Xihua Peng Clan Ancestral Hall

Xihua Peng Clan Ancestral Hall

Xihua Peng Clan Ancestral Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located at No. 3, Lane 3, Xihua Street, Xihua Village, Maogang Community, Yuzhu Street. Originally built in the ninth year of the Yongzheng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1731), it was renovated in 1999. The hall faces southwest and is oriented from the northeast, featuring three bays and three courtyards. It has a total width of 15.58 meters, a total depth of 49.1 meters, and covers a construction area of 764.8 square meters. The structure features a flush gable roof and a hip-and-gable roof with upturned eaves, grey plaster dragon boat ridges, scroll-patterned tails, lions sculpted at both ends of the ridges, grey tubular tiles, and plain tile ends. The eaves boards are adorned with wood carvings of flowers, plants, melons, and fruits. The base is made of blue bricks and red sandstone. To the left and right are Qingyun Lanes, with an open space and Xihua Street in front, and residential houses behind.

The main gate (head door) is three bays wide, measuring 15.58 meters, and three bays deep, measuring 12.3 meters, with a floor area of 191.63 square meters. The front porch has a four-step beam, with carved wooden figures such as “Wu Song Fighting the Tiger” on the beam’s dougong brackets. The four stone front eave columns are connected by intricately carved wooden beams featuring human figures. The wooden door frame is flanked by stone door sockets, and the wooden plaque above the door is inscribed with “Peng Clan Ancestral Hall.” The upper inscription reads “The ninth year of the Yongzheng reign (1731), first month of spring, auspicious day,” and the lower inscription reads “Written by Yao Bingkun, Prefectural Magistrate of Panyu County, who was specially appointed and promoted to oversee the management of the Danshui Stone Bridge, Changyan Salt Fields, and was granted an additional senior rank.” The side couplets on the wooden doors read “Our Way is the Same as Confucius and Laozi; Our Longevity Surpasses Shang and Zhou.” The rear porch features melon pillars and beams decorated with ruyi patterns. There are two octagonal stone eave columns.

The ceremonial gate (yimen) is three bays wide, measuring 15.56 meters, and one bay deep, measuring 4.2 meters, with a floor area of 65.35 square meters. The roofs of the side bays are lower than that of the central bay. The central bay has a screen door with a wooden plaque hanging above, inscribed with “Flowing Virtue and Longevity,” which is a newly carved replica of the original during the renovation. The rear walls of the side bays are solid walls with arched openings leading to the rear porch. The front porches on both sides of the ceremonial gate feature six-rafter coffered ceilings. The courtyard ground has been replaced with wear-resistant bricks, measuring 7.2 meters wide and 6.7 meters deep.

The rear hall is three bays wide, measuring 15.56 meters, and three bays deep, measuring 13.9 meters, spanning a total of thirteen rafters, with a floor area of 216.28 square meters. The front eaves have two octagonal red sandstone columns. The front porch beams feature dougong brackets and carved ruyi patterns. The connecting beams and brackets are fully carved with ruyi motifs. In the center are melon pillars and beams. There are four wooden golden columns with red sandstone column bases. The central bay has a wooden plaque inscribed with “Weiyu Hall,” with the upper inscription reading “Mid-Autumn of the Ji Mao Year” and the lower inscription reading “Gifted by the Peng Bounian Hall of Nancun, Panyu,” created as a replica of the original during the renovation. The rear walls of the side bays originally had arched openings connecting to the fourth courtyard, but since the fourth courtyard has been demolished, the openings are now sealed. The rear hall has a courtyard in front, with both side porches featuring six-rafter coffered ceilings. The courtyard has been repaved with wear-resistant bricks, measuring 7.1 meters wide and 12 meters deep.

The ancestral hall is well-preserved and is currently used for gatherings of villagers and wedding banquets.