The Fuxi Xu Family Ancestral Hall

The Fuxi Xu Family Ancestral Hall

The Fuxi Xu Family Ancestral Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Fuxi Xu Family Ancestral Hall, also known as the Xu Grand Ancestral Hall, is the family temple of Xu Pu, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. It is located at No. 200 Xiyin Road, Yicheng Subdistrict, Yixing.

Xu Pu, courtesy name Shiyong, art name Qianzhai, was a native of Xiyin Village in Yixing. He entered private school at the age of 8. In the fifth year of the Jingtai era of the Ming Dynasty (1454), he ranked second in the imperial examination and was appointed as a Hanlin Academy editor. During the reigns of the Tianshun, Chenghua, and Hongzhi emperors, he successively served as Director-in-Chief of the National History Bureau, Vice Minister of Rites, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and Minister of Rites. In the fifth year of the Hongzhi era (1492), he was promoted to Chief Grand Secretary, and in the eleventh year of the Hongzhi era (1498), he became Grand Secretary of the Huagai Hall. Later, due to eye disease, he requested retirement. After his death, he was posthumously granted the title of Grand Tutor and honored with the posthumous name Wenjing. In the third hall of the Xu Grand Ancestral Hall, there is a portrait of Xu Pu, which is said to date back to the mid-Qing Dynasty or earlier.

This portrait is the treasure of our entire Xu Grand Ancestral Hall. It was donated to the Yixing Cultural Relics Management Committee by the direct descendants of the Xu family last year. First of all, it is a portrait in Ming Dynasty court attire, wearing grand official robes — what we call a mangpao. Importantly, it includes jade ornaments.

The entire Xu Family Ancestral Hall faces south and was built in the fifth year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1492). Originally, it had five sections, but only the second and third sections remain today. The second section is 17 meters wide and 6.8 meters deep, with a flush gable roof, Yangshan stone columns, and painted beams and brackets, though the paintings have become blurred. The courtyard between the second and third sections is 14.8 meters deep. The third section is the main hall, also called the Nanmu Flower Hall because its beams and columns are made of nanmu wood. It is 17 meters wide and 9.6 meters deep, with a hip-and-gable roof, and its beam structure retains the original appearance from the Ming Dynasty when it was first built. The beams, columns, brackets, and rafters inside the hall are adorned with painted designs, including entwined floral patterns, wrapped brocade motifs, and cloud-and-crane patterns.

The middle three sections all use nanmu beams and columns, indicating a relatively high specification, as ancient regulations did not allow just anyone to use nanmu as a building material. The flower hall was originally carved and painted — you can see the flowers above, which are nearly 500 years old and still somewhat visible. That’s quite rare. Among all the ancestral hall architecture in Yixing, this one has the highest specifications.

The Fuxi Xu Family Ancestral Hall is a family temple built during the Ming Dynasty. With a long history, it flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, reflecting the historical and cultural heritage of Yixing, a hub of humanities. It complements abundant historical documents and serves as a historical testament to family culture in the Jiangnan region.

On October 7, 2019, the Fuxi Xu Family Ancestral Hall was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Xu Pu (1428–1499), an official of the Ming Dynasty, courtesy name Shiyong, art name Qianzhai, was a native of Fuxi (now Xiyin Village, Yicheng Town, Yixing). From August 1492 to July 1498, he served as the Chief Grand Secretary. He died at the age of 72. In 1454, he passed the imperial examination and eventually rose to the position of Grand Secretary of the Huagai Hall. He was serious and measured in character; during his twelve years in the Grand Secretariat, he provided steady guidance, nurtured talent, and skillfully handled major legal cases and the arrests of censors, maintaining stability and continuity in governance. After his death, he was posthumously honored with the title Wenjing. Xu Pu authored the Four Volumes of "Qianzhai Literary Record," which is recorded in the "Complete Library of the Four Treasuries"... More details about Xu Pu++

Yicheng Subdistrict: The Yicheng Subdistrict Office is the seat of the Yixing municipal government, serving as the city's political, economic, and cultural center, as well as its window to the outside world. Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with a population of 240,000, it governs 30 community committees and 6 administrative villages. Divided by the Wuxi-Shanghai Canal, the area within the canal on the city side falls under Yicheng’s jurisdiction, while the area outside is managed by the Yixing Economic Development Zone. Communities, villages (groups), and enterprises originally belonging to Yicheng in that zone are entrusted to the Economic Development Zone. Non-established villages (groups) may establish new village committees or merge with neighboring ones... More details about Yicheng Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units