Not only is there a group of archways, but Tangyue also boasts a magnificent Ming Dynasty ancestral hall

The Tangyue scenic area is famous for its 7 Ming and Qing dynasty archways, and right beside the archways stands an ancestral hall that dates back to the Ming Dynasty - the 【Dunben Hall】. This grand hall was built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522-1567 AD) by Bao Xiangxian, the Left Vice Minister of War, who retired and returned to his hometown to gather his clan and honor the eighth ancestral patriarch, Qingyun Gong. At the beginning of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, Bao Zhidao, the chief merchant of the Lianghuai Salt Administration, and his son Lai Fang, donated private funds for major renovations and expansions, resulting in the current layout. The hall faces south with a northward orientation and has a three-section, five-bay structure. The entrance hall features a high-soaring Wufeng Tower with winged corners, reminiscent of the Kunpeng with a blue sky on its back from the carefree wanderings described in literature. The ceremonial gate is enhanced with door studs and drum-shaped stones, and a delicate brick-carved 'eight-character' wall is built outside the gate. Dunben Hall is a model of Qing Dynasty Huizhou ancestral hall architectural art, with the characteristic Huizhou architectural features of 'fat beams and thin pillars with an inner courtyard'. The pillars are slender and tall, all made of stone, sturdy and durable, and the horizontal beams are thick, forming the beautifully curved 'winter melon beams'. Inside the hall, there are 17 steles, including the Yitian Rules Stele and the Imperial Edict Stele from Emperor Jiaqing. Next to Dunben Hall, there is also a unique national women's ancestral hall, Qingyi Hall, which breaks the old tradition of women not entering ancestral halls. Address: Zhengcun Town, She County, Anhui Navigation: "Tangyue Archway Group" Ticket: 90 yuan. Free every Wednesday in the first quarter of 2024.