The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Panyu (Shanshi Hall)

The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Panyu (Shanshi Hall)

The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Panyu (Shanshi Hall) is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Commonly known as Shanshi Hall, the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is located in Yicun Village, Shilou Town, Panyu City. Originally built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, it was expanded during the Wanli era and renovated in the 34th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1769). The ancestral hall consists of a front gate, memorial archway, main hall, rear chamber, and auxiliary halls, spanning four courtyards in depth, with a total construction area of 2,472 square meters.

The front gate is three bays wide, measuring 17.84 meters, and two bays deep, measuring 9.3 meters. Both the front and rear corridors feature tutor platforms, with carved patterns on the dougong brackets and carved designs on the beam capitals of the front corridor. The lintel supports seventeen rows of ruyi-style bracket sets, and the main gate bears a plaque inscribed with “Chen Clan Ancestral Hall.” The lintel is decorated with longevity motifs and an illustration of the Eight Immortals offering longevity. A pair of sandstone lions stands on either side of the gate, atop stone bases adorned with floral scroll patterns.

The memorial archway is a four-pillar, three-bay, three-story structure built from sandstone. Its lintels and drum stones are carved with flowing clouds, dragon-and-phoenix motifs, and floral designs. It was destroyed by a typhoon in 1971, and only some components such as the stone pillars, drum stones, and lintels remain.

The main hall is three bays wide, measuring 18 meters, and three bays deep, measuring 13.7 meters. Its beams, lintels, dougong brackets, and bracket sets are all richly carved with decorative patterns. The secondary bays feature lattice windows inlaid with brick carvings. At the center hangs a plaque inscribed with “Shanshi Hall,” a reproduction of the original plaque inscribed by Qi Jiguang, a famous anti-Wokou general of the Ming Dynasty, during the renovation.

The rear chamber is three bays wide, measuring 18 meters, and three bays deep, measuring 14.7 meters. Inside the chamber stands a large, exquisitely carved golden lacquer shrine adorned with dragon-and-phoenix motifs, measuring 4.7 meters wide, 1.1 meters deep, and 4.2 meters high. It remains well-preserved.

Although parts of the current structure have been modified, the overall layout remains intact.

Shilou Town: Nestled along the shores of Lion Sea in the eastern part of Panyu District stands a civilized, prosperous, and beautiful coastal town — Shilou Town. The beautiful Pearl River runs through the town from north to south. To the south, it borders the special economic zones of Shenzhen and Zhuhai, as well as Hong Kong and Macau; to the east lies Dongguan; to the north connects to Guangzhou, facing Huangpu Port across the river.

Shilou Town covers a total area of 126.5 square kilometers, with a population of over 120,000. It is an industrial satellite town in the Pearl River Delta, a science and technology town in the Guangzhou area, a model town for civilization development in Guangzhou, a pilot town for comprehensive reform of small towns in Guangdong Province, and a central town of both Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City.

Lotus...... More detailed information about Shilou Town++

Further reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangzhou City