Anhui Pingshan Shu Family Ancestral Hall: Magnificent gate tower and ancient ancestral hall from the Ming Dynasty

The thousand-year-old Pingshan Village in southern Anhui is a famous historical and cultural village in China, as well as a traditional Chinese village. Historically, Pingshan could boast 'three thousand stoves and a five-li-long street', not only situated by the mountain and facing the water, but also with a long and profound cultural history. Currently, nearly 300 ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties are preserved, among which the Guangyu Hall, Chengdao Hall, Daoguang Tang, Xianyi Hall, and other 7 ancestral halls are exquisitely grand. ⭐The Shu Family Ancestral Hall⭐ includes the Shu Qingyu Hall from the Ming Wanli period and the Shu Guangyu Hall from the Qing Qianlong period. The two halls are connected by a corridor, both constructed based on Zhu Xi's 'Family Rituals'. The architectural scale is grand, with a reasonable and compact layout, the spatial progression is appropriately handled, following the closed, inward, complete, and independent style of ancestral temple architecture, yet rich in spatial rhythm and cadence, representing the typical style of ancient Huizhou ancestral halls. ⭐Nine-eaved five-colored gate tower: Also known as 'Bodhisattva Hall'. The nine eaves represent the highest level of ancestral halls, and the five colors were historically exclusive to the emperor. In ancient Yixian County, there was a saying: 'Having seen the Bodhisattva Hall of Jiudu, one would not be startled even when entering a government office.' This illustrates the grandeur and high status of the Bodhisattva Hall; The two characters 'En Rong' in the upper middle part mean 'vast imperial grace and family prosperity'. The lower middle part reads 'Number one scholar in the imperial examination', indicating that the village has produced a top scholar. The gate tower has over 300 different, lifelike carved figures, such as dragons soaring in the sky, civil and military officials, various Bodhisattvas, jubilant lions, young lion protectors, cranes extending life, plum blossom deer, etc. ⭐Shu Guangyu Hall: From the Qing Dynasty, with a front hall, middle hall, and back hall, it is tall and grand, with majestic beams and columns, orderly brackets, and exquisite carvings. The eaves and columns use a combination of stone and wood techniques; ⭐Shu Qingyu Hall: Built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli period, it represents the Ming ancestral halls of Huizhou. Constructed with ginkgo wood, it uses large materials and has a distinct Ming Dynasty architectural style, with shuttle columns as the main feature; The beam frames often use gorgeously carved moon beams, which have a circular cross-section. The column bases, sumeru bases, and the hall for offerings all have auxiliary steps and other features typical of the Ming Dynasty. ⭐Other attractions: Pingshan arching, Imperial Guard Hall, Xianyi Hall, Red Temple, Xianji Temple (Three Maiden Temple), etc. Address: Hongcun Town, Yixian County, Anhui Province Tickets: Free