Youlan Ancestral Hall

Youlan Ancestral Hall

Youlan Ancestral Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Youlan Ancestral Hall is located in Langxi She, Langtou Village. The original construction date is unknown. It was renovated in the sixth year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1801) and the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927). The hall faces south and has three bays and three courtyards, with a total width of 12.2 meters, covering a built-up area of 502 square meters. It features a hipped gable roof with a “person”-shaped fireproof wall, grey plastered antique-style ridge, grey barrel tiles, blue brick walls, granite stone foundations, and red clay brick flooring.

The original construction date is unknown. It was renovated in the sixth year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1801) and the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927). The hall faces south and has three bays and three courtyards, with a total width of 12.2 meters and a total depth of 39.4 meters, covering a built-up area of 502 square meters. It features a hipped gable roof with a “person”-shaped fireproof wall, grey plastered antique-style ridge, grey barrel tiles, blue brick walls, granite stone foundations, and red clay brick flooring. The front courtyard is spacious, featuring a crescent-shaped pond, beside which stand two sturdy longan trees. Under the trees are two pairs of flagpole stands, erected respectively by Huang Zhan Ying, who ranked fifth in the 1851 Xinhai Enke Provincial Examination, and Huang Ting Huai, who ranked first as a selected tribute student in the 1853 Guichou Enke Examination.

The front gate is three bays wide (12.2 meters) and two bays deep (5.4 meters), totaling nine rafters, with a double-step front porch. There are two stone eaves columns at the front and rear. The main ridge is decorated with a grey plaster sculpture of a group of lions. The eave boards are carved in the shape of silk ribbons, with intricate borders and finely detailed carvings divided into sections, featuring a wide range of motifs such as plum blossoms and bamboo with sparrows, ducks among lotus flowers, fish and crabs symbolizing harvest, butterflies and flowers, birds and deer, orchids, and grapes. The designs are exquisite. Among the patterns, there are also relief inscriptions of poems in various calligraphic styles, including Wang Zhihuan’s “On the Stork Tower,” Li Bai’s “Departing Early from Baidi City” and “Ballad of Mount Lu,” Liu Yuxi’s “Inscription on the Humble Room,” as well as verses such as “A zither sleeps beneath green shade, above which a waterfall cascades; fallen petals speak no words, people are as serene as chrysanthemums,” “The courtyard is naturally shaded by trees, where plum and crane endure the cold dew; the fragrance of osmanthus is moistened (in poetry), and the moon sings through the long day.” The front porch beams are constructed in the style of moon beams, supported by bracket arms adorned with ruyi patterns. The rear eaves columns are octagonal duck-shit stone pillars, with their lower parts spliced to elevate the columns. The bracket arms are carved from blue stone, depicting figures in scenes titled “Returning Home in Silken Robes” and “Guanyin Delivering a Child” on the left and right respectively. The side bays feature shrimp-dragon beams, stone lions, uniquely shaped brackets, and dougong brackets, all showcasing exquisite stone-carving craftsmanship. The main gate is fitted with a 1.9-meter-wide granite door frame, with the stone lintel engraved in relief with the words “Youlan Ancestral Hall,” the upper inscription reading “Sixth Year of Jiaqing, Xin You (1801),” and the lower inscription “Renovated on the Auspicious Day of Early Winter.” There is a central gate, with the gate face fitted with a 1.2-meter-high granite stone base, a red sandstone platform, and six steps made of granite.

The second courtyard, known as the Edict-Receiving Pavilion, is one bay wide (3.9 meters) and one bay deep (3.7 meters), totaling nine rafters. It is supported by four stone inner columns and features a hip-and-gable roof. The floor is paved with granite strip stones. Inside the pavilion hangs a wooden horizontal plaque inscribed with “Fragrant Virtue Continues.” According to the clan genealogy, the Edict-Receiving Pavilion was built by Huang Hao, father of Youlan, and his fifth younger brother Huang Xuezhun—both local gentry—as a place to receive imperial edicts.

The rear hall is three bays wide (12.2 meters) and three bays deep (8.2 meters), totaling thirteen rafters, with a four-rafter front corridor. It is supported by four hardwood inner columns, with duck-shit stone column bases. Between the rear inner columns hangs a wooden horizontal plaque inscribed with “Shaoxian Hall,” with the upper inscription reading “Renovated on the Auspicious Day of Late Winter in the 16th Year of the Republic of China, Year of Dingmao (1927),” and the lower inscription “Written by the 27th-generation descendant Shifang.” The central bay features a shrine against the back wall, displaying portraits of Huang Hao and his wife. In front of the rear hall are two side halls, each three bays wide, with six-rafter coffered ceilings, and two-rafter front corridors. The courtyard is 5.4 meters wide and 9.4 meters deep, paved with granite strip stones.

This ancestral hall enshrines the 15th-generation ancestor Huang Xueji (1468–1529), also known as Youlan, the eldest son of the local gentry Huang Hao.

In September 2002, it was designated as a registered cultural relic protection unit by the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government.

Langtou Village: The Langtou Village Committee is located in the western part of Tanbu Town, covering an area of approximately 6.25 square kilometers. It administers three villager groups (Langzhong, Langdong, and Langxi), with a total population of over 2,330. Langtou Village was established in the late Southern Song Dynasty, named after being built on a small hill near low-lying paddies, and was recognized as the Best Historic Ancient Village by the Huadu District Government in 2006. It is also among the first batch of provincial-level ancient villages. The Langtou Village Committee is 15 kilometers from Xinhua urban area and 2 kilometers from Tanbu urban area, connected to the town area via the Zhujiang Water Belt Corridor highway. Agriculture in the area includes rice, vegetables, flowers, and fish farming... More details about Langtou Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Guangzhou Cultural Relic Protection Units