Sanhua Ancient Village

Sanhua Ancient Village

Sanhua Village has a history of over 900 years, and most villagers share the surname Xu. The founding ancestor of the Xu clan in Sanhua Village was Xu Zongyuan. According to the Xu family genealogy, prior to this, the Xu clan resided in Baochang County, Nanxiong. In the eighth year of the Yuanyou era during the Northern Song Dynasty (1085), Xu Zongyuan was appointed by the imperial court as the magistrate of Nanhai County and came to serve as an official in Panyu, Guangzhou. He chose this place to establish the village. Since Xu Zongyuan was the third son in his family, and legend has it that he also opened a tea shop called Sanhua in the village, the village was thus named Sanhua. Today’s Sanhua Village consists of four economic collectives: Zhonghua, Xihua, Donghua, and Yuanhua, covering an area of approximately 2 square kilometers.

In front of the pond, three ancestral halls are still preserved: the Fuyuan Xu Ancestral Hall, the Moman Xu Ancestral Hall, and the Xu Clan Grand Ancestral Hall. Among them, the Xu Clan Grand Ancestral Hall is the common clan hall for the Xu clan in Sanhua Village, enshrining Xu Zongyuan, the founding ancestor of the village. This hall was first built in the early Qing Dynasty and was renovated twice, in the 58th year of the Qianlong reign (1793) and the 4th year of the Guangxu reign (1878). Many architectural components of the building still well reflect the styles of different periods. The stone qilin and aoyu brackets on the shrimp-dragon beam, as well as other structural elements, are made from a type of local Guangzhou stone commonly known as “duck shit stone,” which was widely used in construction during the early Qing period. The wooden beams in the front corridor are constructed in the yue beam style, with exquisitely carved patterns at the bottom, crafted during the Qianlong era. The pillars of the entrance gate are finely crafted, with complex lines characteristic of the Guangxu period. The second bay of the ancestral hall features a three-gate, five-story brick-and-stone memorial archway inscribed with the phrases “Paiyan Dongming” (Lineage Extending to the East) and “Shide Zuqiu” (Virtue as Heritage), written by Song Hao, the magistrate of Huadu County, in the 5th year of the Qianlong reign (1740). The next day, a family in the village was preparing for a wedding, and relatives and friends were bustling with preparations. Walking next door to the Moman Xu Ancestral Hall, many villagers were also busy organizing for a wedding the following day. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the events were not related—apparently, the next day was considered an exceptionally auspicious date. The Moman Xu Ancestral Hall was built in the early Qing Dynasty and was renovated once in the 2nd year of the Tongzhi reign (1863). Inside the hall, there is also a three-gate, five-story brick-and-stone memorial archway, featuring exquisite brick carvings of “Baihua Fugui” (Prosperity of a Hundred Flowers), which are quite rare among ancestral halls in ancient villages. These two ancestral halls were designated as Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units in December 2008.

Exiting the Xu Clan Grand Ancestral Hall and walking northeast along the pond leads to the former site of the Guangdong Fanhua Branch of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance (Tongmenghui), which holds significant fame in modern Chinese history. This site is located in the rear building of the Jizhi Xu Ancestral Hall. In 1905, after Sun Yat-sen established the Tongmenghui in Japan, Xu Weiyang, a villager from Sanhua, joined the alliance. In September 1909, he followed Mo Jipeng back to Huadu to establish the Guangdong Fanhua Branch of the Tongmenghui, recruiting over 300 farmers to join. During this time, Huang Xing also visited multiple times. On the eve of the Huanghuagang Uprising, Xu Weiyang was ordered to urgently return to Huadu and organized a dare-to-die squad of over 100 people to participate in the uprising. This was the only peasant squad among the uprising forces. Later, the Huanghuagang Martyrs’ Cemetery buried 18 members of the Huadu dare-to-die squad, 16 of whom were Xu clan members from Sanhua Village. In 1920, Sun Yat-sen personally inscribed eight large characters for Sanhua Village: “Huijia Shunan, Gong Zai—” (Sacrificed Family for the Nation, Merits Lie in—), and sent Zhang Ji, then Minister of Propaganda of the Kuomintang, to personally deliver and hang the plaque at the Jizhi Xu Ancestral Hall. In July 2002, this site was designated as a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In the 18th year of the Daoguang reign (1838), Xu Fangzheng from the village passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi (advanced scholar), later serving as a Langzhong (senior official) in the Ministry of War. Historical records indicate that he also participated in military actions to suppress the Taiping Rebellion led by his fellow villager Hong Xiuquan. In the 2nd year of the Tongzhi reign (1863), the imperial court conferred the title of Zizheng Dafu (Grand Master of State Counsel) upon his grandfather Xu Dekui and father Xu Shixian. Xu Fangzheng built the ancestral hall in the 7th year of the Tongzhi reign (1868). Xu Biaozheng: Xu Fangzheng’s cousin, also a Jinshi, served as a Zhushi (junior official) in the Ministry of War at the time. Xu Biaozheng’s father, Xu Shiliang, obtained the title of Juren (recommended man) in the 5th year of the Xianfeng reign (1855).

The Shuixian Ancient Temple is said to have been built to worship He Shiyushi, a general of the Jin Dynasty’s Jinwu Upper Command. Some villagers say it was established to commemorate He Zhaoji, an imperial censor of the Song Dynasty. He Zhaoji was from Shawan Town, Panyu. He was known for his integrity and incorruptibility throughout his official career but was eventually framed by villains. Before his death, he instructed that his spirit tablet be placed in a box and thrown into the sea. Unexpectedly, the box flowed upstream and drifted all the way to Sanhua Village, where it was retrieved by Xu Zhen, a descendant of one of his close friends. The villagers then enshrined his spirit tablet in the Shuixian Ancient Temple.

Sanhua Village: Located north of Xinhua Street in Huadu District, Guangzhou City, Sanhua Village is about 2 kilometers from the city center, covering an area of approximately 4.5 square kilometers. The village has 4 economic collectives and 18 villager groups, with a total population of 4,910, making it one of the larger urban villages in Xinhua Street. The village economy mainly relies on renting shops and factory spaces. The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Wuhan-Guangzhou Railway pass through the village.

Sanhua Village has a history of over 900 years, and most villagers share the surname Xu. The founding ancestor of the Xu clan in Sanhua Village was Xu Zongyuan. According to the Xu family genealogy, prior to this, the Xu clan resided in Baochang County, Nanxiong. Xu Zongyuan in the eighth year of the Yuanyou era during the Northern Song Dynasty... Detailed information on Sanhua Village ++