Ancestral Temple of the Esteemed Song Dynasty Scholar Chen

Ancestral Temple of the Esteemed Song Dynasty Scholar Chen

The Ancestral Temple of the Esteemed Song Dynasty Scholar Chen is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou City.

The Ancestral Temple of the Esteemed Song Dynasty Scholar Chen is located in Xiayuanli, Shabei, in the western suburbs. Originally built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, it was reconstructed in the 27th year of the Daoguang reign (1847 AD) and renovated again in 1927.

The temple features a traditional Chinese wooden structure with a flush gable roof, facing south and comprising two courtyards with east and west corridors, and a spacious central courtyard. The main building covers an area of 795 square meters. In front of the temple are seven wide stone steps. The open space in front of the steps is expansive, featuring a large pond with rippling green water, creating a picturesque environment. The front hall is three bays wide and two bays deep. Its glazed ceramic ridge is exquisitely crafted, with vividly depicted peony branches, and inscribed with “Daoguang Dingmo” (the 27th year of the Daoguang reign, 1847 AD) and “Made by Yinghua Store,” making it one of the earlier surviving ceramic-tiled ridges in the province. In 1986, a complete fish-and-jewel ornament was reinstalled. The roof is covered with cylindrical tiles edged with green glazed tiles. The stone plaque above the main gate is inscribed with “Ancestral Temple of the Esteemed Song Dynasty Scholar Chen,” bearing seals dated to the 27th year of the Daoguang reign and the year Dingmo. The restored wooden couplet on the door reads: “Seven Jinshi scholars from one hall; Five local worthies across four generations.” The seven Jinshi refer to scholars from the founding ancestor of the Chen family, Chen Kangyan (from the Southern Song Dynasty), to Chen Zizhuang (late Ming Dynasty), while the local worthies refer to virtuous and talented individuals from the countryside. At the edge of the pond stands a pavilion with glazed ceramic figurines. The front wall is made of finely jointed grey bricks. The rear hall, called Shide Hall, is 14.6 meters wide and 12.4 meters deep, with 13 roof trusses supported by four longitudinal columns and a front-projecting corridor. In front of the corridor are four stone balustrade panels, each carved with the characters “Wanshou Wujian” (Long Live Forever). The roof is similar to that of the front hall, except the central ridge lacks a precious bead and instead features a ceramic Roman numeral clock. To the left of Shide Hall is the Zhonglie Shrine, dedicated to Chen Zizhuang, a Ming Dynasty loyalist who resisted the Qing invasion. Later generations refer to Chen Zizhuang along with Chen Bangyan of Shunde and Zhang Jiayu of Dongyao as the “Three Loyalists of Lingnan in the Late Ming Dynasty.”

Since 1986, the temple has been repaired mainly through donations from compatriots in Hong Kong, and the Chen Zizhuang Memorial Hall has been established.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangzhou City