The Jiang Ancestral Hall in Panyu

The Jiang Ancestral Hall in Panyu

The Jiang Ancestral Hall in Panyu is a cultural heritage site protected by Guangzhou Municipality.

The Jiang Ancestral Hall is located on Nan Yue Street, Shitou Village, Nancun Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou. It is the largest ancestral hall of the Jiang clan, a prominent local family in Shitou Village. Originally built in the 15th year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty, the rear section was renovated and expanded in the 50th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty, and the front section was further renovated and heightened in the 38th year of the Jiaqing reign. Jiang Chixiang, the 20th-generation descendant of the Jiang family, introduced that this grand ancestral hall holds many small stories behind it and has witnessed the history of the people of Panyu resisting foreign invaders.

The Jiang Ancestral Hall faces south and is situated in front of an open plaza and a small river, with flagpole stands on both the east and west sides inscribed with texts such as “Jiang Qian, Second Place in the Second-Class Yougong Examination of the 29th Year of the Guangxu Reign.” The overall structure of the hall consists of three courtyards and two skywells, with the main building at the front. The three courtyards feature traditional ancestral hall architecture with flush gable roofs and dragon boat ridges, spanning a total depth of 48.95 meters and covering an area of 807.68 square meters.

Standing in front of the Jiang Ancestral Hall, one can see that the front section is over 6 meters high. Jiang Chixiang explained that there is a story behind this. “In the past, our Jiang family was often bullied by others in the village because we were poor. Later, we consulted a feng shui master who said it was because the front section of the ancestral hall wasn’t tall enough. After raising the height of the front section, no one dared to trouble the Jiang family anymore.” Brother Chi joked that this front section is probably the tallest among ancestral hall front sections in Guangdong Province.

Standing in front of the Jiang Ancestral Hall, one can see that the front section is over 6 meters high. Jiang Chixiang explained that there is a story behind this. “In the past, our Jiang family was often bullied by others in the village because we were poor. Later, we consulted a feng shui master who said it was because the front section of the ancestral hall wasn’t tall enough. After raising the height of the front section, no one dared to trouble the Jiang family anymore.” Brother Chi joked that this front section is probably the tallest among ancestral hall front sections in Guangdong Province.

“The Central Hall Bears Witness to the Glory of the Dragon Boat and Lion Dance Families”

Jiang Chixiang explained that the first courtyard of the ancestral hall is 16.5 meters wide and 8.65 meters deep. Looking up from the entrance of the ancestral hall, one can see carvings of a mythical turtle (ao fish) and floral-patterned dragon boat ridges on the main ridge. Jiang Chixiang noted that because the Jiang family has been known for dragon boat racing and lion dancing through generations, dragon motifs are sculpted on the roof ridges.

Walking further inside, there are granite plinths on both sides of the entrance, each 4.5 meters wide, 4.3 meters deep, and 0.7 meters high, with a pair of large stone drums on either side of the doorway. On the plaza in front of the entrance stand two pairs of flagpole stands, one of which was erected by Jiang Haolian, a member of the Jiang clan who participated in resisting the British and quelling unrest. Aside from the drum towers on both sides, there are also two Qingyun Lanes, each 2.3 meters wide, with the left gate inscribed “Swimming Dragon” and the right “Playing Phoenix.” The skywell is 8.2 meters wide and 7.8 meters deep. On both sides, corridors lead to the central hall, each hanging wooden plaques inscribed with “Storing Literature” and “Covering Martial Arts.” The bright red wood of the plaques is engraved with golden characters, exuding nobility. From the skywell, one can also admire the exquisite stucco carvings on the veranda, featuring pink peaches on red walls and vividly lifelike canaries.

It is worth mentioning that in the “Covering Martial Arts” side hall, there are countless trophies and banners, as well as dozens of lion dance heads. Brother Chi proudly said, “The Jiang family has passed down lion dancing and dragon boat racing through generations. I rowed dragon boats in my youth, and lion dancing is very famous within the province. We are often invited to perform elsewhere.”

The second courtyard, the central hall, is 16.5 meters wide and 12.5 meters deep. The center of the main room hangs a wooden plaque inscribed “Shi De Tang” (Hall of Family Virtue), signed “38th Year of the Jiaqing Reign” and “Written by Hanlin Scholar Hu Jie.” Behind the central hall is a skywell, with corridors on both sides leading to the rear sleeping quarters. “Originally, there were no rear sleeping quarters. Our ancestral hall only had two courtyards. The rear section of the third courtyard originally belonged to the Liang family. Later, the Jiang family exchanged land to acquire the plot and added the rear sleeping quarters.”

The third courtyard, the rear sleeping quarters, is 16.3 meters wide and 12 meters deep. The 15-beam structure is supported by two stone pillars and four round wall columns. The main room houses ancestral tablets on a pedestal made of rosewood with bat patterns. However, the reporter observed that the sides of the rear sleeping quarters are currently enclosed, with moss growing on the floor and walls. “This area has been enclosed by the district cultural heritage protection unit. They are currently studying how to resolve the issue of water seepage in the rear sleeping quarters,” said Brother Chi. He mentioned that the rear sleeping quarters have always had water seepage issues. In 2005, the Jiang family added glazed tiles to the roof, but instead of solving the roof leakage problem, it added more weight to the beams. Over time, the water seepage combined with the added weight of the tiles caused some beams to bend.

“A Glorious Witness to Resisting Foreign Invaders”

It is understood that the Jiang Ancestral Hall once served as the former site of the Shashao Militia Training Bureau. On the walls on both sides of the “Shi De Tang” in the middle courtyard of the ancestral hall hang seven (originally eight) wooden carved inscriptions documenting the history of the Shashao Militia Training Bureau. These inscriptions were written by Li Guangting, who participated in resisting the Red Turban Rebellion and founding the Shashao Militia Training Bureau, during the Xianfeng reign, and were calligraphed by Deputy General Huang Tianyuan. As early as the Qianlong reign, the Jiang family invited Chen Guanlou from Leizhou to write an inscription for the “Jiang Ancestral Hall,” which was made into a hanging screen displayed inside the hall. Due to years of wear and corrosion, Li Guangting was asked to rewrite the text and Huang Tianyuan to inscribe it, creating a new screen displayed in the original location.

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