The Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex

The Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex

The Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex is a designated cultural relics protection unit of Guangdong Province and a patriotic education base.

The Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex is situated to the west of Sanhua Village in Xinhua Town, Huadu District, Guangzhou City, close to the Guangqing Expressway and about 1 kilometer from the city center. Constructed between the second and third years of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1863), it has a history of more than 130 years. Most local residents are surnamed Xu, descended from Xu Hengzhi. During the Tongzhi era, two cousins from the Xu clan of Sanhua—Xu Fangzheng and Xu Biaozheng—held concurrent official positions in the Ministry of War and earned great favor from the imperial court. Emperor Tongzhi conferred the title of “Zizheng Dafu” (Grand Master for Consultation) upon Xu Fangzheng’s grandfather Xu Dekui and father Xu Diankui, and the title of “Fengzhi Dafu” (Grand Master for Presenting Directness) upon Xu Biaozheng’s father Xu Juekui.

To demonstrate imperial favor, Xu Fangzheng built the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple, while Xu Biaozheng constructed the Nanshan Academy. To honor the virtues of their ancestors, later generations of the Xu family added the Hengzhi Xu Ancestral Hall. It is currently the largest ancestral hall discovered in the Guangzhou area and holds significant value for the study of Qing Dynasty folk ancestral architecture. Since 1995, the Huadu District Committee and District Government have invested and mobilized social funding to comprehensively renovate the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex, transforming it into a cultural relics tourism area. The restoration took five years to complete. Today, the complex is vast in scale, integrating the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple, Nanshan Academy, Hengzhi Xu Ancestral Hall, and the Narcissus Ancient Temple. It covers an area of 18,000 square meters, with the main buildings spanning over 6,000 square meters, forming an artistic architectural ensemble of “three rows, three courtyards, and six corridors.”

The architectural complex is divided by Qingyun Lanes, extending 49 meters in depth. On the right side is a row of auxiliary halls, and at the rear are two ancient towers. The entire layout is rigorous, balancing solid and void spaces, creating a unified yet interconnected whole. The architecture is grand and imposing, featuring a front plaza and a rear garden, with lofty halls and spacious courtyards. Lush greenery surrounds the site, complemented by winding paths leading to serene spots. It embodies both the traditional style of Lingnan architecture and the characteristics of southern gardens.

The Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex faces south and is built with a brick-and-wood structure, featuring colorful ceramic-tiled roof ridges. The sides are adorned with beautifully lined gable walls known as “guo’er” mountain walls, topped with ceramic tiles. Two uniquely designed memorial archways stand respectively in the front courtyards of the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple and the Nanshan Academy. These archways are entirely constructed from granite slabs, with carvings of figures, palaces, various floral patterns, and inscriptions rendered through openwork carving, relief carving, round carving, and incised carving. The techniques are bold, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. The halls showcase the pinnacle of Guangdong folk architectural decorative arts, with intricate brick carvings, stone carvings, wood carvings, lime carvings, ceramic carvings, and painted designs that are vivid and exquisitely detailed. At every level, one can find masterpieces by folk art artisans. These include murals depicting historical stories from various dynasties, such as “The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove” and “Li Bai Drunk”; mythical legends like “The Nine Elders” and “Drunken Joy in the Jade Pool”; auspicious symbols such as “Fortune and Happiness,” “Pine Conveying Longevity,” and “Fortune Descending from the Heavens”; as well as a variety of uniquely styled patterns, floral designs, and calligraphy, all radiating a rich folk art atmosphere that is truly delightful. In the Narcissus Ancient Temple, wooden sculptures of deities adorned with real gold are enshrined and regarded as sacred. Devotees flock from near and far to burn incense and seek divinations, making the temple bustling with incense and worship.

With its grand scale, exquisite architecture, and excellent preservation, the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex is extremely rare not only in Huadu and Guangzhou but also across Guangdong Province as a whole. It can be considered another quintessential example of Lingnan folk art architecture in China. As such, it has been designated as a key cultural relics protection unit of Guangzhou. To bring this gem of Lingnan folk art to life, the staff of the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple continuously strive to collect and preserve handed-down cultural relics from various dynasties as well as outstanding works of folk and traditional crafts. They also engage in organizing, researching, and enriching the artistic taste and cultural significance of the Zizheng Dafu Ancestral Temple Ancient Architectural Complex.

On July 17, 2002, it was included in the fourth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Scenic Spot Location

Sanhua Village, Xinhua Town, Huadu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Ticket: 10 RMB per person

Sanhua Village: Located to the north of Xinhua Street in Huadu District, Guangzhou City, Sanhua Village is approximately 2 kilometers from the city center, covering an area of about 4.5 square kilometers. The village consists of four economic cooperatives 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 primarily relies on shop and factory rentals. The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway pass through the village.

Sanhua Village has a history of over 900 years, and most villagers share the surname Xu. The ancestor of the Xu clan in Sanhua Village was Xu Zongyuan. According to the Xu clan genealogy, prior to this, the Xu family resided in Baochang County, Nanxiong. Xu Zongyuan… More details about Sanhua Village++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units