A stunning ancestral hall with exquisite stone and wood carvings has been discovered in Chaozhou!

In Xiejiaotou, Jinsha Management Area, Caitang Town, Chao'an District, Chaozhou, Guangdong, lies an ancient building that has witnessed the vicissitudes of time - Congxi Ancestral Hall. Like a silent old man, it quietly tells stories of the past, exuding a unique charm. This mansion-style ancestral hall was built in the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1870) and took 14 years to complete in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883), making it over 140 years old. It was built by Chen Xunian, an overseas Chinese leader living in Johor, Malaysia, and has now been promoted to a national key cultural relic protection unit, attracting worldwide attention. The surrounding buildings of Congxi Ancestral Hall are also of great significance. To the south is Ruitong Ancestral Hall, built by Chen Dingxin, the second son of Chen Xunian and the prefect of Nankang, Jiangxi; to the north is Yangyuan Study, with gardens, pavilions, rockeries, and academies. The entire building complex is centered around Zizheng Mansion, built around the ancestral hall in order of seniority, with Congxi Ancestral Hall firmly occupying the C position, fully reflecting the strong feng shui concept and clan consciousness of the ancients. Congxi Ancestral Hall faces east and west, with a grand scale, a width of about 31 meters, a depth of about 42 meters, and a total area of 1,300 square meters, with a courtyard layout of two entrances and four halls. The front and rear halls are separated by a patio, with corridors on both sides, forming a unique pattern of four halls facing each other. The rear hall has three rooms in width and three rooms in depth, using a wooden structure with brackets, far exceeding the specifications of a typical "four-point gold." Although Congxi Ancestral Hall is not the largest in size, every brick, tile, wood, and stone here is full of mystery. Every detail is the result of the craftsmen's hard work, a huge and arduous project. For this reason, it is known as the "No. 1 Ancestral Hall in Chaozhou." Locally, there is a saying, "Sand Ridge Ancestral Hall, Xiaowei Shen House," which shows the exquisite beauty of its architecture. The fame of Congxi Ancestral Hall lies in its superb architectural art, a perfect example of the perfect fusion of traditional architecture and local arts and crafts. The unique Chaozhou stone and wood carving art shines here. The roof trusses, beams, and purlins in the ancestral hall are decorated with exquisite stone and wood carvings, making the entire building magnificent yet elegant. Walking through it is like traveling through time and space, getting close to history, and feeling the wisdom and craftsmanship of the ancestors. It is not just an ancestral hall but an art palace, waiting for more people to uncover its mysterious veil.