Ancestral Hall of the Cen Clan

Ancestral Hall of the Cen Clan

The Ancestral Hall of the Cen Clan is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Ancestral Hall of the Cen Clan is located at No. 83 Miao Tou Street, Miao Tou Community, Suidong Street, Huangpu District, Guangzhou. It was first built in the 16th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1751). Facing south with its back to the north, the structure features three bays and three courtyards, with a total width of 13.64 meters, a depth of 41.15 meters, and an overall area of 561.29 square meters. It has a flush-gable roof, a gable-and-hip roof in the shape of the Chinese character “人”, gray plaster dragon boat ridge, and gray tile cylinders. The base is constructed from blue bricks and red sandstone, while the floor is paved with red bricks. The front faces streets, open ground, and a fishpond, and the other three sides are surrounded by residential houses.

The front gate is three bays wide (13.64 meters) and three bays deep (7.13 meters), with a construction area of 97.25 square meters. The front porch features two stone eave pillars, and the spaces between the side bays are connected to the gable walls with wooden lintels. The bottoms of the wooden beams are adorned with line-patterned carvings. The brick carvings on both gable ends are exquisitely crafted. The main gate is fitted with red sandstone door frames and stone door sockets, and the wooden door plaque reads “Ancestral Hall of the Cen Clan,” with the inscription “Qianlong Xinwei Yangyue Jidian” (an auspicious day in the tenth month of the Xinwei year of the Qianlong reign) on the top but no signature at the bottom.

The central hall is three bays wide (13.64 meters) and three bays deep (9.46 meters), spanning a total of thirteen rafters, with a construction area of 129.03 square meters. It has four Kwangtung ironwood central pillars and granite column bases. A rectangular black wooden plaque inscribed with “Shun Zhi Tang” (Hall of Harmony and Propriety) hangs above the hall, and a movable partition screen is installed in the center. There are five steps made of red sandstone leading up to the central hall. The side corridors of the courtyard have been reconstructed with reinforced concrete.

The rear hall is three bays wide (13.64 meters) and three bays deep (9.86 meters), spanning a total of fifteen rafters, with a construction area of 134.49 square meters. It has four Kwangtung ironwood central pillars and granite column bases. The shrine enshrines wooden spirit tablets as well as portraits of Cen Qu (Western Zhou Dynasty), the founding ancestor of the Cen Clan, the portrait of Cen Yaojun, another founding ancestor, and the portrait of Cen Peng, the Han Dynasty General Who Conquered the South and Marquis of Wuyin. There are four stone steps in front of the rear hall, and six-rafter winding corridors flank either side of the courtyard.

The ancestral hall is relatively well preserved and is currently shared among clan members.

Miao Tou Community: Miao Tou Community is a restructured community under Suidong Street, Huangpu District. In 2002, during the implementation of the "village-to-community" transition, the former Miao Tou Village of Nangang Town was renamed as a “community.” The name “Miao Tou” originates from the thousand-year-old temple “Nanhai God Temple” and makes it one of the oldest villages in Guangzhou. Since the restructuring, with strong support from the district government, the level of urbanization in Miao Tou Community has continuously improved, its economy and society have developed steadily, and grassroots Party building has been further consolidated and strengthened. The main details are as follows:

I. Basic Community Information

(1) Geographic Location and People... Detailed information about Miao Tou Community++