The Memorial Hall of the Zhai’s Family

The Memorial Hall of the Zhai’s Family

The Memorial Hall of the Zhai’s Family, or the No.1 Chinese Hall (天下第一祠), was constructed during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. The hall faces south and was built in imitation of royal memorial halls. The hall is the largest memorial hall in China, covering a total area of 6,700 square kilometers.

The plague of the hall that bears the words "No.1 Chinese Hall" and the stone lions in front of the hall

The front hall is decorated with stone pillars, drum-shaped bearing stones and stone lions. Inside is an anteroom, an open ceiling, an ancestral hall and sleeping quarters. Precious woods like ginkgo and mahogany were used to build the establishment, and the floor consists of granite. A horizontal plaque engraved with the words “Distinguished Family South of the Yangtze River” (江南名族) sits high on the entryway of the hall. Another plaque, bequeathed by Emperor Wanli, hangs in the ancestral hall. The wooden plaque bears the words “Hall of Loyalty and Filial Piety” (忠孝堂) in gold.

The wooden plaque bears the words “Hall of Loyalty and Filial Piety” in gold.

The Memorial Hall of the Zhai’s Family is the oldest memorial hall in Anhui. The imposing glamour of the hall boasts Hui-style wooden, brick and stone carvings; colorful paintings; and 108 plaques from emperors, generals, ministers and local officials of various dynasties. In addition, there are many antiques in the memorial, such as a complete Zhai family tree, ancient teachings, ancestors’ photos, spirit tablets and dozens of tablets of various dynasties.

When Luo Zhewen, the ancient agriculture expert of the National Heritage Board visited the Memorial Hall of the Zhai’s Family in 1997, he gasped with admiration and later designated the hall as the No. 1 Chinese Hall.