The Wu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xiasha

The Wu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xiasha

The Wu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xiasha is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Wu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xiasha is located at No. 3-2, Xiasha Street, Xiasha Community, Huangpu Street, Huangpu District, Guangzhou. Constructed in the sixth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1856), it was restored to its original appearance in 2003. The hall faces south and features a three-bay, two-courtyard layout, with a total width of 12.38 meters, an overall depth of 41.34 meters, and a total floor area of 511.79 square meters. It has a flush-gable roof with hipped gables, clay sculptures of dragon boat ridges, plain tube tiles, and ceramic ridge-end ornaments. The eaves boards are carved with patterns. The structure is built with blue bricks and stone corners, featuring brick carvings on the gable ends and murals on the wall friezes. The front faces a street, open space, and a fish pond; to the left, across the road, is Xiasha Primary School, while residential houses surround the right and rear sides.

The front gate is three bays wide (12.38 meters) and two bays deep (8.14 meters), with a floor area of 100.77 square meters. The front porch has a three-step beam structure, supported by four stone front eave columns with bracket arms. The beam above the shrimp-dragon column features stone lions and uniquely shaped bracket sets, with dougong brackets beneath the beam. Wing platforms are constructed on both sides. The main gate is fitted with granite door jambs, stone door sockets, and a stone lintel inscribed with “Wu Clan Ancestral Hall,” bearing the inscription “Winter Solstice, Sixth Year of Xianfeng (1856)” on the upper portion and “Written by Guan Panshi” on the lower. The interior has five roof trusses, with carved camel humps on the beams and two granite eave columns. A flagpole base stone stands in the open space in front of the hall.

The central hall is three bays wide (12.38 meters) and two bays deep (9.19 meters), spanning eleven trusses, with a front porch, covering a floor area of 113.77 square meters. It is supported by four granite inner columns, with six-panel screen doors between the rear inner columns, above which hangs a wooden plaque inscribed “Shude Hall.” Four inner columns display couplets; the front inner columns bear the text: “Branches thrive, vines extend, melons and peppers multiply — joyfully witnessing the ancestral hall’s renewed glory; nature’s treasures and earthly riches bless our lineage; virtue stands high, reputation runs deep, our origins flow long — delighted to see talents emerge one after another; outstanding people shape this land of exceptional spirit to establish a grand foundation.” The upper inscription reads “Celebration of the Reopening of Shude Hall in Xiasha,” and the lower “Respectfully offered by all relatives from Chisha Village in early winter 2003.” The rear inner columns hold the text: “Rekindling the ancestral rites, the hall shines anew; tending the heart’s field, we jointly offer plans; virtue runs deep, roots extend far, orchids flourish lush — cultivating the core land, we plan together.” Upper: “Commemorating the Completion of Shude Hall Reconstruction”; Lower: “Respectfully offered by Xiaozhou Jia’gao Hall.” The rear eave is supported by two granite columns, with arched doorways on both sides connecting to the rear corridors. The central hall has a front courtyard, and both corridors feature six-truss roll-and-pitch roofs with carved beams. Each corridor has four round granite eave columns. The courtyard is paved with granite stones, measuring 5.86 meters wide and 8.68 meters deep.

The rear hall is three bays wide (12.38 meters) and three bays deep (9.8 meters), spanning fifteen trusses, covering a floor area of 121.32 square meters. It is supported by four wooden inner columns resting on granite bases. The rear inner columns display the couplet: “The noble clan revives ancestral traditions; the Three Renunciations inspire descendants; the Prestigious Yan Commandery prospers in countless ventures; family roots spread along the Pearl River, ever mindful of old Meili; the bond before Shude Hall remains one.” Upper: “Celebrating the Completion of the Renovation of the Wu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xiasha”; Lower: “Congratulations from Liaochong Wu Zhide Hall on this auspicious day in mid-summer of the Jiashen Year.” The hall center displays a wooden plaque inscribed “Flowing Virtue of Yielding.” The central bay at the rear houses a shrine and incense table, enshrining ancestral tablets. The rear hall also has a front courtyard, with both corridors featuring six-truss roll-and-pitch roofs. The courtyard is paved with granite, measuring 5.85 meters wide and 5.16 meters deep.

This ancestral hall currently serves as a venue for leisure and recreational activities for local residents.

Xiasha Community: Overview of Huangpu Street Xiasha Community

I. Basic Information

The converted community of Xiasha is located in the urban center of Huangpu District, with a total jurisdiction area of approximately 5.6 square kilometers. It consists of four natural villages—Xiasha, Zhujiang, Xinxī, and Dajishā—and eleven economic cooperatives. The permanent registered population is 5,270, with around 5,000 non-registered migrant residents. The community includes over 1,200 acres of agricultural land, more than 260 acres of forested hills, one public primary school, one private school, two kindergartens, one market, and approximately twenty enterprises and companies… More details about Xiasha Community ++