🏯 Jin Family Ancestral Hall
A living testament to southern Sichuan’s clan architecture · A model example of Qing dynasty ancestral halls in Hejiang County
📍 Basic Information
- Address: Zhuanglongwan Village, Bai Mei Town, Hejiang County, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province (formerly part of Bailu Township; transferred to Bai Mei Town following the 2019 township administrative reorganization)
- Protection Level: Provincial Cultural Heritage Site (designated July 2012)
- Original Construction Date: 1897, during the 23rd year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign
- Current Layout: Three-section quadrangle courtyard with approximately 1,200 square meters of area; main structures remain largely intact
📜 Historical Development
The Jin Family Ancestral Hall was built by the Hejiang Jin family for ancestral worship and kinship cohesion. Its origins trace back to the migration wave known as “Huguang Filling Sichuan” during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, when the Jin family settled in Bailu Field (now Bai Mei Town) in Hejiang County:
- Late Ming to Early Qing: The family’s founding ancestor, Jin Guorui, migrated from Xiaogan Township, Macheng County, Hubei Province, established farmland and livelihood, gradually becoming a prominent local clan;
- Guangxu Period (Qing Dynasty): During the family’s peak, the scholar-official Jin Dianyuan led the construction of the hall, completed after three years of work;
- Republic of China to Present: Used as a private school, village primary school, and production team warehouse—functionally diverse yet structurally preserved;
- 2009: Recognized during Hejiang County’s cultural heritage survey for its historical significance, triggering emergency restoration efforts;
- 2012: Officially designated by the Sichuan Provincial Government as a Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Site (Eighth Batch).
🏛️ Architectural Features
The Jin Family Ancestral Hall stands as a quintessential example of late Qing dynasty clan architecture in southern Sichuan, blending official architectural standards with regional vernacular craftsmanship:
✅ Overall Layout
- Built according to natural topography, facing south with north-facing orientation and symmetrical central axis, comprising four key components: entrance gate, front hall (featuring a performance stage), main hall (shrine hall), and rear inner sanctum (ancestor shrine);
- Side wings and auxiliary rooms flank both sides, forming a closed quadrangle courtyard that embodies the traditional feng shui concept of "trapping wind and gathering qi."
✅ Structure and Craftsmanship
- Wooden Frame: Hybrid system combining mortise-and-tenon joints with beam-lifting structure; stone column bases are carved drum-shaped greenstone with floral patterns; some beams and lintels retain original Qing Dynasty polychrome paintings (partial remnants of Guangxu-era colors);
- Roof Design: Overhanging gable roof covered with small blue tiles; central ridge adorned with gray-glazed dragon motifs and a central pearl; eaves ends fitted with mythical beast finials (chiwen);
- Carving Artistry:
- The stage ceiling features an octagonal pointed dome with a central relief carving of the Taiji and Bagua symbols;
- Main hall panel doors’ lower panels display relief carvings of themes such as the “Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars” and “Fisher, Woodcutter, Farmer, Scholar,” executed with refined technique and profound moral meaning;
- Wall pediments at the gables feature brick carvings of “Double Blessings of Fortune and Longevity” and “Magpies Perching on Plum Trees,” serving both decorative and didactic purposes.
✅ Unique Structural Elements
- Integrated Stage and Front Hall Design: The front stage serves as a performance space, while the rear functions as a passageway and storage area; side wall inscriptions reading “Out General” and “In Minister” reflect the ritualistic musical traditions of southern Sichuan clans;
- Rear Inner Sanctum Altar: A finely crafted, openwork canopy made of nanmu wood houses ancestral tablets of successive Jin family ancestors (36 surviving Qing-era tablets remain); the canopy’s lintel bears the inscription “Perpetual Fragrance Through a Hundred Generations.”
🏺 Cultural Relics and Documentary Evidence
- Qing Dynasty Stone Inscriptions:
- Record of the Jin Family Hall Construction (erected in the 23rd year of Guangxu): Details donor lists, construction chronology, and clan regulations;
- Preface Inscription to the Revised Clan Genealogy (22nd year of the Republic of China): Reflects the continuity of clan culture in modern times.
- Historical Contracts: More than ten original documents preserved in the site’s collection, including land sale agreements and forest boundary records from the Qing era—valuable primary sources for studying grassroots socio-economic life in southern Sichuan;
- Genealogical Records: The Hejiang Jin Clan Genealogy (woodblock-printed edition from the 17th year of Guangxu) survives intact, documenting family origins, migration routes, and scholarly achievements—of significant value in genealogical studies.
🌟 Cultural Significance
- Material Testament to Clanship Systems: Fully illustrates how late Qing immigrant families in southern Sichuan used ancestral halls to construct kinship networks, enforce ethical education, and manage communal resources;
- Representative Example of Regional Building Techniques: Embodies the local building tradition of the Luzhou region—“mortise-and-tenon framework as bones, ornamental carving as soul, and glazed sculpture as finishing touch”;
- Carrier of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Long served as a venue for traditional southern Sichuan customs such as “Ancestral Hall Opera,” “Qingming Festival Ancestral Rites,” and “Winter Solstice Grain Distribution.” Annual spring memorial ceremonies resumed in 2021;
- Key Node in Migration Studies: Together with sites like the “Nine Clans Magistrate Office Ruins” and the “Yaobai Ancient Town” in Hejiang County, it forms a vital node within the broader cultural corridor of southern Sichuan’s migration history.
🧭 Tourism Information
🚗 Transportation Guide
- By Car: From Luzhou City Center → G93 Chengyu Ring Expressway → Hejiang Exit → S308 Provincial Road → Bai Mei Town → Zhaunglongwan Village. Total distance: approx. 65 km, travel time: about 1.5 hours;
- Public Transit: Take a bus from Luzhou Passenger Transport Hub to Bai Mei Town (6 daily departures). Disembark at Bai Mei Town and transfer to a local shuttle or walk 3 kilometers to reach the site.
🕒 Opening Hours
- Open year-round (except during extreme weather or special renovation periods)
- Daily Visits: 09:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
- Booking Required: Reserve one day in advance via the “Hejiang Culture & Tourism” WeChat Official Account. Admission is free, including professional guided tours.
🎒 Visitor Tips
- ✅ Recommended visit duration: 1.5–2 hours;
- ✅ Must-see highlights: stage ceiling dome, filial piety wood carvings in the main hall, Guangxu-era construction stele, nanmu altar canopy;
- ⚠️ Flash photography, tripods, and drone filming are strictly prohibited within protected areas;
- 🍃 Nearby Attractions: Can be combined with visits to the Ming Dynasty Ancient Tombs Cluster in Fuyin Town (12 km away) and Yaobai Ancient Town (28 km away), offering deeper immersion into Hejiang’s historical and cultural landscape.
🌿 One hall carries a hundred generations, every tile reveals centuries of change. The Jin Family Ancestral Hall is not merely a place of worship for the Jin clan—it stands as a three-dimensional chronicle of southern Sichuan’s immigrant roots, enduring cultural lineage, and timeless craftsmanship.