Chen Qingduan Ancestral Hall

　　Leizhou City boasts a long history and numerous cultural relics and tourist attractions. In a small alley east of Daxin Street in the city lies the "Chen Qingduan Ancestral Hall," built to commemorate the renowned Qing Dynasty official Chen [surname]. Although the Chen Qingduan Ancestral Hall is a single-story structure, it exudes an air of grandeur, standing apart from ordinary residences. Above the main gate of the hall is engraved the six large characters “Chen Qingduan Family Ancestral Hall.” The calligraphy is simple yet vigorous, highly captivating. On both sides of the gate, there is a couplet: “The grace of the sage emperor showers like rain and dew; the virtuous deeds of the worthy endure like mountains and rivers.” Due to the passage of time, the characters on the couplet have become somewhat blurred.

　　Upon entering the gate, all the sights within the ancestral hall come vividly into view. This is an ancient ancestral temple with three courtyards. The front, middle, and rear halls are aligned along a central axis, separated by courtyards, with side rooms flanking each hall. The entire structure features gray walls, gray tiles, high beams with slender rafters, red brick flooring, and dark gray pillars, giving it an appearance that is simple, elegant, solemn, and dignified. In the center of the third hall hangs a portrait of Chen [surname]. He wears an official hat and robe, with a serene expression, bright and piercing eyes, and a kind gaze fixed straight ahead, fully embodying the spirit of his integrity, honesty, and love for the people as an official.

　　Standing before the portrait of Chen [surname], one cannot help but reflect deeply—Chen [surname] was one of the three great upright officials of the Qing Dynasty’s Lingnan region, renowned alongside Hai Rui and Qiu Jun of Hainan. He was a native of Donghu in Nantian Village, Leizhou, and became a Jinshi (imperial scholar) during the Kangxi era. In his childhood, his family was poor, and his father passed away early, leaving his mother to support the household alone. Yet, despite the hardships, he never abandoned his lofty aspirations. He studied diligently and, after years of hard work, passed the provincial examination in the 33rd year of Kangxi’s reign (1693) and then the imperial examination the following year. Truly, hard work pays off. By then, he was already 39 years old, a testament to how diligently he had studied and how resolute his commitment was to serving his country.

　　As an official, Chen [surname] was known for his integrity, uprightness, and love for the people as if they were his own children. Wherever he went, he earned the deep trust and affection of the local populace, and Emperor Kangxi held him in high esteem. It is said that when Chen [surname] first became the magistrate of Taiwan, through careful investigation, he discovered that hundreds of prisoners held in jail were all innocent civilians who had been wrongfully accused. As the Lunar New Year approached, he unhesitatingly released them from prison, allowing them to return home for the holidays to reunite with their families. Unexpectedly, this act offended the interests of the local prefect, who then falsely accused Chen [surname] of colluding with troublemakers to the imperial court. The court immediately dispatched an imperial envoy to investigate the matter. Upon learning of this, the released prisoners, fearing they would implicate the good magistrate Chen [surname], spread the word and returned to prison overnight to await investigation. As a result, when the imperial envoy counted the prisoners, not only were none missing, but there were actually two more than before. Once the truth came to light, the court truly understood that Chen [surname] was an honest and upright official who governed with virtue and influenced the people. He was then transferred to the Ministry of Punishments to serve as a senior official and was given significant responsibilities. The local people, grateful for Chen [surname]’s compassion, built an ancestral hall in his memory after his passing. When Chen [surname] served as the governor-general in Hunan, he thoroughly investigated local conditions, handled affairs impartially, and enjoyed an excellent reputation. The local people praised him as the “Second Bao Zheng.”

　　Throughout his life, Chen [surname] remained clean and devoted to public service, untainted by corruption. From his time as a county magistrate to that of a governor-general, over decades in office, he never pursued personal luxury nor embezzled a single cent of state funds. He lived an extremely frugal life. When Emperor Kangxi summoned him, he praised him as a “ascetic monk,” “truly one of the most exceptional in uprightness,” and “a true auspicious sign for the nation.” Despite serving away from home for decades, he never brought his wife with him nor returned home even once. However, he always cared deeply for his hometown and wanted to do something good for its people. As early as the 34th year of Kangxi’s reign (1694), shortly after he passed the imperial examination and returned home, he initiated a proposal to build an embankment along the East Ocean for the benefit of the people. He sought approval from the prefect and personally traveled to Qiongzhou to meet with the regional administrator to request donations, but ultimately the project was not realized due to insufficient funding. Then, in the 54th year of Kangxi’s reign (1715), while serving as governor-general in Fujian, he submitted a memorial to the court requesting funding for the construction of the East Ocean Embankment. The court allocated over 5,300 taels of silver, and Chen [surname] himself donated 5,000 taels of his accumulated salary—almost matching the court’s allocation—to build the embankment, accomplishing a great deed that would benefit his descendants for generations.

　　In the 57th year of Kangxi’s reign (1718), the upright official Chen [surname] passed away while serving as governor-general in Fujian. Before his death, he made a will to donate all 14,000-plus taels of salary he had earned during his tenure to the national treasury. After Chen [surname]’s death, moved by his lifetime of merit, Emperor Kangxi posthumously awarded him the title of Minister of Rites and granted him the posthumous name “Qingduan” (Pure and Upright). His remains were transported back to Leizhou from Fujian for burial.

　　The Chen Qingduan Ancestral Hall was first built in the 8th year of the Qianlong era (1743) and has a history of 257 years. Since its last renovation in the Xinhai year of the Xuantong era (1911), nearly 90 years have passed.