: Located in the northeast of Nancun Town, about 1 kilometer from the Nancun Town government, Banqiao Village neighbors Nancun to the south, Luobian Village to the east, Shitou Village to the north, and Bohou to the west. It was first established during the Song Dynasty. Surrounded by rivers and streams, the village was primarily connected to neighboring areas via wooden plank bridges, hence the name Banqiao. The anti-Qing official and famous Guangdong poet Li Suqiu from the late Ming Dynasty was a native of Banqiao. As the couplet at the entrance of the Li Ancestral Hall reads: “A family of five eminent officials, four generations of seven local sages.” The Ming Dynasty saw jinshi (advanced scholars) such as Li Chongshi, and juren (recommended men) including Li Zhan, Li Zishen, Li Zhaao, and Li Chongchi; there were also anti-Qing heroes like Li Suqiu and Li Suqi... More details about Banqiao Village ++