The Ancestral Hall of Li Zhouyuan

　　   Who was Li Zhouyuan? Legend has it that during the Jingkang Incident of the Song Dynasty, Li Shidao, a native of Sichuan, took refuge in Hetang Village and settled there, becoming the village’s founding ancestor. Li Zhouyuan was his 15th-generation descendant.

　　   The Ancestral Hall of Li Zhouyuan is located in Huangwan Village, Hetang Town, Pengjiang District, Jiangmen City. During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, descendants of Li Zhouyuan (born during the Jiaqing era) from Huangwan Village built this ancestral hall to worship their forebear Li Zhouyuan. The construction took 18 years and was completed and put into use during the Tongzhi era, over 130 years ago. Historically, more than 20 members of the Li clan from the area achieved scholarly honors such as passing the imperial examination for jinshi or juren degrees. Over 20 stone monuments commemorating these academic achievements stand in the square in front of the hall.

　　   The Ancestral Hall of Li Zhouyuan is a grand and exquisitely crafted example of a typical Qing Dynasty ancestral hall. It faces south and covers an area of over 5,000 square meters, with the existing structure measuring 54.39 meters in length and 43.40 meters in width. It consists of the main building and two rows of wing rooms on the southeast side, separated by four Qingyun Lanes. In front lies a spacious square, while behind are auxiliary structures such as a garden and a literary pavilion (now ruined). The main building includes the entrance gate, the second hall (main shrine), and the rear hall, interspersed with large courtyards. The rear hall features a roof ridge standing 11 meters high. The second hall is 10.40 meters high, 15.6 meters wide, and 12.7 meters deep. Its central ridge is adorned with 0.6-meter-high gray plaster carvings of landscapes and floral motifs. The eaves are supported by square stone pillars, while the interior columns are round wooden ones. The beams are constructed in a mixed seven-beam structure. The entire building extensively incorporates various decorative arts such as wood carving, stone carving, and brick carving. Carved with exquisite and intricate designs of figures, flowers, and landscapes, the dougong brackets, pillow blocks, floral lintels, railing panels, and outer walls all showcase the superb ancient architectural artistry of southern China.