Guangzhou Chen Clan Ancestral Hall | A masterpiece on the roof and a pearl of Lingnan architecture.

❤ Recommended reason: The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, also known as the Chen Clan Academy, is located on Zhongshan 7th Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. The Chen Clan Academy is one of the largest traditional Cantonese buildings in existence, and is the largest, best-preserved, and most exquisitely decorated ancestral hall-style building in China. It is known as the "Pearl of Lingnan Architecture". 🌟 Highlights: 🪵 Wood carvings: Mostly concentrated on the beams, doors, and screens of the Juxian Hall. The 11 double-layer openwork shrines in the back seat are the best of the wood carvings, with exquisite craftsmanship, beautiful patterns, and rich themes, such as flowers, birds, insects, fish, historical stories, and opera characters. 🧱 Brick carvings: The most extensive are the outer walls of the east and west inverted seats, using three-dimensional and delicate artistic techniques, such as "Liu Qing Fulongju", which vividly depicts lively scenes, and is made of several brick carvings with mortise and tenon joints, with patterns that are very layered and three-dimensional. 🪨 Stone carvings: The craftsmen use techniques such as round carving, open carving, relief carving, and line carving to create vivid and lifelike images of Lingnan flowers and fruits, rare birds and animals, and figures, such as the stone lions in front of the gate, with stone balls in their mouths that can roll freely, and the base with high relief patterns symbolizing good luck and happiness. 🍑 Ceramic sculptures: Mainly concentrated on the roof ridges of 19 halls, with historical stories and folk legends as themes, decorated with various animals, flowers, birds, fruits, and other patterns, with bright colors and lifelike images. 🌫️ Gray sculptures: The craftsmanship is concentrated on the roof ridges and courtyard corridors, with plant ash as the main formula, which is not only beautiful and atmospheric, but also has the function of moisture-proof and heat absorption, adapting to the humid and hot climate of Lingnan. 🏡 In terms of courtyard design, the front courtyard is deeper than the back courtyard, and the layout of sparse front and dense back, low front and high back is conducive to ventilation. The central building, Juxian Hall, is tall and spacious, with a white stone terrace in front of the hall, and the stone railings are inlaid with iron-cast flowers and other pictures. 🧱 The Qingyun Lane above is made of blue bricks, with the functions of light gathering, ventilation, and fire prevention, and the bat and bottle patterns on it imply "good fortune and peace, and a smooth career". 🎫 Tickets: Only 10 yuan per person for on-site ticket purchase, and free for the elderly and minors! 👵👶 Super cost-effective, definitely worth your visit! 🚉 Transportation guide: Metro Line 1/8, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall Station, Exit D 🚇